Will "changing the face of motoring within weeks"

Toyota has released a teaser image of the new RND Concept, set to be fully unveiled on January 26.

The Japanese company explains it is “breaking with motor industry convention by revealing a new product outside the familiar surroundings of an international motor show”. Instead, the new concept vehicle will make its world debut in the UK, “ready for fast-track development that should see it changing the face of motoring within weeks”.

The first teaser photo of the machine hints at “how the concept’s design marks a radical shift in direction for Toyota”. Although presented as a concept, Toyota says the RND will be unveiled in its production-ready form.

Matt Harrison, president of Toyota GB, commented: “Full details of the RND Concept will be announced next week, but ahead of the official unveiling I can say that this is something we are proud of and that will make a valuable contribution to the world we live in.”

First details of new model released ahead of world debut next week

Toyota is breaking with motor industry convention by revealing a new product outside the familiar surroundings of an international motor show. Instead its new RND Concept will make its world debut in the UK on 26th January, ready for fast-track development that should see it changing the face of motoring within weeks.

The first image released today hints at how the concept’s design marks a radical shift in direction for Toyota, taking the “fun-to-drive” qualities of its cars to a higher level. Although presented as a concept, Toyota acknowledges the RND will be unveiled in its production-ready form.

Manufacturing and product supply have been secured and on-the-road pricing has been fixed at a level that will make the RND Concept accessible to the widest possible market.

Toyota is confident, too, that the RND Concept’s impact will go far beyond its own model range, having the potential to transform the look of every vehicle on the road.

President of Toyota GB, Matt Harrison, said: “Full details of the RND Concept will be announced next week, but ahead of the official unveiling I can say that this is something we are proud of and that will make a valuable contribution to the world we live in.”

Toyota is being very secretive about its newly teased RND Concept. The image above is all that the Japanese automaker is showing at the moment, and it's not much to go by. However, the wait to find out won't be very long, as the automaker is unveiling this very mysterious vehicle on January 26 in the UK.

Making the RND even more intriguing is that this isn't just a concept pointing the way towards some nebulous future vehicle. Toyota claims that the model is production ready, and the automaker already has pricing, supply and manufacturing space prepared.

We likely shouldn't expect a super luxury sedan or sports coupe, though, because Toyota says that the RND is meant for "the widest possible market." Could it possibly be some sort of inexpensive, electric vehicle like the Renault Twizy, then?

With just the hind of a taillight, a slash of chrome and what might be an intake, there's not much styling work to go on here. Although, Toyota is making huge promises about the design; it claims the RND "has the potential to transform the look of every vehicle on the road."

It's odd to see an automaker other than Tesla reveal a new vehicle outside of a major world auto show, which piques our interest about what Toyota is doing here. Read the company's press release below and let us know what you think the Japanese automaker is up to in Comments.

Car nerds, you just got an extra present under the tree.

Tesla announced Friday an upgrade for its Roadster, the electric car company’s convertible model, and said that the new features significantly boost its range -- beyond what many traditional cars can get on a tank of gasoline.

The company is installing three retrofits for the vehicle. First up is a battery upgrade that marks a 31 percent increase in capacity. Next is an “aero kit” that’ll alter the car’s profile slightly, producing a 15 percent reduction in wind drag. Finally, the Roadster will be getting new, more efficient tires.

The result is an electric vehicle that can reliably travel about 350 miles before needing a recharge, and possibly more in ideal conditions. That’s pretty similar — or even better — than many conventional gasoline-powered cars. The University of Michigan estimates that the average fuel economy of a new car in 2014 was about 25 miles per gallon. With a 12- or 13-gallon tank, that gets you about 325 miles on a single fill-up.

“There is a set of speeds and driving conditions,” Tesla said in a blog post, “where we can confidently drive the Roadster 3.0 over 400 miles."

The old Roadster could travel up to 244 miles on a single charge, according to the company. That makes the new Roadster's 400-mile range a nearly 2x improvement.

With the Roadster's starting price still hovering at over $100,000, most of us won't be reaping the benefits of this technology upgrade anytime soon. But, said company founder Elon Musk, expect it to arrive eventually in the Model S.

“It obviously *will* happen long-term,” he tweeted.

The announcement came amid predictions of a rough road ahead for the company. Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas, who has been an advocate for the company as its stock price has soared, wrote in a note to investors earlier this month that Tesla’s prospects will be seriously impacted by lower gasoline prices.

Jonas predicted Tesla will only be able to sell 300,000 vehicles by the end of the decade rather than the half million that he originally forecast. He added that the low price of oil won’t immediately effect Tesla’s current customers, who generally wealthy and pay less attention to gas prices. But as the company tries to sell cars to a broader base, fewer consumers may opt for electric cars.

Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA)’s Elon Musk said the electric-car maker may form another partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), as the companies conclude an initial vehicle project that met with mixed results.

“If you look out maybe two or three years from now, I would not be surprised if there was a significant deal with Toyota and Tesla,” Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer, told reporters yesterday in Tokyo. While Tesla and Toyota have no definitive plans, Musk said he envisioned a larger project than their deal for the RAV4 electric vehicle.

The comments come as the two carmakers wind down sales of the jointly developed RAV4 EV after delivering only about 2,000 units since it went on sale two years ago. Since that project, both companies have taken separate paths, with Toyota now preparing to sell its first fuel-cell vehicle, a technology Musk has ridiculed.

Toyota has no comment on Musk’s remarks, said Ryo Sakai, a spokesman for the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker.

Toyota shares rose 0.3 percent to close at 6,127 yen in Tokyo, while Japan’s Topix Index climbed 0.1 percent.

Tesla plans to build the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery plant to cut the cost of the cells used to power its electric vehicles. Such a facility would provide an opportunity to supply other manufacturers as sales of its own vehicles ramp up, Barclays Plc equity analyst Brian Johnson said.

Tesla Signals It May Work With Toyota Again on Vehicle