Shaping Trends For the Future
Where is car design heading? Answering that question is well above our pay grade, but the young designers of today will be the ones responsible for the cars of tomorrow. Hey, legendary stylists such as Giorgetto Giugiaro and Marcello Gandini were juniors once.
Over in Japan, Daihatsu, Toyota's small-car specialist and maker of the great Copen, and the HAL College of Technology and Design had students drum up ideas for the future of the kei car, and some pretty crazy concepts emerged.
HAL College
The Big Idea
Daihatsu gave the theme "Daihatsu cars that will revitalize regional areas in 10 years' time." It's a pretty broad topic, but the automaker and the school let the students' imaginations run wild. Many proposals were given, and judges chose three that stood out.
The winning designs are called the E-Nova, the :Do, and the Promenade. What's interesting here is that all three look worlds away from each other.
E-Nova
The E-Nova looks much like a reimagined Daihatsu Midget for the 2030s, but it's far more clever than that. Its rear pod detaches to form what's called community mode. It appears to be aimed right at the rural small business owners, exactly the kind of market where small kei trucks thrive.
:Do
Is it a car or a pickup? Well, it's a bit of both. The mini-adventure vehicle features beds at the front and rear, maximizing its versatility and flexibility. It can also be configured in a variety of ways for either work or play.
Promenade
Unlike the first two concepts mentioned, the Promenade is a sporty little roadster. But unlike the Daihatsu K-Open revealed at the Japan Mobility Show, corner carving isn't its main priority. Instead, the topless car offers a 360-degree view of the scenery. It's more of a cruiser than a sports car, and something for its occupants to soak in more of rural Japan.
Granted, these concepts won't be reaching production any time soon, but we could expect some of these designs to trickle down in one way or another. At the same time, the winning students could find it easier to find work once they've gotten their diplomas.
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