Toyota is launching its Fun-Vii concept under the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show's slogan of "Mobility can change the world". We can't help thinking that mobility has already changed the world - after all, Toyota and its competitors already produce vehicles that allow millions of people to travel from one place to another every day, which seems like fairly world-changing mobility.
Maybe it's not all about movement, though. Maybe Toyota's vision of a near future when people, cars and society are linked will bring that 19th-century invention, the car, together with the computer of the 20th century into a real 21st-century world-changer. Flippancy aside, the Fun-Vii has some neat features. Toyota sees it as the ultimate in vehicle personalization, effectively downloading a color scheme like an app which can then be displayed across your car.
You can go for simple colors or even messages, but the idea is that the body can reflect your personality. The interior features augmented reality navigation and Toyota says the interior features are freely adjustable to "match the mood of
the moment".
We expect this means the three seats can be moved around into any position or shape you choose depending on requirements. It also implements technology already in development to let the car speak with other vehicles and its surroundings, and a network update function ensures the car's software is all kept up to date. Most importantly of all, Toyota wants the Fun-Vii to be... well, fun. With the Toyota GT-86 due to be officially launched at Tokyo,
Toyota's own slogan, "Fun to Drive, Again" seems more exciting in the context of world-changing mobility.
