Oh wait, some of us probably still do that. Regardless, Toyota is turning this into a reality with the i-TRIL Concept, an all-electric city car that physically leans into corners like something out of a cartoon. Set to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next month alongside the new facelifted Toyota Yaris and its hot hatch sibling, the Yaris GRMN, it will, of course, also have autonomous driving abilities.
Toyota says the i-TRIL will be positioned as an "alternative to city cars, other electric vehicles and motorcycles", and "aimed at people who want to have fun even while driving at small speeds around cities." The initial teaser photo doesn't reveal much, but the prominent LED lights and small grille suggest it will take its styling cues from the i-Road (pictured in this article), which was first revealed at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. It also seems to have a similar shape, but Toyota has confirmed it will seat up to three people thanks to its one-plus-two-seat layout. You'd imagine the i-TRIL to be larger than the i-Road which measured at 2.35 meters long, 850 mm wide, and 1.4 meters tall, but it still probably isn't very tall people-friendly.
Currently in development by Toyota Motor Europe in collaboration with the company's ED2 design studio in Nice, the i-TRIL also incorporates the same 'Active Lean' technology as the i-Road, allowing you to lean the car into corners like a motorbike "to provide high levels of stability, safety and comfort." The i-Road incorporated clever technology to determine the angle of lean using a combination of inertial sensors, a gyroscope, speed data and steering angle, so expect the i-TRIL to be equipped with similar technology. It was also powered by two electric motors producing 27 horsepower each, with a dazzling top speed of 28 mph, and would last around 30 miles on a single charge.
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