Top secret Toyota leaked early
BY DANIEL GARDNER | 23rd Jan 2015
Repeated questioning from Dutch publication De Telegraaf about the much hyped new Toyota forced a European spokesperson for the Japanese car-maker to back down, revealing the new arrival is not a vehicle but an accessory.
Developed in conjunction with United Kingdom charity Comic Relief, Toyota was due to roll-out the retro-fit vehicle red nose for the start of the Red Nose Day (RND) annual fund-raising drive, but after a bombardment of media speculation the company has detailed the new accessory early.
The car noses will go on sale through UK Toyota dealerships for five pounds driveaway (AU$9.30) or via the car-maker's eBay store, with all proceeds going to help ease poverty in the UK and Africa.
In a previous statement, Toyota made the sweeping claims that the new accessory would enhance the “fun-to-drive” qualities of its vehicles, has “the potential to transform the look of every vehicle on the road” and “will make a valuable contribution to the world we live in”.
Toyota has not said whether the dome-shaped new part will require specialist fitting or calibration at dealerships, but retro-fitting the component appears to be fairly simple and may even improve aerodynamics.
At this stage the red noses are only available in red and are unlikely to be produced in any other colours but charitable owners of rival brand cars will be pleased to learn the crimson conch can be fitted to almost any vehicle.
No car-makers have revealed plans to launch the noses Down Under but it is likely a similar accessory will go on the market closer to the Australian Red Nose Day on the26th of June 2015.
Watch this space for the full GoAuto road test and review.
