All Toyotas must be fun to drive in future, company boss Akio Toyoda has decreed. Speaking at the Tokyo motor show, where the GT 86 rear-drive coupe was among the cars unveiled, Toyoda said: "I belive if it is not fun then it is not a car. There are many different ways of travelling from A to B, but a car must have an emotional presence that inspires drivers to enjoy the feeling of driving."
Toyoda also said that an advancing emphasis on environmental driving should not impinge on driving fun.
"I believe that no matter how advanced we can become, it is important to keep the feeling of excitement," he said, unveiling the Prius Plug-in hybrid, FCV-R fuel cell vehicle, FT-EV III electric car and Aqua hybrid. "Ultimately there is not only one choice of technology or future direction. It is up to the consumer to decide. Personally I like the smell of gasoline and sound of an engine, so I hope this type of vehicle won't disappear.
During his presentation Toyoda also unveiled the firm's new slogans, entitled 'Reborn' and 'Fun to drive, again', explaining that they underlined his new ethos in light of forthcoming products and the recuperation from the earthquake disaster in Japan and flooding in Thailand.
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