8 Never-Seen-Before Toyota Concepts That Should Have Stayed Hidden
Like every other automaker, Toyota has created its fair share of concepts over the years. Some were more the experimental type, while others previewed future production vehicles. A few have never been showed to the public—until now.
They were the work of CALTY Design Research, the Californian outpost of Toyota’s global design network that’s just turned 50. It’s the same studio that gave us a bunch of models from the 1978 Celica to the brand new 2024 Tacoma. You’ll find eight of these secret concepts in our photo gallery above.
The 1970s was the decade of discovery and research. The initial years at CALTY were used primarily for conducting research on future trends in design. One such project was a proposal for an off-road vehicle based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. CALTY even went so far as to build a one-fifth scale model that was shown to executives from TMC for review. They were not impressed.
Some of the designers at CALTY turned their attention to high-performance sports cars, the first of which was the MX-1 in 1983, supposedly a premium "halo" car. It featured a mid-engine layout and scissor-style doors.
A couple years later, a second mid-engine sports car concept was not only designed, but built in house by CALTY out of fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP). Optimized for aerodynamic performance, the MX-2 retained the gullwing doors and added a swingarm-mounted steering wheel that could accommodate either left- or right-hand drive. Seriously.
The unique Future High Performance Concept, created in 1989, featured an engine that emerged from the body. Wait, what? With the ease of a button, the mid-mounted powerplant raised from the vehicle, providing a cooling effect while driving. And get this: the driver-side windshield of the two-cockpit design could be completely closed when parked. Ah, the 1980s!
Well before the Prius and bZ4X, CALTY produced this EV concept just so Toyota could see what one could look like. Their nameless concept was a compact, lightweight vehicle with excellent aerodynamic qualities and super-thin tires. The two-door/2+2 layout was intended for city commuting.
Here’s what the fourth-generation Supra (introduced in 1993) would have looked like if CALTY’s proposal had been selected. It’s not that bad, but clearly Toyota made the right choice.
In 2012, following the introduction of the rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S sports coupe, CALTY designers were inspired to create a five-door, all-wheel drive variant. They came up with this conceptual study, known internally as X86D, with a uniquely shaped backside.
Last but not least is the NYC Concept from 2012, which aimed to explore future transportation trends in big cities. The weird body is the result of the “fence seat” inside—front-seat passengers leaned against a support in a semi-seated/standing position in the same manner they would lean against a wall or a fence. This allowed them to attain nearly the same eye level with pedestrians, while the extremely compact footprint was ideal for navigating busy streets. Luckily, it never got the green light.