Fuelly Forums - Can a Hybrid be fun Toyota Kikai?

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Can a Hybrid be fun Toyota Kikai?

Most car enthusiasts regard hybrids as the villains of the car industry: awful looking / soul sucking boring to drive cars that tend to hold up traffic everywhere because they tend to have the same power unit as scooters. But, this new prototype from Toyota looks like a lot of fun. I like the design very much; there are so many things to like about this car starting from its simplicity. I like the exposed pushrod suspension with all the kinematic linkages that are visible. I like that it has the same seating arrangement as a McLaren F1, it’s not a four seater but three people will be very comfortable with a great view. I like the skinny tires with white walls. I like the fact that it is a rear engine hybrid car. (Why can’t we have more rear engine cars in North America? Only the Porsche 911 and the Smart car are available with rear engines, the Porsche 911 makes you look like a rich douche bag and driving a car named Smart implies you think everybody else is stupid). I love the single exhaust pipe at the back, looks like a modern Formula 1 car. Ahh, the simple and lovely gauges, I especially like the fuel gauge. The radar detector looks great too, hiding in plain sight. The sliding doors are very clever. The little window by the driver’s feet to see the linkages at work up front. The simple and beautiful red leather wrapped steering wheel. To me it looks like a Ford Model T from the future. It probably wouldn’t cost that much to get it to production, the power unit looks like it was donated by a Prius. What do you think?

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This is pretty interesting looking.

In a weird kind of way, I like it. It's retro, but futuristic. The finish looks beautiful, like a hand built British bespoke car like a Bristol or a Morgan etc. Very much doubt this will make it to production, Toyota do take the odd risks, but if you want a risky design that will split opinions, ask the French to make it.

I want one and I want it now...

It's a shame they could never make it commercially, it would not meet pedestrian safety standards with the exposed suspension. They could fabricate a fake perspex bonnet though, that might work and keep all the cool funky exposed suspension.

And I do like the seating, three abreast, I don't know why more cars don't go with that, it's a good use of space.

Oliver.

The windscreen angle would not make it through the safety tests either, you hit someone in that and they're going splat like a bug!

Thanks for that, there's a lot to like. However, I expect it would be expensive, if ever produced. I've had loads of old and unsporty cars, and what many people would class as rubbish, but had fun in all of them. Fun is pretty subjective - I enjoy my i20, yet my subaru driving friend believes it the most boring car ever!