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Toyota IQ

Toyota Uses Hybrid Car to Design a Font
News

Toyota Makes Its Own Font With a Car

I've already talked about the ultra compact iQ car, the tiny hybrid from Toyota, which has already been released in Europe and Japan.
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I've already talked about the ultra compact iQ car, the tiny hybrid from Toyota, which has already been released in Europe and Japan. Unfortunately, a similar model won't be available in the US until 2012.

But, thanks to my font-geek friends, I made this discovery: Toyota took an interactive artist, font designers, and a stunt driver, put them together, and came up with a new font, called the iQfont.

Visit Toyota's Belgian site to watch a video detailing how they came up with the font. In a nutshell, it involves cameras positioned over an open space, a Toyota iQ with four colored dots, and software that tracks the car's movement as it draws out each letter. The result is a totally unique font.

I'm not sure that this beats a font created out of my own handwriting, but it's pretty impressive.

Toyota IQ Revealed at Geneva Auto Show
Eco

Semi-Geeky Toyota IQ Revealed in Geneva

At first glance, it looks uber geeky with the Trekkie-like LCD dashboard and 5.8-inch nav screen control area, but the newest ultra compact to hit the streets from Toyota could stand to up the geek factor a bit.
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At first glance, it looks uber geeky with the Trekkie-like LCD dashboard and 5.8-inch nav screen control area, but the newest ultra compact to hit the streets from Toyota could stand to up the geek factor a bit. Unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show Tuesday, the Toyota IQ's engineering innovations allow for more room inside — despite the tiny 9-foot length, which makes it perfect for those tight parking situations in urban cities. Plus, Toyota is pumping up its work in fuel hybrids, making the IQ an example of "plug-in" electricity technology that can cover about 62 miles per gallon of gas.

However, bummer number one is that there hasn't been any mention of iPod adapters or integrated Bluetooth that have become standard in newer vehicles and other electric cars. Although, is that a laptop compartment I see in front of the passenger seat? Bummer number two is that it will be released in Paris, Rome, Berlin and Madrid by the end of 2008, but folks in the US will have to wait until later in 2009 to get their hands on one. No price has been set on this ultra compact car, but I certainly think it won't be as high as some other hybrid models Toyota has put on the road!

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