Serious Performance in Driving Dynamics and Fuel Efficiency
Imagine a futuristic, high-tech car from a computer game sitting on the floor of a motor show. For this year's Geneva show Toyota has done exactly this, having engineered a race car concept from the idea of a virtual reality game.
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| From video game to concept, the MTRC is truly an impressive piece of work from Toyota. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
The MTRC concept, which stands for Motor Triathlon Race Car, is the product of Toyota and the creators of Sony's upcoming Gran Turismo 4 racing simulator. It's the sort of machine that goes well beyond the means of any normal road-going car, stretching the bounds of the automotive imagination by crossing "what if" dreams with more concrete ideas of what the future might be.
The two-seat, open-wheeled road racer was designed by Toyota's European ED2 design studio. In order to gain access to the cockpit, the entire front end swings up and out of the way, an unorthodox process but one that works nonetheless.
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| The MTRC seats two in tandem, and looks like a cross between an F1 car and a rocket ship. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
While Toyota has become famous for producing dramatic and futuristic concept cars, the MTRC continues to push the limits of styling and design beyond anything done before. From the outside, it's little more than a rocket ship-like body and four wheels. The two seats are mounted in tandem (one after the other) to retain a narrow cockpit. Much like a Formula One car, this concept features a nose cone that juts out from the center forming two layers. The MTRC's tiny triangular headlamps are mounted within this pod. A thin, flush-mounted windscreen provides minimal coverage of the cockpit, which is completely open to the elements. Behind the cockpit is a massive central arch spoiler which aside from attracting attention, acts as an aerodynamic stability device. From the back, the central-mounted tail light has been formed in the shape of the Toyota logo.