"Each new generation is different, with its own culture and its own unique footprint," said TMS senior vice president and general manager, Don Esmond. "To strike a chord with young buyers, Toyota knows it must offer widely diverse products....at very attractive price points. The all-new Matrix and the RSC concept are excellent examples of Toyota's dedication to this emerging force in the marketplace. They won't be the last."
The RSC combines a sporty two-plus-two car body with four-wheel drive hardware and styling cues that result in a fresh variation on "rugged vehicle" thinking. The fuselage body design combines muscular wheel flares with edgy mechanical forms that communicates a built-for-abuse durability. The look is assembled or constructed, rather than organic.
The interior of the RSC was designed to convey the sparse, functional simplicity of a race car. The look and feel suggests the notion that serious work takes place in this cockpit and that weight savings and accessibility take precedent over amenities.
The instrument panel has a sophisticated, hand-crafted appearance: built in a race shop, rather than an assembly line. The large metal face-plate with round inset instrumentation communicates precision and ruggedness. The high-mounted sequential shifter is proposed, based on rally-car influence, as are the GPS monitor and lightweight carbon-fiber-backed racing seats with full harness restraints.