Toyota’s Fun-Vii Concept Vehicle A Mobile Marketing Machine

I am not the only person to call Toyota’s vehicle lineup “beige,” Toyota became the number one purveyor of bland transportation. It has made them quite successful, though beige cars are an affront to someone like me, who genuinely enjoys cars. It’s a shame too, because once upon a time, Toyota built some great cars…that were also fun.

But Toyota may be getting its groove back, as recent concepts see the conservative automaker breaking out of a box (that it built itself.) Toyota’s latest concept, the Fun-Vii, is cute, impractical…and just what Toyota needs.

Downloadable Designs

Like many concept cars, the Fun-Vii is not designed with production in mind. But for a gearhead like me, who thrives off of car customization, the Fun-Vii is the ultimate in customizable cars. Indeed, the whole outer body can be used as a display board. That would allow one to download customizable “skins,” turning your daily driver into a mobile advertisement. It’s like driving an iPhone!

But that’s not all. The interior can be customized too, and modern “mood lighting” could fit however you are feeling that particular day. And of course it can give you up-to-the-minute driving updates and connect with your phone and social networks.

It’s all very science fictiony, I’ll admit, and the green cred isn’t really there. On the same token, what if automakers didn’t have to paint cars anymore, but could instead allow users to customize them with skins downloaded from the Internet? It’s a neat idea, to be sure…and perhaps not as far-fetched as one might first think.

As much as I harang Toyota for being beige, there was a time that Toyota made fun, interesting cars…and they seem to be trying to get back there. This isn’t the only eyebrow-raising concept Toyota has trotted out for the Tokyo Auto Show, and it shows that Toyota is still capable of grabbing out attention. Now if only they could make the Prius more interesting…

Source: Toyota

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