Toyota’s concept of the future is a whimsical one, where people would get out of their cars and use the giant touch screen to do some internetting. Also, do you know how expensive body work already is when someone side-swipes your parked car? Now imagine adding the cost of a gigantic, curved, back-lit touchscreen. Kill me now. Maybe you could subsidise the cost by making the side of your car into a mobile billboard.
But you know what, screw reality. Ignoring all of the obvious impracticalities, the Fun-Vii is beautiful. I hate seeing concept cars that look just like the shit we have already. We need more sci-fi in our future, not because things like this are great ideas, but because they are creative, and they inspire a sense of awe and possibility. Don’t you want to live in a world were wild ideas like this are practical? I sure as hell do. [PhyOrg]
Image credit: AP/Koji Sasahara
wiz1974
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 8:33 AMone of the better ideas from a concept, most of them of late have been about how they neatly stack together, or become a street lamp when parked for gods sake. This is something a bit different.
Barry
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:01 AMI don’t understand the touch screen doors???
Maybe for those advertising cars that drive around but for personal every day driving???
I must be getting old :-)
Jenny
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:07 AMThe touch screen doors are also used for locking the car. It has a screen feature that tracks your fingerprints and then analyses it to open the car. They say that an 80% match will generally do the job though.
TSH
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:47 AMToyota better talk to Apple if they want to use “Slide to Unlock” :–P
Barry
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:26 AMIt’s been proven that fingerprint locks are one of the easiest to break.
Finger print locks for doors = FAIL!!!
TSH
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:49 AMDidn’t Tony Stark call his Humvee the “Fun-vee” in the Iron Man movie? The one where said “Fun-Vee” got perforated and he nearly died?
(granted, that near-death experience lead to Iron Man. But we’re not all billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropists)
Troy
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:31 AMThats exactly what I thought of too! The other one was the hum-drum vee
JonBOY
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:35 AMI can see it now; Men standing in the streets looking at porn on their glorious high definition car doors. Classic.
James
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:01 AMImagine all the car accidents when people put hardcore porn on display.
Lord Crumplebottom
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:22 AMWould make for a great promotional vehicle.
Brett
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:37 AMjust looks like an iphone one wheels… cant we come up with something better toyota?!
Lolz
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 7:18 PMImitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and why wouldn’t they take inspiration from the best smartphone on the market?
Marrowmaw
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 12:24 PMAs long as it has a 2jz.
Penmonicus
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 12:53 PMThen Coca-Cola can pay everyone to advertise and everyone gets a free car!
red t-rex
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 4:10 PMI used to be a big fan of toyota (having owned 5 over the years) but have now become a Mazda convert. Sure Toyota’s are reliable workhorses but Toyota’s current offerings are boring. It’s a shame that none of the designers of the prototypes seem to get to influence the actual production versions. Even their current Corolla advert is laughable as they cut open this gorgeous futuristic vehicle to reveal a very plain looking Corolla. No comparison t to the current Mazda 3. I may come back to Toyota but they need to have some style injected.