Toyota Fun-Vii concept car is like a “smartphone on 4 wheels”

It’s been a long time since a concept car has really sparked the imagination of tech geeks and car enthusiasts alike. When Toyota unveiled their latest concept car, the Fun-Vii, at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this week, everyone from Automobile Magazine to Mashable jumped in to discuss its proposed paradigm-shifting features.

It’s clear what the “Fun” part of the name means just by watching the second video below. The “Vii” stands for Vehicle, Interactive, Internet. Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact with the internet and be controlled by a smartphone. Most surfaces on and within the vehicle are giant touchscreens that can be adjusted to the whims of the driver, including color changes, graphics, and interactive surfaces.

Did we mention that the car will be able to drive itself? Through wireless connections that interact with other vehicles as well as the infrastructure of its surroundings, the vehicle can go “hands free” from point to point (in theory, at least). While in “Auto Drive” mode, the augmented reality interface includes a virtual concierge. Note in the second video how the helpful female concierge is “upgraded” to a less-clothed variation (stay classy, Toyota!).

At 13-feet long, the small 3-seater won’t be a family-hauler.

Toyota has no plans to produce the vehicle anytime soon, but the concepts and technology that it represents will likely find its way into production vehicles in the coming years.

Here are two videos, first of the unveiling of the vehicle than the promotional visualization of what the vehicle would represent in a Utopian society. More images of the vehicle are below the videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4k0i0c2LWw

(H/T: Maryland Toyota)