Toyota built a wooden concept car?!

I'm a big fan of concept cars and I've written about them in the past. They are often horribly impractical and will never come to market, but they often present a unique presentation of a particular concept or feature that can point a way for the future of the car.

SETSUNA_001.jpg

Toyota introduced the Setsuna, a wooden car intended to be a family heirloom. Hand crafted out of wood using "traditional Japanese joinery technique called okuriari which does not use any nails or screws."

I think it's kind of cute, even if it looks like a life size pinewood derby car.* And while I don't expect to see Toyota Setsuna make it to a dealership, it does pose an interesting question about how we will view internal combustion cars in an electric, self-driving car world. Will they be heirlooms as Toyota seems to imply with the Setsuna? Or junk?


* My daughter and wife think this car looks like Barney Rubble's car from the Flintstones. Maybe they are right, but I like it anyway.