(28 Nov 2011)
1. Wide of stage showing new concept car and promotional video, AUDIO: music
2. Pan of concept car
3. Wide of stage showing concept car with its door display synching with video
4. Front view of car
5. Wide of Toyota President Akio Toyoda walking onto stage
6. Cutaway of reporters
7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corp:
"We thought it would be fun to put a smartphone on four wheels. This idea led to the birth of Fun-Vii."
8. Rear view of concept car
9. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corp:
"A car must appeal to our emotions. If it's not fun, it's not a car."
10. Presentation of car functions showing car recognising driver as Mr. J Smith and greeting driver
11. Close-up of touch-panel door, driver scrolling through options on panel and selecting Toyota icon which connects car to its closest dealer, UPSOUND (Japanese) concept car saying "We are connecting to your dealer"
12. Wide of car running diagnostics, UPSOUND (Japanese) concept car saying "All diagnostics are clear"
13. Close-up pan of car
14. Wide of Toyoda riding his "winglet", personal transport assistance robot built by Toyota
15. Cutaway of photographers
16. Close-up of Toyoda
17. Wide of Toyoda and concept car
STORYLINE:
Toyota unveiled a futuristic car in Tokyo on Monday - one with an entire side reminiscent of a giant touch-screen phone - to demonstrate how Japan's top automaker is trying to take the lead in technology.
The experimental Fun-Vii - which stands for Fun - Vehicle, interactive, internet - was being shown to the public for the first time.
Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, said: "We thought it would be fun to put a smartphone on four wheels. This idea led to the birth of Fun-Vii."
The company said the Fun-Vii was an example of what might be in the works in "20XX", giving no dates.
Like a scene out of a science fiction film, Toyota's presentation showed the Fun-Vii recognising and greeting its driver and running its own diagnostics.
The car works like a personal computer device and allows drivers to connect not only with dealers but with others, either with a tap of a touch-panel door, or through an in-car interface.
Drivers can also change the colour and design of the body which works as a display.
"A car must appeal to our emotions. If it's not fun, it's not a car", Toyoda told reporters at the presentation, which took place at a Toyota amusement-park facility.
Japan's automakers, already battered by years of sales stagnation, was hit by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, which damaged supply chains in northeastern Japan, and forced them to cut back production.
The industry took yet another beating when it had to halt production due to floods in Thailand.
Toyota's stand is set to be a major attraction for the auto industry at the biannual Tokyo Motor Show, due to open to the public this weekend.
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