This is what the A80 Supra would have looked like if Toyota’s American designers got their way

Calty – Toyota’s American design centre – is turning 50 years old this year, and to celebrate it recently unveiled a lunar buggy concept that was inspired by the classic FJ40 Land Cruiser. Sounds pretty bonkers, but the Baby Lunar Cruiser is actually very cool indeed.

Though not quite as cool as some of these previously unseen concept cars.

Yep, to go along with the Baby Lunar Cruiser announcement, Calty released some images of concepts that it has worked on throughout the years, and holy moly we wish some of them had made it into production.

For example, check out the white MX-1 sports car concept from 1983. That was a mid-engined concept with scissor doors and a proper wedgey shape. Looks a fair bit more dramatic than the first generation MR2 which arrived a year later, doesn’t it?

And while we’re on the subject of dramatic, get a look at the longtailed, gullwing-doored MX-2 that Calty designed a couple of years later. That was apparently built-in house by Calty out of fibreglass reinforced plastic. There was a ‘swing arm steering wheel’ too that meant the MX-2 could switch between left- and right-hand drive. Imagine if Toyota actually built this thing. It almost looks like it could have been the precursor to the Jaguar XJ220.

And then we come on to the Supra. Yep, this is what the iconic A80 would have looked like if the Americans had their way. We’re told that Calty wanted the fourth generation Supra to be a “pure sports car” rather than another grand tourer, so there was a swoopy sports car look with big wheels, a swooping roofline and a bulging bonnet to fit a straight-six engine. Very interesting indeed.

It’s not just sports and supercars that Calty has worked on in secret for the past 50 years though. It also let slip that it worked on an early proposal for the FJ40, and there are sketches of a Toyota caravan. Of course.

And then there’s the Scion NYC concept, which was apparently intended to explore ‘future transportation trends’ in big cities. The strange low body/very tall glasshouse look allowed the driver to stand up behind the wheel. Perhaps some things are better left as concepts.