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
I’d buy one of these in a heartbeat. Yes, it’s totally irrational, but I’d do it.
I love this! It’s great seeing a huge company like Toyota do this sort of guerilla product development.
It’s like a little motorized crane without the crane. If history is any indication a platform it’s a secret bridge building, APC, technical for an army that get into tight places. Realistically I can see these being used as truck busses with very crazy looking wood structures next to the driver and above.
Ah, so this is the chassis I will build my Slate-based cab-over van on top of. How convenient! I barely have to do anything besides reconfigure some body panels and 3D print some adapters.
I’d buy at least one if they sold it in the US.
I hope Ox Delivers will eventually sell their flat pack truck to people in developed countries. Hell, charge me double the price so you can build one for free for someone in a developing country and I’ll still buy at least one.
I mean, potentially, and perhaps a bit shadily, since it’s technically “unfinished,” you might register this as a self-built car when “finished.”
(Because I’m a dork, mine would have an FAA – required “EXPERIMENTAL” notice somewhere near the driver’s compartment. Because homebuilt.)
I’m with ya…the coolest NHRA drag class of all time is undoutably FX, Factory Experimental.
Here’s what I now want to do:
Buy one, as a farm implement. Find out this beast’s wheelbase, and put the body of my choice on top.
Normally, I’d add “profit…” but this is just for me.
This is the real Slate.
What’s more, the first thing that popped into my mind way Gordon Murray’s OX flat pack truck concept.
I would love this, I would settle for the Hilux Champ, but I doubt we get either in the US. Wouldn’t pass FMVSS rules, but I’m not sure we even have that we have anyone working in that department anymore, so maybe this is the window for Toyota to make some money off the soon to be emerging market in the US.
So it’s like a bare/stripped chassis. Neat, I guess. Cutaways and bare chassis have been available for a long time but I guess this is fancier and less “commercial” than the others.
Go Fund Me; Type 2 microbus body scaled to fit!
I’m not sure how this is significantly different from Ford offering a “cutatay cab” E-series. Yes, you could drive it “as delivered”, but that might not be wise or legal in certain jurisdictions.
In some ways more like a stripped chassis. https://www.fordpro.com/en-us/fleet-vehicles/e-series-stripped-chassis/e350-drw/?intcmp=fpro-vlp_ford_eseriesstrippedchassis-gbc-1-2026E350StrippedCha-ViewDetails Though to be fair those lack any exterior lighting.
Nobody show this to the folks at Slate. They might start rethinking a few things.
Or…plunk a Slate body on it? Maybe?
I love the idea and would love to see it developed further.
The concept seems familiar somehow, given my age. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to decide if I want to drive it into the sector where race control has reported armed insurgent activity or turn back.
As someone else in the comments said, this is an ev halfingler. Which is exactly what I thought when I saw this on YouTube the other day
So Toyota comes out with their own version of the VW Plattenwagen 80 years later.
Is this not “John” from the Mongolian special of GT?
Can the cockpit easily be shifted to the left side?
the most important question
Reminds me a lot of the US M274 “Mule”. Same concept of having the most basic utility vehicle possible.
Thanks for posting this so I do not have to.
I see Toyota is going after the valuable insurgent technical demographic. Why buy a 1982 Hilux when you can get this with a warranty?
Damnit beat me to it. My first thought was that this would be popular among US farmers in the same way imported kei trucks are now. My second was “man this would make a great technical too”
“Now with 100% fewer plumbing logos!”
They should at least give it a better driver’s seat.
The DIY idea is that you can give it a better driver’s seat.
Some dark force within me wants to have a control setup with the driver laying on their belly like a giant luge board.
Pedals for that are going to be interesting.
(Putting on my Captain Pedantic hat…)
Luge riders are on their back, feet first. Skeleton riders are on their bellies, head first.
Just for that, I’m promoting you to Major Pedantic.
(But for reals though, good correction! I’m from the South so my winter olympics knowledge pretty much begins and ends with Cool Runnings.)
I’m from Texas, so my only exposure is through my wife’s obsession with the Olympics. Fortunately, luge and skeleton are pretty damn fun to watch.
This is 100% more interesting to me than any compact hybrid crossover.
I want to make a mini off-road camper out of it.
Interesting detail is it appears like the drivers section is made to be moved from one side to the other and it’s already got provisions for 1, 2, or 4+ seat cabs to bolt on. I also like that it resembles an airport tug. I don’t think it’ll make for good transportation, but this looks really cool for work uses.
What’s the powertrain on something like this? Battery electric, hybrid, something else?
Pedals. You are the powertrain.
All those pedal boat rentals are finally going to pay off!