Toyota’s California design studio celebrates 50 years with the outlandish Baby Lunar Cruiser concept, an SUV designed for both Earth and the moon…
T o celebrate their 50th, Toyota’s U.S. design studio Calty (California/Toyota) decided to gift the automotive world their Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser (BLC) concept. Known for their out-there designs like the Tacoma and the RA28 Celica, they decided to push the envelope a little further this time – beyond Earth.
Conceptualised as your classic SUV but with interplanetary exploration capabilities, the BLC draws heavy influence from the Lunar Cruiser currently being developed for the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Despite the alien appearance there are also influences from the original FJ40 Land Cruiser, sharing the same front grille design, boxy body, and unmissable ‘Toyota’ heritage lettering.
The biggest difference is that the concept has a handy split tailgate and an expansive glass canopy that extends to the front, giving the driver and passengers unobstructed views of any earth – or lunar surface.
With adaptable spaceframe seats providing comfort, the traditional steering wheel is replaced by dual joysticks, and the digital dashboard incorporates augmented reality tech – allowing digital messages to be wrapped around the exterior.
Propelled by in-wheel electric motors, the BLC will be powered by an advanced hydrogen fuel cell that could last up to 10,000 km on earth, or 1000 km on the moon.
Getting a flat will be a thing of the past, as it features airless tyres that can tackle any terrain, something that should come in handy on the moon where road service is unavailable.
Hyundai and General Motors have also announced they would like to go more than off-road, with futuristic exploration vehicles on the horizon – but Toyota is well ahead in their space race.
Packing a huge array of cameras and sensors, the BLC is built for exploring. Your adventure will have to wait though, because you have a greater chance of test driving a Mars Rover than owning a BLC.
By Bill Varetimidis
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