Remember Mercedes’ Project Mondo G that looked like it could be driven on the moon?
Well, now Toyota has got in on the act, designing its very own baby lunar rover.
And fans of the FJ40 Land Cruiser will love its design cues.
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The automaker showed off the baby lunar rover to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Calty Design Research, its American design outpost.
Just one of several concepts rolled out for the anniversary, the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser (BLC) is designed “to conquer rugged terrain on Earth and beyond”.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (pardon the pun) to see the concept blatantly borrows design cues from the FJ40 Land Cruiser.
Emblazoned across the front is that famous “TOYOTA” script, so the Martians know what a true offroader looks like.
From the grille upwards extends an expansive windshield canopy for optimal forward visibility.
Then, on the inside, the BLC has a digital dashboard with augmented reality.
There’s also dual joysticks to control the airless tires, MOLLE panels, and adjustable spaceframe seats.
It even has a full array of cameras and sensors, a split tailgate, and in-wheel motors.
The concept also draws inspiration from the real Land Cruiser it’s developing.
Back in 2019, Toyota penned a deal with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency to build a new moon rover.
The company will design a manned, pressurized craft that’s capable of exploring the lunar surface.
What’s more, Toyota said that it could design a lunar rover that’s capable of travelling over 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) using fuel cell technology.
For reference, that’s less than 1,000 km short of traversing the entire equatorial circumference of the moon.
While there shouldn’t be any concerns about range anxiety, we’re not entirely sure how they plan on refueling it.
