Toyota Motor Triathlon Race Car: Explained

2004 Toyota Motor Triathlon Race Car Concept

Like a full-size remote-control toy buggy, the Motor Triathlon Race Car (MTRC) is Toyota's response to future customer demands. A tandem two-seater that combines off-road ability, sports car performance and motor sport derived technology, the MTRC shows that Toyota is now targeting not only the customers of today, but also tapped into what will appeal to future generations.

The MTRC was designed and built at Toyota's European design studio, ED2. It is propelled by four in-wheel electric motors powered by a Toyota fuel cell stack, enabling the stylists much more freedom when designing the shape of the car than a conventional internal combustion engine and four-wheel drive transmission would allow.

MTRC has been conceived from the outset to compete in three different environments, as if in an automotive triathlon: off-road, race track and city street circuits. That combination of tracks might seem unusual, but it is common place to the millions who play and enjoy car racing computer games where part of the attraction is dramatic, high speed dicing through varied, realistic environments.

No surprise then that the MTRC will be available to drive in the upcoming Gran Turismo 4, the latest version of the massively popular video game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment and Polyphony Digital. Visitors to the Toyota stand at the Geneva Motor Show (4 - 14 March) will have a chance to try a preview of the game featuring the MTRC.

I guess somebody should have told Toyota that tandem two-seater design is incredibly gay.

Well that was a brilliant reply...

Quote:

Originally posted by Solid Lifters
I guess somebody should have told Toyota that tandem two-seater design is incredibly gay.

I never gonna race in that thing...

Well I personally think the car is awesome looking and I cant wait to drive in GT4, sh*t as the saying goes if you dont have nothing nice to say about it dont say nothing at all, but oh well I think its cool....

Quote:

Originally posted by Solid Lifters
I guess somebody should have told Toyota that tandem two-seater design is incredibly gay.

Gay heh? Next you're going to call this gay too;

goofy looking car, not to mention the treads on the wheels, wtf?!

Why are they doing concept cars in the game...
they are just so f****** ugly!!
this one too

sorry...doublepost

How does it perform?

Quote:

Originally posted by Nemo
goofy looking car, not to mention the treads on the wheels, wtf?!

That thing looks sweet. Sort of like a reinterpretation of the Light Car Company's Rocket.

The tyres are obviously a reflection of F1 tyres, with slick patches overlayed following the lines of the car. Most concept cars have one off hand cut tyres.

Should be a hoot in the game.

Another link


I love the word "preview" and "Geneva" in the same sentence. I had the pleasure of trying the GT4 Subaru game at the Toronto International Auto Show; what a hoot. Now if I could find one for my room...

But yeah, surely a Geneva preview would commence the start of advertising? Then maybe it won't be too far off a late April or early May release...


Bedhead

It's kinda fun to drive - it's got only one "gear" and it zips along just fine. Driving the New York course without having to change gears is a little odd, but makes for a fun run. The brakes are really bad though and the braking distance is a tad longer than the average cars.

Quote:

Originally posted by The359
Well that was a brilliant reply...

Touché.

Quote:

Originally posted by Axe_Gaijin
Gay heh? Next you're going to call this gay too;

Fa-laming.

Maybe I'm not the voice of authority, but I think there is a reason why concepts are even available in GT. If my knowledge serves me well, concepts serve a few purposes other than for the media to report on and enthusiasts to wow at.

I don't have the necessary stuff to play Gran Turismo Concept (the adapter and all that), but as much as I know, concepts (1) offer a glimpse of future concepts and innovations that may appear in a make's models. (2) A concept will offer a prototype that has less than 50% a chance of production, but will give people a car model to cast eyes on towards the future. (3) A concept can offer a car that seriously will not be produced, however, parts of it can make it into newer model cars from that make and its sister companies. (4) Concept cars can be concepts too ficticious and unreal to be on the streets or race tracks. However, it CAN offer new ideas to innovate or enhance the automobile as we know it.

And that brings me to the Toyota MTRC. I seen pictures of it. The hot sentence within these post is "I guess somebody should have told Toyota that tandem two-seater design is incredibly gay." Now while I don't use such words even when receiving angry posts (especially from other forums I participated in), let's look at the MTRC this way. Does the MTRC offer anything innovative to the automotive community or the competition community? Yes. Can this concept be used or influenced or improvised from other company? Hell yes. The one thing I always believe in is that everyone is different in thought and in tastes. So I do almost never complain with ANYONE.

Well, think like this. The Toyota MTRC may not look like the world's next best supercar, but it is innovative and attempts to further expand what the automobile can do. "But John, it's a damned third-rate 2-seat Formula Car! So, shut the hell up, dude!" I know that I seen tandem F1 cars, but tell me how many F1 cars you have access to in real life? (silence) I thought so.

The MTRC may not be the next McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Murcielago, or Saleen S7. However, it is innovative and interesting. Who knows? The MTRC might make it into racing or start its own one-make series. Give it 5-10 years. It could be big. But in my view, the MTRC is pretty impressive. Can't wait to race it in GT4, even if my imaginary girlfriend will be racing in the backseat.

I'm with Solid Lifters on this issue... this looks like one for the wife/boyfriend

Well, I'm just saying that it's a two-seater experience. Hell, Toyota could have built an open-wheel car that seats 7 for all I care. I'm just saying that I think it's more interesting than lovely. But I hope to race it in almost any way I can imagine getting the machine.

I'm with John on this one, it's not made to be good looking anyway, it's the driving experience on or off road that it was built for. Also the 4 electric engines, they will be producing quite a bit of power, add that to the low weight and you'll have a good performance electric car that can do road, circuit and rally races.

Quote:

Originally posted by RacingFreak2k3
How does it perform?

oddly. Sounds like a spaceship, has 1 gear and slids around like ice skates. That being said, it is a fun drive but I would say it is more of a novelty than anything....