JWM2732

bluesbrother639

audi2.7twinturbo

jeepman88

rockogre

Stormin

suzq044

suzq044

suzq044

NICKNICK

stevecmh

I like this because it's unlike anything else on the road. And don't compare it to a ridgeline...because that's hypocritical.

One thing I've learned..is judging a vehicle from a picture is worthless.

Indio

dankicksass

lascauxcaveman

a slideshow is not a video

microcars

dolo54

keep repeating to yourselves: "it's just a concept, it's just a concept."

ugly or not, i'd much rather every suburban commando with a penchant for "big trucks" drive a more efficient (even ugly!) hybrid truck than see yet another yellow dodge "hemi" with a spoiler on the bed.

and i live in Indiana where pickup trucks are king and IROCs are inherited.

T-Comm

Um, that'd be a swing and a miss for Toyota. Yer OUT!

SundaySunday

raptorGT

GreatSunJester

NovaloadMissesPolar

How many people were affronted by the looks on the Ridgeline and the Avalanche when they first came out? But after realizing how the form fits the function, many of these same people went out and bought one.

That said, I think the Rampage design does the job better than the A-BAT, but who knows what the final consumer product is going to be? I do think that both design studios need to be given kudos for thinking outside the box. We are going to need these things. It simply won't be possible for every person in suburbia to drive Dodge Hemi pickups very much longer.

DoctorNine

MΩJΩ

Toyota Financial Advisor: Hmm, Master Wantanabe, the viwragers from Texas are having much troubowr with the buiwrding of our Supero-Extra-Big-American-Size-Tundera!

Mr. Wantanabe: Hmm, if we are unabowr to connastructera a Supero-Number-One-Vehicowr to conquer Generawr Motors with, then we must buy Generawr Motors!

POLAЯ

Buckster

TinaChow

POLAЯ

It makes the Subaru Baha look like a good idea.

Further proof that even in the 80's GM was doing some things better than Toyota can manage 25 years later.

You listening, Bob? A new Camino would do just fine. If you can make it seat four without looking like...well, this...it'll go like ice cream at the beach.

Elhigh

Toyota is mindlessly stumbling farther and farther away from a nice, useful truck and further and further into the weird territory of car-with-truck-aspirations.

I just want a good, simple, reliable little truck. And no one anywhere is building one that I can buy in the US. I don't necessarily WANT to be driving a vehicle old enough to drink alcohol (but not actually equipped to do so), it's just that with all the automakers trying so hard to build what they think I might want, none of them are actually building something I DO want.

Elhigh

Placebo

Buckster

No dont stop, I like it.

Buckster

POLAЯ

allenparkpete

POLAЯ

smokeydog001

That was the effort of struggling to see the point.

Perhaps the name is meant to stir up subliminal sporty-want juices.

As in, 'Abarth' is pronounced with a 't', not a 'th', so this thing might be be mistaken for a small capacity, tight handling, tiny bundle of fun.

Stoatmaster

A-Bat Country Squire wagon

dankicksass

dankicksass

All the talk of A-BAT Country has led me to make... an A-BAT Country Squire wagon. Behold the time wastefulness... (Click it and it'll goto original size)

dankicksass

gotsmart

WilliamG.

TexanIdiot25: A/C is for for wusses. Real men have T-Tops

TexanIdiot25: A/C is for for wusses. Real men have T-Tops

Thanks for the specs, Ray. 15 feet long, overall...yeah, a nice, practical size. Maybe people will be able to use pull-in parking spaces without six exterior cams and two flagmen.

If this is the way of the pickup, should I ever need one, I'm going to hunt down an early-70's Dodge 4x4. Two solid axles, a real transfer case, and you'll be able to throw 2K lbs. of whatever in the bed and not be concerned about residue it may leave in the back seat....

Although...my 420 SEL might make a nice MerCamino...

Kelly

smokyburnout

Sonic84

I refute my argument. There can only be one Highlander!

dankicksass

In all honesty, as a concept it has alot going for it. Like the front seats - the aluminum frame and all weather mango surfaces are really interesting. They won't make it to production. The suicide rear doors won't make it, and if they do, they'll lead to a fullsize rear seating area without the stowaway tuck-in seat bottom.

The pullout bumper tray is very Tatra concept, nice steal from the French show guys! Won't make it to production. Flat dash, will make it, won't be fabric covered, will have awful Nav and maybe a beverage cooler on the passenger side. Oh wait, that's Dodge's bit. Steering wheel will be generic, seats won't make it either. They're about all it has goin for me as I said earlier. Not that they're pretty, just interesting.

The bed itself looks almost production ready. Sadly, its not nearly as adequate as the Honda's bed, no big cooler thing to keep fish in when bears need feeding in the forest. Love the commercial. Don't feed the bears though. No tie downs on tracks? Get with the times, Toyota. I've had track lighting since the 70s, I want my tie down hooks on tracks too!

Altezza and clear LED tail lights are starting to feel very 1999. The bumped-out tail lenses feel very Scion. Don't expect this as a Scion though, its just too fxcking big.

The completely useless front headlights are a nice touch if they want this to be out of their design scheme entirely. Trucks get big enormous headlights to fill my coupe's cabin with light entirely guys! I have to be able to see my mocachino when I'm drinking it in the dark on the highway.

The grille, the trapezoidal wheel arches, the lower body detail, the wheels - this all works. Keep it goin. Oh, and its a hybrid. Nice touch guys. Those big batteries sure won't go in a landfill and leak all over the ground in 10 years. Not in New Jersey...

dankicksass

I love Toyota's look, and this just doesn't have it.

Might as well have the old school cover with curtains to complete the look.

tolldog

AllenK

Ewalda

Triborough

...if I was blind as A-BAT.

It doesn't even look good with my glasses off. Oh, God.

FuzzyPlushroom

rt4

studemax

Tomsk

Good to see them getting back to developing good old-fashioned, light, uncomplicated, compact trucks.

bmoredlj

danms6

Now, I'm beginning to border on GM fanboy, so I'm comfortable with egg and Toyota's face being in alignment. But, as a concept, I like this thing. I'll be tempted to question their sanity if they actually build it, but it's odd, and I like that.

Maymar the technophobe

NovaloadMissesPolar

Overall Length: 181.3

Overall Width: 74.4

Overall Height: 64.0

Wheelbase: 112.2

Bed Length: 48.0

Bed Length with Midgate down: 72.0

Bed Length with Midgate and Tailgate down: 96.0

Wheel Size: 19-inch

Hope that helps some -- and the honor is all mine! :)

Ray Wert

Sixdust

Ray, first let me say it's an honor to type to you. I'm a pretty dedicated watcher, which isn't the same as 'fan', of CNBC, so I like being able to TiVO your automotive knowledge when you let us know beforehand. I'm on the west coast, so there ain't no way I'm wakin' up at 4:00 to watch, live.

So the wheelbase is only 112 inches, or thereabouts. Hmmm, not bad, and surprising, as the late-80's Toyota pickups had wheelbases from 102"-109", so yeah, I guess that can be called compact. I figure it'll need about 5' of overhang, combined F&R, so 14 feet of overall length. This is about 6" longer than the '99 Grand Vitara I had (sold it before it depreciated to $0 and replaced it with an '89 420 SEL (double the miles driven and double the age, but worth every cent)), which is borderline tiny on US-roads.

I have to admit, having gone from a long-bed '80 Ford, p'tuh, F-100 pickup to a short-bed '86.5 Nissan, the difference is amazing.

While the Nissan held less in the bed, requiring multiple trips in some cases, at least it ran long enough to make said trips, unlike the Ford.

Charles, I think gold was the only color in which the Cressida was available, from the factory. I think I saw a white one, once, I think, but my memory is fading...gettin' old is a drag...

I guess those who purchased Aztecs will soon need a replacement vehicle.

Kelly

QADude

UDMan

POLAЯ

Ray Wert

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

FLB

rondeimer

makfu

Or, maybe the cones in my aging retinas need a chroma adjustment... My LCD monitor is the least likely culprit, as it is much newer than I am...

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

1. Styling like this is batshit crazy....

2. When did the term 'compact' apply to something which you know is gonna be 18 feet long and weigh at least 2 tonnes?

Kelly

It's pretty pathetic that the number one super rich Japanese automaker knocked off the GM midgate wholesale without solving any of the weather and safety issues posed by an open midgate.

no_slushbox

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in seeing how Toyota appears to be mimicking GM's business model. At least GM had fins and flash at some point...though the very late-80's/early-90's Supra Twin Turbo was pretty rad. I always had an unexplained weakness for the boxy 80's Cressida, too. Mmmm, dual rear hatch windscreen wipers..... If the alternative is a FWD GM, gimme a RWD Japanese car!

Kelly

wheels OF satan!

FLB

The A-BAT interior is in the exact same black-and-electric-yellow color scheme. Wonder if it is water resistant too...

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

NovaloadMissesPolar

way_down_east

sassycaddy

Ray, come on maaaaaaaaan!

And, just when you thought Toyota couldn't produce an uglier truck, I get my socks knocked off.

Will it tow a cargo container box up the side of a mountain too?

TexanIdiot25: A/C is for for wusses. Real men have T-Tops

Boilermaker

For the record, despite it being misbranded, I find it acceptable to refer to the Pontiac G8 ST as an El Camino successor.

JHJVJR

Seems like car companies think everyone is either a surfer or a mountain biker and nobody ever has to just haul lots of shit around or do any real work.

This is lame. And I think Milo_Carrera is right on the nuts with his 12 step. (COTD nom from me) Toyota made a fine car 10 years ago but crap like this is going to knock them off their pedistal.

squablow

smokyburnout

DoctorNine

DoctorNine

MalFuller

Fitty7lax

FLB

A only bring it up because if I publish the recipe, maybe some kind soul will whip some up (gently!) and put the A-BAT out of our misery...

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

niterunner

RalphieDC

1. Accountant-driven
2. Market-losing
3. Malaise
4. Life Support
5. Last Ditch Bold
6. Niche-successful
7. Aggressive
8. Market-winning
9. Quality
10. Leadership
11. Arrogance
12. Protect-think

If you plot it out, 4 is the low point, and 10 is the high point. Point 12 leads right back to Point 1, creating a sine wave.

Toyota: 10 was a few years ago, 11 maybe 18 months ago, and 12-1 is occuring right now.

GM: Whodathunk it, but they are around number 7 right now.

milo_carrera

gamble

FThorn

AndyDuncan

Pete Gaines

Pete Gaines

67galaxie

JayP71

milo_carrera

JayP71

Stormin

Sort of like the first guys to mix nitro with glycerine
and give it good hard shake.

lascauxcaveman

skaz

The-Simpsons-Rule!!

Dr.Danger, Hasta la victoria siempre!

The-Simpsons-Rule!!

htrodblder

Spence

Speedie

amblito

Eric Merrill