Tokyo 2007 Preview: Honda PUYO Concept wants you to touch it

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Honda

click above image for more pics of the Honda PUYO Concept

Honda's second concept that will debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show is the PUYO. The name is an onomatopoeia that, according to Honda, "expresses the sensation of touching the vehicle's soft body." Sounds kinky, but the PUYO's "gel body" actually is soft, which Honda claims increases safety. For some reason, we still wouldn't want to collide with one in a cross walk. According to this pic, however, the PUYO glows in the dark and therefore would be hard not to notice while crossing the street at night.

Since the theme of Honda's display this year is "For the endless joy of mobility on our earth," the PUYO is not surprisingly a green vehicle powered by a fuel-cell. It's design is that of a cornerless box, which provides the functionality of a cube-like design with a soft presence lacking any edges. The tiny wheels are at the extreme corners of the vehicle, and the pic above reveals that the PUYO can perform 360-degree turns in place. As the body turns to all glass above the beltline, it's apparent that Honda designers were intent on maximizing the feeling of spaciousness inside the PUYO. Just check out the size of those scissor doors!

Inside the PUYO you'll find an instrument panel monitor and a cloth dash that actually rises up when the vehicle is started, as well as a trick lighting system, "luminous fluid meter displays" and a joystick instead of a steering wheel.

Quirky and impractical probably best describes the PUYO, which is exactly what we expect from most concepts that debut in Tokyo.

[Source: Honda]

Gallery: Honda PUYO Concept

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