Toyota went hard at this year’s Japan Mobility Show, unveiling more interesting stuff than most entire auto shows. We’re talking a six-wheeled Lexus LS minivan concept, a wild-looking preview of a future Corolla, and a wheelchair with legs instead of wheels. So much was unveiled, it would’ve been easy to miss this thing called the IMV Origin concept. Sure, it doesn’t look much more complicated than scaffolding, but that’s the point.
These days, we’re used to flat-pack wardrobes, flat-pack chairs, and even flat-pack mattresses, but what about a flat-pack car, a bit like that thing in The Grand Tour’s Mongolia special? While it’s been tried before by a handful of boutique automakers, we haven’t really seen a major automaker give it a shot until now. The premise behind the concept is interesting: A rugged little thing for developing markets that’s quite DIY-friendly. As President and CEO Koji Sato said:
Will it carry people or cargo? Will the cargo be boxes or something else?
We just build the base. From there, each customer completes the vehicle to fit their needs. As a carmaker, not finishing this vehicle was frustrating. However, not finishing it is what makes it a “for you” car, because people have different needs in their daily life and work.
So how unfinished is the IMV Origin concept? Well, we don’t know how it would ship, but it’s certainly minimalist. The whole chassis is essentially just a skateboard with a drop in the front so someone in the offset, skeletal, Ariel Nomad-esque cabin has a place to put their feet. The front bumpers are more like overriders, the seat’s about as substantial as a patio cushion, and the headlights are mounted to the dashboard. It’s a ruthless distillation of transport, a relentless pursuit of simplicity, and yet it’s endearing in its own sort-of way.
There’s something impressive about making a Taylor-Dunn look like a luxury vehicle with bourgeois decadence like a second seat and a full-width bumper and any bodywork at all ahead of the front axle. The most decadent thing on the IMV Origin is the roof, although I’m not entirely sure how much it would do given the lack of doors. However, within this sheer sparseness sits a spirit of joy. Pops of orange add liveliness, the corners of the vestigial wall at the rear of the cab are pegboarded so you could theoretically hang stuff from it, and the whole form factor screams kei truck superleggera.
What Toyota’s created here is essence of car, four tires and a steering wheel and some pedals. Pretty much nothing more than is absolutely necessary to move about, yet an open door of possibilities. Because the IMV Origin is essentially a motorized platform, it could really be turned into just about anything. A three-row people carrier, a van, a pickup truck with a homemade tray, or it could be just left as it sits. Will Toyota take it from a concept to production? Who knows, but I wouldn’t count it out. More than just mobility in rural Africa, I could see the IMV Origin being a replacement for certain off-road vehicles like John Deere Gators on golf courses and college campuses across North America. Just think of what you could do with it.
Top graphic images: Toyota; IKEA
Let’s remember Toyota built self driving death machine for children that of they were hit by a regular vehicle they would be killed!
Yet Japan is trying to sell this in America! Self driving death pods for children so little of a semi hits them you can bury the child in the vehicle!
Its not street legal! That the first problem with this and you will be ticked for no tail lights, turn signal or brake lights and the headlights look questionable.
Also no price so that makes me think it costs a lot more then being let on as most EV don’t talk about price or how long they take to change up because they are negative parts of owning and EV!
Yet EV companies don’t tell you this information and places like autopian are getting paid to support these companies! So they don’t tell you price of how long it takes to charge it how many hours it will run on a charge!
Seems that EV is a series of miss information or no information give by companies and auto writers like the auto pian to get money supporting a vehicle they know nothing about and did not give vital needs no information about it! Like cost! How far can it go? Or how long does it take to charge!
Yet your sucking the money tits of EV companies who cares that you don’t give people the information they are looking for?
It’s a modern M274 Mechanical Mule
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M274_%C2%BD-ton_4%C3%974_utility_platform_truck?wprov=sfla1
Although it doesn’t have the fold down steering column so you could drive it from the ground
Could the re-emergence of coach built cars be coming?
Can’t wait for the story in 30 years where DT gets twrenchfoot trying to resurrect one of these from a field
Absolutely love it. If it comes to fruition (I’m certain it won’t), I’d love to have a couple on the farm.
Why? They can hull as much as a UTV! Yet mostly likely don’t know because this site is to lazy to give the price but I’m sure it cost a heck of a lot more then a UTV also.
As someone who has 600 acres to take care of I much rather have to walk to get fuel then to wait hours on hours waiting for a electric vehicle to change.
I guess all framers are not the same! Time is money!!! If I run out of fuel I just walk back and get it. Run out of electric then have to wait hours on hours so I can just move the vehicle that is a waste of time and money for my farm.
Admittedly, its EV nature is pretty dumb for farm use, but the idea of a DIY, owner-finished vehicle is tempting. I’ve got 5 farms I manage, all several miles from each other so we dont have any use for UTVs. Currently we use old Rangers or a various stream of clapped out Jeeps as they can be outfitted to suit our needs and are also street legal. Though this concept will never be as good as an old Ford F@$#%n Ranger, it shows promise.
Obviously, this things needs its own race series immediately.
When I saw this and read the words “developing markets” I immediately figured they were thinking about…rural Africa. This kind of idea has been around for a while, but, having spent some time in rural Africa and seen how the people who have vehicles use them, this may be a tough sell against the huge variety of used Japanese vehicles that are everywhere. If someone can buy a new one of this, they’re probably going to prefer a used Honda Jazz or Toyota whatever that can be stuffed to the rafters and beyond when needed, and driven like a normal car with one or two or six or whatever people when needed. This seems to be made for, say, businesses rather than private owners; it strikes me as being as much what the developed world thinks the developing world wants as it is what they themselves want.
I give you the Ox, from Gordon Murray
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/pioneers/pre-production-flat-pack-ox-truck-confirmed
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/can-flat-pack-truck-save-world
That’s ugly! Why spend money on a ugly vehicle that will cost as much orote then a used Ford Ranger!?
I may have missed something but how do you finish something that has no place to finish it?
Reminds me of a M274 Mechanical Mule
My first thought as well, just updated with a roll cage…
In the words of The Who:
I don’t care how much I pay (Too much, Magic Bus)
I wanna drive my bus to my baby each day (Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it … (You can’t have it!)
Thruppence and sixpence every day
Just to drive to my baby
Thruppence and sixpence each day
‘Cause I drive my baby every way
Magic Bus, Magic Bus, Magic Bus …
I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I drive my baby every way (Too much, Magic Bus)
Each time I go a different way (Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, i want it, I want it, I want it …
You are a certified window licker!
Nah, more of a dipstick sniffer really.
At least most of the time.
The Toyota Forklift division should sell it as a plant maintenance vehicle.
I would drive the crap out of that.
Someone at Toyota was watching Clarkson, Hammond and May build John the Car in Mongolia.
Finally: An electric Puch Haflinger for the 21st century.
I saw this the other day on TFLs YouTube pg. And an ev Haflinger was my 1st thought!
So much room for activities!!!
Worthless for work!
I’m assuming this is a BEV. If so, you could probably haul enough extra batteries to get some amazing range.
Toyota Ikea Edition
Oh this simple joy of motoring where there are not safety regulations.
I would love this with a camper box on the back. Since there are things like the Polaris Expedition Side by side for $45K. I would rather have one of these.
“What do you make of this?”
“Well I could make a hat, or a brooch, or a pterodactyl…”
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit truck design.
This reminds me of Awaji Island farm trucks, farmers modify trucks to remove most of everything and leave one seat, i hope you look into them, they are fascinating and i’m sure people here would love to read about them.
This is basically a glider kit to drop the body of whatever you want on. I dig it.