Making Driving Friendly
Story Filed: 10/25/2007 7:50:47 PM EST
By Alex Popple
There is real purpose behind Tokyo’s extraordinarily weird concept cars.
We know by now that European and American car buyers are really worried about climate change. Carmakers have the message: At the Frankfurt motor show a couple of months ago, environmental responsibly was the one topic you could guarantee that every presentation would cover.
Being green matters in Japan, too. But in a culture where courtesy, consensus and respect for the community are of paramount importance, Japanese companies also want to produce cars that help solve society’s other problems.
As Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors, writes, “we . . . aim [to] contribute continuously to the improvement of society and the environment. We want to become a trustworthy company that is accepted by society.”
And that kind of thinking helps make sense of the very serious ideas behind some of zaniest concept cars you’re likely to see anywhere. It’s not just about personal mobility, it’s about making the world a better place.
No More Road Rage
One way to make the world a better place would be to banish road rage. Whether you’ve received a thoughtless e-mail, or been cut off on the freeway by someone in their Benz cocooned anonymously behind dark glass, it’s much easier to get angry when you’re not face to face with the human being who made the mistake.
But a car like Toyota’s RIN might help to keep the red mist at bay. Its deep, wide windows keep the driver connected with the surrounding environment. Its headlights have light distribution controls that are considerate to other drivers and pedestrians. And features such as the ultra-violet and infrared filter glass, a “mood-trained” steering wheel, posture-enhancing seats, and displays that change to reflect the driver’s psychological state, all promote physical and mental health.
Breaking Down the Barriers
Making drivers feel better connected to their surroundings is good for pedestrians too. People and cars are an unequal match in a collision, and getting drivers to reduce speeds and watch for hazards in town centers isn’t easy. But surely there has to be a better solution than more speed bumps?
Suzuki and Toyota certainly think so. Both have produced concepts that focus on providing people-friendly, low-speed transport around town and with an alternative higher speed configuration for longer distances.
Suzuki’s PIXY is a zero-emission, one-person, upright pod-like vehicle that can be used even by non-drivers. PIXYs can “pair” — or drive into — the SSC (Suzuki Sharing Coach) two at a time for higher speed work.
The armchair-like Toyota i-REAL is a similar idea — another solo transport, which sits upright for maneuverability, puts the driver at eye level with pedestrians and stretches out its wheels to a more supine posture to add better aerodynamics and stability when you want to join the long distance traffic flows.
Friendly Faces
If a car does hit you when you’re on foot, wouldn’t you prefer the vehicle to be soft than hard? The Honda PUYO has an outer surface made of squishy silicone gel. Its luminescent skin means the embedded lights are invisible when turned off, so by default it’s a very simple, shapely form. It’s nice to touch, too.
The PUYO’s edgeless, soft-box shape is about as unthreatening a design as you could imagine, and the same idea shows up in more conventional form in the very descriptively named Nissan Round Box (or R.D/B.X). The Round Box’s smooth snouty front resembles a duck’s bill, while its targa-like three-piece removable roof keeps the outside air swirling in.
But the ultimate friendly face is the slightly disconcerting robotic head fitted to the dashboard of the Nissan PIVO2, a concept that’s perhaps what Cinderella’s coach would have looked like if it had been designed by Teletubbies. The head is a "robotic agent" that is aware of vehicle functions, recognizes the facial images of the driver and "speaks to you to cheer you up or to soothe you accordingly." At the show, it spun around and up and down cheerfully to catch visitors’ eyes.
Getting Away From it All
Moving from off-the-wall to off-the-road, the relatively sane-looking Daihatsu Mud Master-C shows that tough and practical sports-utility vehicles don’t have to be large, wasteful or obnoxious. Outfitted as a mountain-bike support vehicle, Mud Master-C has large gull wing doors on three sides, offering excellent convenience for loading cargo. It has sturdy body-on-frame construction, and a hub reduction system that achieves exceptional ride height and approach angles.
Keeping It in Perspective
And if this is all too touchy-feely for you, let’s not forget that the Japanese like their rip-roaring fast cars too — we can’t claim to have been able to make much sense of the Mitsuoka concept’s dramatic launch event, but it certainly looked entertaining.
So as you head off to order your Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, Subaru WRX STI, or Nissan GT-R, keep in mind that that the socially responsible theme here is one we should all welcome. Cars that make the world a better place will help silence the most vociferous anti-car critics, as well as make the world a better place.
