The adorably designed Toyota Compact Cruiser Concept has recently snatched the 2022 Car Design Award for concept vehicles. The international award is delivered by the renowned Auto & Design magazine in Milan. The award is well-deserved by the Toyota concept car, which is a fantastic little EV with a look of a Land Rover Defender and FJ Cruiser mashup!
The Unique Design
The newly conceptualized Toyota EV has a successful blend of heritage cues and rugged good looks. It has also tapped into the pixelated look that is emerging as the latest trend in designing modern EVs. For many car enthusiasts, the Toyota Compact Cruiser looks just like a love child of the FJ Cruiser and Ford Bronco at first glance. In design, it’s a small 4×4 boxy car with funky flourishes and butch detailing. The all-terrain tires look quite chunky. While hitting the production line, this small Toyota EV will undoubtedly stand out, being an affordable, and off-road-able SUV, giving tough competition to all its peers in the market.
The Production Probability
Yes, images can be deceptive! Because, for now, the Toyota Compact Cruiser is just a life-size realistic clay model! The non-rendered real-world images of the car, published by the automaker company itself, will surely baffle you, and also will leave you to appreciate the creative designing team behind the concept. The model was crafted at Toyota ED Square, the European design studio of the company, based in Nice, France. The company also threw in a few CGI images of the car with its simulated elements. Though, Toyota hasn’t opened up yet about starting full industry-level production of the Compact Cruiser. But the company has already promised a slew of new EVs by 2030. So we sincerely hope that whatever EV SUVs Toyota has kept in its pipeline, we get at least some of the now award-winning design’s DNA filtered down into them.
Kyle Larson Wins the NASCAR Championship on the Back of a Clutch Pit Stop
It’s not all about the driving speed! The Phoenix Raceway has witnessed an amazing pit stop at the 2021, NASCAR cup series by the Hendrick Motorsports crew, making Kyle Larson the winner of the championship. All it took 6 crews and their lightning-fast efficiency in changing tires to make the ultimate difference. Who says NASCAR is not a team effort?
The Ready Backdrop
Larson was in the fourth position, when a yellow flag flew late, bringing most of the field into the pits. All the four competing drivers had to stop for tire changing and splashing of fuel. On the day before, Larson pulled up a blazing single lap run, qualifying for the pole position. This gave him the advantage here to choose the first pit stall for the race. This stance made him the last one in but crucially ensured a clear shot ahead while pulling back onto the track.
The End-Defining Moment
Most of us have seen the scene from the animated movie Cars, where Lightning McQueen’s one-man crew Guido completed an eerily speedy feat to keep the hero on the championship race’s lead lap. The NASCAR moment on Phoenix reminded the scene, when Larson’s crew pulled off a similar performance, by completing an almost perfect stop at an unbelievable speed of just 11.8 seconds. As soon as he came off, it was a clear way for Larson to beat till now leading Denny Hamlin to the first position.
The Grateful Reaction
After the victory, Kyle Larson gave full credit to his pit stop crew for their game-changing skill. He confessed that there were several points on the race when he himself was doubtful about winning the championship. His pit crew on that last stop changed everything and turned the race. Larson also got emotional when he mentioned his pit crew as the real champions and considered himself blessed to be part of the group.