Not all concept cars are demonstrated to the public at large. Some of them never leave R&D centers. Toyota has now unveiled four concepts sketched up by its California-based Calty Design studio and never approved for production.
The Toyota Future High Performance in the header pic here was modeled in 1989. The idea was to create a sports car with extremely low drag. To that end, it received fully sealed front wheels, an alien-looking shroud in front of the single-seater cabin, and an engine that the driver could raise out of its bay with a push of a button to let it cool down in the wind for a while.
Next down the list is a two-door electric hatchback going without a name. It had been conceptualized in the Calty HQ before the company invented the Prius. The idea was to maximize its aerodynamic performance while keeping the tire width/resistance to a minimum.
Then there is the Toyota X86D Concept, a car named similarly to the iconic AE 86 model celebrating its 40th birthday this year. It was the company’s foray into the Shooting Brake segment of the market. It had a flat-four engine under the hood and a dashboard tilted to face the driver.
Rounding off the quartet is Scion NYC, an attempt to visualize an urban subcompact car of the future. Everything about it is outlandish, from standing head- and taillights to a very narrow windshield. The driver and the front passenger are intended to assume a near-standing position in their seats, only lightly reclining on the seat backs. Another two seats in the back row look normal in comparison.