Toyota F3R Concept

Minivans are on the way out. With sales figures that have been declining since 1994, every manufacturer knows that while the segment enjoys a lot of repeat customers, it simply isnt popular with new buyers, and as such have more or less put their minivan programs on their collective back burners. The only problem is, no one told Toyota.

Apparently the Japanese giant is still holding out some hope for what many consider the most practical of all automobiles. Quick to admit that there is a dramatic outflow of new buyers from the segment, and that the median age of minivan owners (51) has increased more rapidly than in other market, they maintain that the minivans fall from grace is the result of a social stigma attached to the soccer-mom-mobiles (sic).

In response this social stigma, Toyota has released the F3R concept. Initially shown at the North American International Auto Show in January, the F3R began as an open request for a concept vehicle with three rows of seats. Ian Cartabiano, the projects Chief Designer for the exterior and Alan Schneider, holding the same title for the interior, began penning sketches of a seven-seat "adaptable performance vehicle oriented toward a young family." It made sense to Cartabiano; "Its the most practical package there is. Its useful and versatile. But its most often associated with minivans, and theres a stigma associated with minivans. I think that todays young drivers see the minivan as the vehicle they were carted around in when they were kids. Its their parents car. They dont want anything to do with one."

So, he and Schneider resolved to add the attributes of bold, expressive styling, a strong image, and sport-oriented performance to the minivans already long list of positives in an attempt to make a people hauler that exuded sporty performance and an aggressive stance. Cartabiano tried to accomplish this by combining both a box and wedge shape into the overall design, shooting for something that looked large in overall mass yet quick at the same time. Unfortunately, trying to combine two shapes into one is somewhat akin to shoving a square peg in a round hole, and it doesnt take someone with a degree in design to recognize that the front is the wedge part, the back in the box part, and that neither looks particularly quick. In fact, the front end looks like something youd expect to see aboard the starship Enterprise, only fitted with vertically stretched Acura TL headlights and a Lexus-cum-Camry grille.

Oddly enough though, the robust look of the F3R is similar to others now popular in Japan and therefore was intentionally designed into the F3R, being called the "J-Factor" during the design phase.

Cartabiano explains, "Todays minivans have a needle-nose quality. Everybody is trying to push the front really low to try to disguise the fact that the vehicle is a van. We didnt want to do that. We wanted this bold, in-your-face front end. We wanted to create presence. We want this thing recognizable. When they see it in their rearview mirrors, we want people to say, Oh yeah, thats the Toyota F3R!"

The other benefit of this robust nose is that it allowed Cartabiano to push the wheels to the very corners of the car at both the front and rear. This predictably creates more room inside the van, and the aforementioned box shape in the rear means that the third row is apparently no longer the punishing torture chamber found in some other minivans. Oddly enough though, given the  emphasis placed on interior room, Cartabiano still set the wraparound visor-like greenhouse into the sides of the F3R to create a more muscular shoulder line; decreasing overall interior room in the process.

Inside, Schneider went crazy with the interior. Departing from the (attempted) sporty theme of the exterior, he chose to opt for a lounge-themed cabin that even incorporates a sofa of sorts: the center row of seats middle and right hand sections (its a 40/20/40 split seat) fold flat into the floor while the left hand seat reclines to meet the third row seat cushions and form an impromptu sofa. The drivers seat swivels to face the void created by the folded middle seats, essentially turning the interior into what Toyota refers to as a "conversation space." The only remaining seat left unused in this plan is the front passengers, which apparently reclines to form a sort of chaise lounge with the dashboard; although in all honestly it doesnt look all that comfortable.

The whole thing is ringed with interior panels that serve as backrests, and lighting is provided by fiber optic panels in the seat sides as well as the illuminated panel near the right-hand door that also serves to illuminate the entryway. The three-tiered instrument panel becomes a cool blue light fixture when the F3R is in "lounge mode," and also incorporates a detachable remote that controls the lighting, audio and video systems (two track-mounted screens) on board.

Of course, it wouldnt be a modern concept car if it didnt incorporate an amalgam of environmentally friendly materials to supplement the F3Rs already clean Hybrid Synergy Drive powerplant. Well spare you the details of all the materials used; but suffice it to say that it appears that the entire interior of the F3R can be recycled.

Hardly a new idea, Toyotas attempt to sportify the minivan has already been done, with Mazdas 5 being the latest attempt to lure new buyers into the useful vehicles. A slow starter, the Mazda5 has trundled its way to more impressive sales figures over the span of a year, eventually culminating in a 1,524 percent increase from June 2005 to June 2006, when 1,705 of the sportiest minivans around left Mazdas showrooms, finally replacing the old MPV as Mazda top selling minivan. Thats an impressive increase, and while its still far from a hot-seller (the Mazda3 remains the brands best seller, with 9,452 sold last month), representing only 8.4 percent of Mazdas year-to-date sales, its consistent rise should bode well for the F3Rs production, or at least something similar. As usual, mind you, one can expect such concept-car doodads such as the swivel seat and fiber optic panel lighting to be cut from any production version due to both cost and safety constraints.