Amit Saraswat 
Celebrating five decades of CALTY Design Research, Toyota has revealed the Baby Lunar concept vehicle. CALTY was the first major automotive design studio on the West Coast and is responsible for designing models like the 1978 Toyota Celica and the latest 2024 Tacoma pick-up truck.
California Dreamin’
Established in 1973 to research design trends and provide creative inspiration to Toyota’s Japan design headquarters, CALTY was deliberately kept under wraps. The first production design from CALTY was the second-generation Celica, which became an instant global hit.
What followed later was a couple of interesting automobile concepts such as the FJ40 Land Cruiser, MX-1 and MX-2 concepts. CALTY also contributed to multiple Toyota models in North America such as the 1995 Tacoma, 1997 Prius and 2000 Avalon.
The Baby Lunar Concept
The latest concept from the house of CALTY is the new Baby Lunar. As the name suggests, it’s imagined as a vehicle that’s capable of driving on the surface of the moon.
It blends the design cues from the original FJ40 Land Cruiser with the form factor of an interplanetary exploration vehicle. The Baby Lunar draws inspiration from the Lunar Cruiser being developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota. It packs sci-fi features like in-wheel electric motors, twin joystick controllers and airless tyres.
The Baby Luner concept images new possibilities for future electric vehicles that can not only conquer the hustle and bustle of our cities but can also withstand the interplanetary terrain.
