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Toyota Me.We concept is a multifunction Tupperware car [w/video]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Videos, Toyota, Design/Style

Not to be outdone by the Renault Twin'Z concept penned by Welsh designer Ross Lovegrove, Toyota has partnered up with French designer Jean-Marie Massaud to create the 2013 Toyota Me.We Concept. Unveiled at Le Rendez-vous Toyota in Paris, the Me.We Concept is an attempt to imagine a car that can be appreciated by owners across a wide variety of lifestyles while being courteous to the environment, too.

From a "Me" perspective, the concept is highly customizable with removable body panels, and even though it might look like just a small hatchback from the outside, Toyota claims it can also be used as a pickup (with an extendable rear panel), a convertible (with a neoprene roof panel) and even an off-road vehicle. As for the "We" part of the car, it's a fully electric vehicle with individual in-wheel motors and a battery pack mounted under the load floor. The concept has a weight of around 1,600 pounds kept low thanks to an aluminum chassis, but it also features renewable bamboo wood for the floor in addition to the fully recyclable polypropylene exterior body panels. Scroll down to see more in an official video and to check out Toyota's official press release.

Continue reading Toyota Me.We concept is a multifunction Tupperware car [w/video]

Toyota Me.We concept is a multifunction Tupperware car [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patent drawings reveal Toyota's next concept?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Hatchback, Lexus, Toyota, Electric

It would seem that Toyota has an interesting and hitherto unknown concept vehicle up its sleeves, judging by a European patent that L'Automobile in France was somehow able to dig up. Despite our best efforts, we weren't able to locate the actual patent filing ourselves, so you'll have to head on back after clicking here to see the rest of the associated images.

So, what do you think? Judging by the absolutely minuscule engine compartment and Toyota's well-earned position at the top of the hybrid vehicle food chain, it would be a reasonable assumption to conclude that this is some kind of new hybrid vehicle concept. It does seem to share some design cues with the 2007 1/X concept, though it could also be an all-electric, fuel cell or conventional design.

L'Automobile seems to think that this vehicle may wear a Lexus badge and could possibly debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but we can't say for certain. In any case, it's an intriguing design that shows what styling direction the Japanese giant may take with future people movers.

[Source: L'Automobile (translated)]

Patent drawings reveal Toyota's next concept? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2010: Toyota FT-CH a younger, cheaper brother for the Prius

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:09:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hatchback, Toyota

Toyota FT-CH live unveiling - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota brought a downstream version of the small hybrid Lexus LF-CH concept that was unveiled in Frankfurt to the Detroit Auto Show today. The FT-CH Concept - teased a few weeks ago - not only offers small hybrid mentality with a Toyota badge, it could also be a tremendous sales successful if it ever makes it to production.

Toyota didn't say this concept is for sure destined for the showroom floor, but they were hinting at it. The reason we can see this being popular is that, if Toyota sells it, the FT-CH would be priced below the Prius and aimed at a younger audience. The FT-CH is smaller than the Prius too, coming in at just 153 inches long and 68.5 inches wide.

The four-seat concept was designed by Toyota's European Design and Development center in Nice, France with an 8-bit mentality. That's not a put-down. It's actually the style that designers were going for with the FT-CH, and the press conference included references to Contra, Megaman and Super Mario Brothers. Check out a promotional video of a digital rendering of the FT-CH in action on Toyota's new sustainable mobility website.

Gallery: Detroit 2010: Toyota FT-CH

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Detroit 2010: Toyota FT-CH a younger, cheaper brother for the Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Preview: Toyota teases new hybrid concept vehicle

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota Hybrid Concept teaser - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota, the Undisputed Heavyweight Hybrid Champion of the World, has just announced that it will unveil a new gas-electric concept vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Beyond that, details are decidedly scarce. As a dedicated model, this apparently won't be a hybridized version of a current Toyota model but a new vehicle entirely, and, judging by the two teaser images released with the announcement, it doesn't appear to be quite like anything the automaker has shown us before.

With that out of the way, let's speculate a bit. We've been hearing that Toyota is considering expanding its Prius range with both a sporty coupe and a roomier wagon, so this could be a conceptual version of one of those models. Or not. We'll find out for sure on January 11 when we point our own DSLR lenses at the concept in Detroit. In the meantime, feel free to hit the jump for the extremely brief press release and peruse the two high-res teaser images in our gallery below.

Gallery: Toyota Hybrid Concept Teaser

[Source: Toyota]

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Detroit Preview: Toyota teases new hybrid concept vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Aztek is all Toyota's fault - RV2 concept

Dan Roth — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:03:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Toyota

click the picture above for a gallery of the Toyota RV-2 concept.

If this were a Trivial Pursuit clue: "Vehicle aimed at an active lifestyle, based on much more common machinery, offering even a camper attachment for the rear," your answer might be a confident, "Pontiac Aztek." You'd be wrong. Even setting the wayback machine for 1970-something and answering "VW Camper" would be right, but also wrong. The correct reply, of course, would be "Toyota RV-2," a vehicle that never saw the light of day much beyond a display stand after the 1972-73 Auto Show season. Granted, it's a little arcane, but the Corona-based brake shows that Toyota was, once upon a time, much hipper, and we're not talking about the surgically implanted ones that Avalon owners sport. The edgy-wedgy styling belies a rear quadrant that unfolds and deploys a tent to cover a party palace more accomodating than the two seats up front. This is the car you take tailgating. Apparently, nothing ever became of the RV-2, but the idea of a car with a tent attached to its arse had surprising staying power, and didn't help the General sell its prescient, awkwardly styled crossovers, either. At least the RV-2 looked mighty natty with some Torq-Thrusts. Thanks for the tip, imoore!

Gallery: Toyota RV-2 concept

[Source: RetroThing, Photos: Stepho's Toyota Site]

The Aztek is all Toyota's fault - RV2 concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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