Toyota FTSX Concept, a Bolder, More Decisive Image for Toyota; Retain the Image with Toyota Aftermarket PartsWritten by Jenny Mc Lane
The goal of Toyota FTSX concept is to have space and ride height of an SUV with comfort, handling, and efficiency of a sedan. "We began with a totally new silhouette and package, lower and wider than an SUV, but taller, more comfortable, and more versatile than a sedan. Add a powerful V6, all-wheel drive, 21-inch wheels, four doors, a large, multi-function glass roof and an innovative rear hatch and you have a vehicle with exceptional functionality," remarked Kevin Hunter, vice president, design and studio activities at Calty Design Research, Inc. Powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine, FT-SX is 187 inches long, 74.4 inches wide, and 61 inches tall. It uses 21-inch wheels (though a production model would probably not go over 18 inches) with 255/45R21 tires, and has a 114-inch wheelbase. The FT-SX features a powerful V6 engine, all-wheel drive, 21-inch wheels, four doors, a large, and a multi-function glass roof. The four-door concept boasts V-6 power, all-wheel drive, 21-inch wheels, and a large glass roof. Toyota claims that front-end layout of FT-SX is "an all-new expression" and that look, which it calls "T-Face," will become new design language for company. The FT-SX has a trick rear hatch, which allows two panels in glass roof to slide toward center of vehicle, creating both a larger opening and a rear sunroof. Pivoting upper and lower halves of hatch up or down, respectively, can make access to cargo area. When lower part of hatch is down, a loading tray automatically extends to aid with cargo loading and unloading. The Toyota FTSX concept is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 and automatic transmission, with running gear for on-road performance.
| | Toyota Reveals New Pod Concept Car with exceptional Toyota PartsWritten by Jenny Mc Lane
Toyota has already unveiled a prototype of its Pod concept car, which has headlights that fade from bright to dull and change color to indicate happy, sad or angry moods, depending on how driver inside is feeling. In a joint effort with Stanford University in U.S and an Edinburgh based company Affective Media, carmaker giant Toyota has made another leap into making a car that can read one's feelings. Research showed that a driver's emotional state affected how well they drove: If they were happy, they drove well and if they were sad, they tended to drive worse. "This is next generation of car, which can detect what mood you are in," said Affective Media CEO, Christian Jones. Identifying what mood driver was in by detecting emotion in their voice was taking things a step further, Jones said. "It's not as sci-fi as it sounds. We already use our voices for different functions inside car. It's about giving appropriate information at right time." The in-car voice would talk to you in an attempt to improve state of your mood. The technology would not act as a counselor to solve complex issues, but it would be more like a "best friend" who could cheer you up at end of a long day," added Jones. The technology can let drivers to communicate with each other, in an effort to prevent road rage. The absence of communication between drivers on road often led to road rage. An alarm is triggered off to rouse driver whenever it detects driver is drowsy, quiet and with flat speech Jones believed that "It would give certain information that would help. If they were in a hurry, car would work out safer, faster route instead of, perhaps, a scenic route,"
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