Toyota Me.We Is a 60s-Inspired Modern Car

ToyotaToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
4570 photos
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has gone back to the three-box compact designs of 60s Japanese cars for its Me.We concept, which Toyota calls its “anti-crisis” car. Toyota worked with the design studio Massaud on the design. The car will be revealed at Le Rendez-vous Toyota at the Champs Elysée in Paris.

The Me.We was designed with three concepts in mind – pertinence, synthesis and modernity.

Pertinence means that the car is meant to be adaptable to a wide variety of drivers and uses. It has wide-opening suicide doors that easily allow entry to cargo or passengers. The center portion of the roof folds back either to open the car to the fresh air or carry larger cargo. The rear seat can be folded into the floor when not in use to maximize cargo room.

Synthesis to the designers meant removing excess. The Me.We is 3.44m long and 1.7m wide. The chassis is made from tubular aluminum to keep weight down, and the body panels are polycarbonate plastic.  The panels would be easy to replace if damaged or if the owner ever wanted a new color. The panels are completely recyclable. Inside, the floor is made from sustainable bamboo. The instrument panel is a single screen above the steering wheel that displays speed, charge and navigation.

Finally, modernity means that the car should embrace the ideas of forward-thinking people and not reflect social status.  The design combines aspects of a pick-up, city car and convertible. Power comes from an electric motor taken directly from the i-RoadToyota i-RoadJapan, 2013 > present14 photos
concept, which means it can run in either two-wheel or all-wheel drive modes. The batteries are hidden under the floor.  Total weight is 750kg (1653lb).