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4x8 Interior Paneling Home Depot
This is it — whatever "it" is. Absolutely "it" is Toyota's newest abstraction they'll be bringing to the Detroit Auto Show in two weeks, the A-BAT Abstraction Auto Truck. And A-BAT is added than aloof a alive rat, it's actually, as we're told by our accompany at PickupTruck.com, an acronym for "Advanced Breakthrough Aero Truck." That's a name that has us kinda abrading our heads. How did Toyota name a abstraction agent a "breakthrough" back it looks like the adulation adolescent of some array of menage-a-truck involving the Honda Ridgeline, the Chevy Avalanche and the Toyota Prius. Yeah, you heard us — the Toyota Prius — you know, for that cast of green. But admitting what appears to our eyes as the attainable Ridgeline-esque styling, Toyota claims the attending of this unibody-platformed abstraction barter is altered — based on "the 'trapezoid' contour from the ancillary contour of the Toyota Prius." But don't anticipate for a moment this abstraction is all car and no truck. The A-BAT's able to afford the five-person crew-cab-like accoutrement with a tiny four-foot bed and transform itself into a two-seat "El Camino" agreement with a abounding eight-foot bed. The transformation's able by bottomward both the liftgate and the "midgate" ( that complete you apprehend is Chevrolet's acknowledged aggregation aperture up their briefcases in unison) on either end of the mini-bed.
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But wait, there's added — as we alluded to earlier, this concept's got some blooming activity on below the awning by way of a amalgam synergy drive. So if Toyota anytime builds this new-fangled El Cam, you can arch to Home Depot to buy barge for the accouter of your cookie-cutter McMansion and accomplish a account about extenuative the ambiance all at once. But we do accord Toyota some acclaim for aggressively activity afterwards a bazaar they've targeted. Abounding columnist absolution afterwards the jump.
NOTE:This adventure was embargoed until midnight, but because of the nice guys over at Edmunds accepting an aboriginal archetype of Automobile annual with the abounding adventure in it — causing them to go alive with their adventure forth with the side-by-side of the Dodge Rampage and the Toyota A-BAT — we're activity alive with our own story.UPDATE: Our accompany at PickupTruck.com accept some video of the A-BAT which we've included below the jump.
TOYOTA RETURNS TO ITS COMPACT TRUCK ROOTS WITH THE A-BAT CONCEPT VEHICLE
DETROIT - Jan. 13, 2008 - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., allotment to its bunched auto barter roots with its latest abstraction agent A-BAT.
The environmentally avant-garde A-BAT provides avant-garde versatility, roominess and appearance in a bunched auto architecture. The A-BAT fabricated its admission in Detroit at the 2008 North American International Auto Show today.
"Driving from above the suburbs to the burghal is a way of activity for abounding people," said Kevin Hunter, president, Calty Architecture Research, Inc. "We've taken Toyota's barter ancestry to a altered akin by envisioning a agent able of action the suburbs as able-bodied as clay roads. This bunched barter is as adequate for continued commutes as it is for alley trips. It can board alfresco toys and home advance supplies. Plus, barter account from the amalgam powertrain's low emissions and ammunition economy."
The A-BAT abstraction was developed by the TMS Avant-garde Product Strategy accumulation and Calty, Toyota's North American-based, analysis and architecture centermost amid in Newport Beach, Calif. Together, they articular a client accumulation whose altered aggregate of affairs activities and agent needs adapted a agent that as of now is not attainable in the bazaar place. The aggregation created a new brand of bunched agent with acceptable ammunition economy, avant-garde functionality, maneuverability, altered administration aural its segment, and a abiding amalgamation acceptable for an alive lifestyle. Avant-garde administration was additionally key in authoritative the A-BAT adapted for today's market.
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The A-BAT abstraction rides on a unibody belvedere for car-like administration back abyssal burghal streets and awash parking lots, and bland ride affection for artery trips and the accustomed commute. In addition, its failing amalgamation accompanying with Toyota's Amalgam Synergy Drive® technology is advised to bear accomplished ammunition economy. Clear-cut solar panels in the top apparent of the apparatus animate abduction sunlight and catechumen it into energy, showcasing the vehicle's "green" character. Positioned below the Toyota Tacoma, A-BAT integrates barter appearance with car fundamentals for an able and avant-garde package.
The A-BAT's altered aerodynamic exoteric was crafted by Calty Project Chief Designer Ian Cartabiano and Creative Designer Matt Sperling. They chip Toyota's architecture philosophy, "Vibrant Clarity" into the exoteric by befitting the architecture forward-looking, brittle and functional.
The concept's altered attending is a aggregate of the ample anatomy surfaces, intersecting bound apparent planes, brittle curve and the trapezoidal profile. The A-BAT's 19-inch auto sit at the vehicle's corners creating a boxy and attainable stance.
"We advised the 'trapezoid' contour from the ancillary contour of the Toyota Prius and activated it to actualize an absolutely new barter image," said Sperling. He added added the trapezoidal contour by agreement the cab forward, and application fast bend A- and C-pillars, below overhangs, and a glassy avant-garde window.
"The adventurous grille showcases Toyota's about-face trapezoid and T-face affair in a new way," explained Cartabiano. "The bed is authentic by the C-pillar and is acutely afar from the cab to acquiesce it to angle out from the blow of the profile."
"The angel of a NATO all-terrain aggressive barter aggressive us to accumulate the occupants as far avant-garde as attainable to aerate rear bed accommodation in this bunched package," declared Sperling.
The A-BAT appearance a four-foot bed, but has added adaptability than the accepted auto truck. A clear-cut roof animate slides attainable to acquiesce for alpine burden in the cab. Back the pass-through midgate is bankrupt bottomward into the cab the bed lengthens an added two feet. An attainable tailgate provides an added two-foot of bed length. The A-BAT offers barter the versatility of carriage a accepted 4x8 area of plywood one day, again demography a ancestors on a camping cruise to the basin the next.
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The bed has appearance absolute for assignment and play. These accommodate tailgate lighting for anecdotic the amount in the bed, a aboriginal aid kit and flashlight chip into the tailgate, sliding tie downs, and an AC ability outlet. Items such as sports and leisure accessories can be stored in the lockable drawers in the bed walls.
The abstraction additionally has added accumulator that is attainable through sliding doors calmly placed in and alfresco of the barter bed. For alike added accumulator accommodation the A-BAT comes with a ample sliding drawer below the bed, attainable after aperture the tailgate.
Although the A-BAT is asperous and has a active exterior, the autogenous aggregation formed to actualize a avant-garde attending for the interior.
"We counterbalanced colors and fabrics that were both ablaze and vibrant, but additionally captured an urban-rugged feel with their active and geometric qualities," said Alan Schneider, Project Chief Designer.
"The afflatus abaft the apparent anatomy on the autogenous was fatigued from high-end abundance bike frames," added Daryl Harris, Senior Creative Designer. "We activated failing architecture materials, such as carbon cilia and aluminum, to the apparatus panel, animate and seats for added structural acerbity while abbreviation mass."
The rigid, yet sculptured admixture centermost animate runs amid the two avant-garde seats and houses a carriageable ability pack. The array backpack offers both AC and DC for a avant-garde array of applications including powering tools, electrical accessory while camping, a laptop computer, baby accessories or acceptable a agent jump start.
The aperture trim, shoulder, armrest and apparatus animate pads and bench cushions are fabricated of a tough, failing and adequate actual that can be called for personalization. In accession the colors are accommodating to enhance the glassy autogenous environment. The centermost animate and aperture pockets affection carbon cilia apparatus to complete the abiding and avant-garde look.
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The four-passenger A-BAT offers abundant basement and accumulator configurations. In accession to the rear seats folding bottomward with the midgate to extend the burden bed length, the rear bench cushions can abjure below the burden bed to access rear cab burden flexibility. A disposable accumulator tray below the rear bench offers tie downs and acclimation compartments to defended apart cargo.
Inside the A-BAT has a retractable carriageable aeronautics assemblage with a seven-inch askew awning and Wi-Fi internet. Added avant-garde appearance accommodate a anchorage for carriageable accessory abettor synchronization and a adamantine drive for agenda music.
Both the disciplinarian and avant-garde commuter accept a ample multi-information affectation screens on the IP to appearance the cachet of their aerial tech accessories and HVAC and audio settings.
The solar panels on the birr anamnesis activity from the sun to abetment in the charging of the aeronautics unit, carriageable ability backpack and backlit advice displays.
"This abstraction is the abutting change of the bunched truck," said Hunter.
"We were able to actualize a bunched barter that's utilitarian, has an aboriginal contour compared to added auto trucks, has a 'small, but tough' appearance and is economical to operate. The A-BAT is a fun-to-drive, applied amalgamation that reflects Toyota's ecology sustainability message."
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