Toyota’s latest concept car, the Toyota Camatte, is aimed at getting kids into the driver’s seat and will corner its target market when it makes its public debut at this week’s 2012 International Tokyo Toy Show in Japan.

While somewhat toy-sized at only 2700mm long, 1300mm wide and 1200mm tall – 200mm longer, 210mm narrower and 300mm lower than a Smart Fortwo – the Toyota Camatte is a fully drivable vehicle with room for an adult and two children.

Toyota says the car was designed to “convey the joy and dreams of motor vehicles to current and future drivers, by providing an opportunity for parents and children to experience together the fun of driving, car customisation and car enthusiasm”.

The Camatte sports a three-seat layout – McLaren F1-style with the driver centrally positioned – as well as a fully adjustable driver’s seat and pedals allowing children to easily reach the vehicle’s controls with the purpose being to help children and parents bond while becoming better acquainted with the workings of a motor car. Toyota says the benefit of this is that children can learn to drive from an earlier age but advises to only let them drive in non-public places like go-kart tracks with a parent ‘assisting’ from the right-rear seat where they are able to reach the steering wheel and pedals.

The Camatte’s other party trick is that every single body panel is easily removable, as well as the lights, wheels, clamshell canopy, and rear seats. This allows for design changes, the most extreme of which is to change the light-blue Camatte Sora into a brown Camatte Daichi in a matter of minutes.

There are no plans for the car to go into production, which is a shame, as it looks like fun even for big kids.

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