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Akio Toyoda has a vision to provide Toyota and Lexus' new products with more edge. Karl Schlicht, executive vice-president at Toyota Motor Europe, agrees with this notion, stating to Top Gear UK that Toyoda is trying to encourage this way of thinking in the company.

First, there could be a possible production version of Toyota's FT-1 Concept, which may spearhead a fresh range of driver-focused cars with fancier designs.

"The reaction [to the FT-1] was much stronger than even we thought," said Schlicht. "Production? It's possible. We need more emotional cars, and Akio-san is encouraging that. He believes Toyotas should be drivers' cars. Our cars need to improve, especially for European tastes..."

"We don't have any volume targets," Schlicht explained. "If we sell 10 million cars [annually around the world], that's great, but that's not the main aim. We're not worried if we alienate a few people."

"We want to keep that car pure," he said. "You put a turbo on it, give it bigger tyres, and you start turning it into a different category of car..."

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