Toyota unveils concept of cars you can build yourself
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A car that can be completely designed and built by a customer has been unveiled by Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota, the world’s largest automaker.
Designed to allow full customization, the mini vehicle, part of the firm's Camatte range, can apparently bring 'parents and children closer together as they work in collaboration on building their ideal car'.
The compact three-seater, which was exhibited at the Tokyo Toy Show earlier this month, is supposed to be so simple to operate that children can drive it.
While the speedometer reads a top speed of about 44 mph (miles per hour), the car has an actual maximum speed of closer to 28 mph.About two-thirds the length of a conventional small car, Camatte's controls are geared for children as short as 120 centimeters, or around four feet.
“We exhibited at the toy show because we wanted parents and kids to interact with the car, with mum and dad in the back, the kid in the front,” said Tsuji. If even that cruising speed sends grownups into white-knuckle territory, the manufacturer has thoughtfully installed an override feature that allows parents to knock that top speed down to a crawl.
“Acceleration and braking pedals and seats can be adjusted to enable operation even by children, while an adult in the rear-right seat assists steering and braking to help develop the child's driving skills,” said Kenji Tsuji, a project manager at Toyota.
'We wanted them to enjoy it as a family.'