I see Scion 'box-cars' going around more and more now, it certainly is distinctive I'll give it that.

 

Yeah - it'd work well as a taxi ...

If they were shooting for edgy - they kinda missed the mark ... especially with that minivan door.

Kinda lame.

M.

 

 

Yes...and like it or not, it's hard to beat the space efficiency of a box. Honda has also discovered that with the Element. Ugliness sometimes can pay real dividends.

 

I believe the t2B concept (and the other box cars) reflects a new view of the automobile as a utilitarian device. Appearing first in the streets of Tokyo where performance has become meaningless, the new auto-buying generation is looking at the automobile as a transportation / entertainment module. Maybe it’s time we investigated that approach to an urban vehicle here in the States.

In most urban areas, speeds are limited to less than 40 mph, while freeways are limited to no more than 70. Considering the realities of commuter traffic, as much as we might like to drive at triple-digit speeds, the opportunity to do so seldom, if ever, presents itself.

Let’s re-think the car, based upon our actual needs for a specialty urban vehicle. What do we want? Let’s work from the inside out:

Think in terms of a luxury business jet – one that’s ground-bound and limited to use in urban traffic and freeway commuting. What would you want in a transportation module? (NOT a sports car, that’s another vehicle altogether)

Plenty of room for four or six, comfortable, even plush seats, good ride, tightly sealed cabin for sound and climate control with heating, AC, and filtration for the occupants.

Take advantage of mobile electronics, including an extended navigation system, to include not just road directions, but via satellite radio link (shared with XM), real-time updates on traffic and suggested re-routes. Weather radar (again, via link) to navigation to anticipate heavy weather and effect on traffic. Routes programmable offline on PC, via flash card to nav system.

Enhanced vision, whether IR or even a “virtual windshield” giving a head-up display on the real windshield would offer better situational awareness at night or in poor visibility. Not only would you see a virtual environment overlaid on your actual windshield view, but inputs from rear and quarter-cameras too.

For the business commuter passenger, Individual lighting, even work surfaces for passengers, computer connectivity, WiFi, high-speed internet access, telephone access (or mobile VOIP). I’ll leave out the mobile Starbuck’s coffee and barista for now.

For families, easy to access and secure child seats, hauling capacity for infant “accessories” (strollers, playpens, etc.), games, DVD screens, headsets. Low ground clearance or “kneeling” air suspension for loading kids and groceries, flexible seating/cargo configuration. Easy to clean, attractive interior, safety features including “smart” SRS systems.

For teens and young adults, sound systems include flash memory to upgrade capabilities, video entertainment, games, customizable lounge seating and lighting.

While this is just a beginning, let’s turn to packaging and performance. Packaging will require a fairly tall, boxy structure to maximize use of space in a small, nimble vehicle. Since you will be inside the importance of exterior styling, should be dictated by the interior. A box it is, but a box made as attractive as possible by rounding edges, use of optional graphics can lend some sense of individual style. Wheels and tires should be “jewelry” as well as practical.

Performance emphasis should be on smoothness and economy. Think hybrid power or better, biodiesel, CVT for efficiency, and a heavy electronics load to supplement braking and suspension elements for control and safety. Acceleration and top speed in an urban vehicle are not high-priority items, but a reasonable amount of performance for passing and merging should be considered minimum. 0-60 times in the low nines and a top speed of about 80-85 should be sufficient in this specialty vehicle.

Sliding doors on both sides and a tight turning radius for parking, small outside video cameras to replace bulky mirrors should help in an urban setting.

The t2B is an excellent start on this concept. Does this describe the second or third-generation Scion or Element? Would there finally be a market for a car that focuses on the occupant rather than the audience?

 

Funny thing I remember about this forum since not having been here in a while; is that it always bashes pure concepts almost no matter what...

always some people that come on and just call something ugly blah blah blah...
and then when the real deal comes out, it sells like hotcakes...

everyone said the same thing about the xB, and now I cant drive 5 miles without seeing at least 2 or 3 (and considering where I live, thats A LOT)... tCs are even more plentiful now...

I think the t2B looks pimp... its like a box-shuttle almost. I wouldnt buy one, I need a RWD speedy car But I can definitely see the niche that this will sell well in (and Toyota has it targeted there too)...

Congrats to Toyota for having a brilliant engineering team... small wonder they are the #1 car company in the world when it comes to sales and reliability.

 

Yeah I saw them at the autoshow over the weekend. Not impressed at all.

What would be real cool is if they made a RWD car that starts at under 20K. That would be awsome. Wishful thinking.