Second Generation Toyota Mirai

[Motor]

Toyota turns ugly duckling Mirai into a swan

Toyota's Mirai fuel cell vehicle, the quirky car with the mug only a mother could love, gets a radical transformation into a sleek sedan for its second generation.

Toyota says it will unveil the redesign at this month's Tokyo Motor Show, emerging like an ugly duckling that has matured into an elegant swan.

The complete revamp keeps the car's hydrogen-powered drivetrain concept. But even that gets an improvement, with 30 percent longer range and better acceleration and performance.

Chief engineer Yoshikazu Tanaka said the water-emitting power system was redesigned top to bottom.

The Mirai concept, previewed for reporters in Tokyo, is a rear-wheel-drive, five-seat sedan with a low-slung fastback, coupe-styled silhouette. It represents a close-to-market model, according to Toyota.

The production version goes on sale next year in Japan, North America and Europe.

The current Mirai, which seats just four, was launched for limited distribution in 2014. Toyota has sold only about 10,000 since then. But the second generation is part of Toyota's push to build demand for hydrogen fuel cell technology to position the system as a true clean-car option.

"For that, the car must be more emotional," Tanaka said. "That is our challenge. We wanted the Mirai to be a car people really wanted to drive — and just happens to be a fuel cell vehicle."

The new Mirai ditches the first generation's squat, bulbous proportions and whalelike front grille for a sporty stance, pointy nose and toned-down air intakes.

It shares the modular vehicle platform of the luxury-class Lexus LS flagship sedan, making it lower, longer and wider for a more planted feel than the first Mirai. That GL-A platform was designed to accommodate a variety of powertrains, including hybrids and fuel cells.

The next Mirai also gets a wider tread and longer wheelbase, which helps accommodate more hydrogen storage.

"Fundamentally, it's a completely different car," Toyota global design chief Simon Humphries said of the second-generation overhaul. "We needed this car as elegant and beautiful as possible."

In an effort to cut the car's cost by half, Toyota is calculating bigger sales volumes and reduced use of pricey raw materials, such as platinum in the fuel cell stack. Toyota expects to make the vehicle in a standard assembly plant. The outgoing Mirai is hand built in a small workshop in Toyota City.

Toyota said in 2015 that it wanted to sell 30,000 fuel cell vehicles a year in 2020, including buses, trucks and forklifts in addition to cars such as the Mirai.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I think possible 5GS is more likely - it's a bit shorter than the current LS.

 

[krew]

I have some very strong feelings about the Mirai, to the point where I'm surprised at the positive reaction here. I don't want to be too reactionary, so I'm going to sit on posting more for the time being.

My hot take? I believe to be a major mistake by Toyota and a terrible sign for Lexus.

 

[CRSKTN]

I have some very strong feelings about the Mirai, to the point where I'm surprised at the positive reaction here. I don't want to be too reactionary, so I'm going to sit on posting more for the time being.

My hot take? I believe to be a major mistake by Toyota and a terrible sign for Lexus.

Actively abandoning the GS to pump out something this niche is crazy. It doesn't even hold up to the "oh, the bean counters pushed for it" logic. If you did the work, release both a 5GS and Mirai2 at least.

Does anyone here know anyone at Lexus corporate? I would kill to hear what the rationale was, while at the same time pumping out a boat, and talk of a corporate plane, and expanding your CUVs even further down market.

"Hey check out this brand, it sells a million low to mid range luxury crossovers, but also a 2.3 million dollar boat. Oh, what's that? You want a range rover competitor? No, that doesn't make economic sense, and we don't see buyers for that sort of thing... here why don't you spend millions on this boat instead."

What's your take on this krew? How does this logic add up?

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I feel like at some point after the LFA the bean counters gave Akio an ultimatum and we've been living with the results. Putting the LC into production may well have been his last unencumbered decision.

To this point, I strongly doubt Toyota is spending millions on the boat. If you think about it, they did it in pretty much the cheapest possible way - it's a rebadge of a non-Toyota product, which is a story Supra customers have heard before. And I'll be surprised if the plane doesn't end up the same way.

 

[CRSKTN]

I feel like at some point after the LFA the bean counters gave Akio an ultimatum and we've been living with the results. Putting the LC into production may well have been his last unencumbered decision.

To this point, I strongly doubt Toyota is spending millions on the boat. If you think about it, they did it in pretty much the cheapest possible way - it's a rebadge of a non-Toyota product, which is a story Supra customers have heard before. And I'll be surprised if the plane doesn't end up the same way.

A recent video walkthrough presented it as a joint venture, but I am not sure if that means a joint project or if TMC actually meaningfully acquired some part of Marquis. The talk about having them adopt TPS standards seems like it's more than just a one off... but again maybe I am being optimistic.


Edit: sorry, just out of curiosity which boat is it a rebadge of? I am curious to see if there's a Lexus premium or discount!

 

[Bluesuprarcf52]

Beautiful car. I hope it does well and goes on sale for more states. Lexus better make a next gen GS. Just sell it. Damn it Lexus.

 

[spwolf]

Actively abandoning the GS to pump out something this niche is crazy. It doesn't even hold up to the "oh, the bean counters pushed for it" logic. If you did the work, release both a 5GS and Mirai2 at least.

Does anyone here know anyone at Lexus corporate? I would kill to hear what the rationale was, while at the same time pumping out a boat, and talk of a corporate plane, and expanding your CUVs even further down market.

"Hey check out this brand, it sells a million low to mid range luxury crossovers, but also a 2.3 million dollar boat. Oh, what's that? You want a range rover competitor? No, that doesn't make economic sense, and we don't see buyers for that sort of thing... here why don't you spend millions on this boat instead."

What's your take on this krew? How does this logic add up?

So who said that Lexus does not want to build RR competitor? Nobody ever? LF-1 and upcoming LX look a lot like another upmarket move for Lexus.

 

[CRSKTN]

So who said that Lexus does not want to build RR competitor? Nobody ever? LF-1 and upcoming LX look a lot like another upmarket move for Lexus.

The new LX is likely the LF-1, based on the discussion i've seen elsewhere on here. When we see it is the issue. If we get the new LX in the next year or two, ok, but i highly doubt that.

Everything they're announcing/talking about is smaller and smaller CUVs. The 2020 GX and LX i think aren't even at tech parity to the new RX, are they?

 

[Gecko]

LX outsells the LS worldwide - there is no way it is outright being replaced by LF-1.

Back to Mirai.

 

[shizhi]

Toyota has registered the trademark "氢擎（hydrogen engine）" in China, which means that it may introduce FCEV to the Chinese market in the future, such as the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.
other trademarks：
hev，双擎（twin engine）
phev，双擎e+（twin engine e+）
bev，e擎（e engine）

 

[ssun30]

Toyota has registered the trademark "氢擎（hydrogen engine）" in China, which means that it may introduce FCEV to the Chinese market in the future, such as the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.
other trademarks：
hev，双擎（twin engine）
phev，双擎e+（twin engine e+）
bev，e擎（e engine）
View attachment 3558

That's not a very good name...reads very awkwardly.

 

[Motor]

I couldn't find a thread, so here it is...

 

[spwolf]

The new LX is likely the LF-1, based on the discussion i've seen elsewhere on here. When we see it is the issue. If we get the new LX in the next year or two, ok, but i highly doubt that.

Everything they're announcing/talking about is smaller and smaller CUVs. The 2020 GX and LX i think aren't even at tech parity to the new RX, are they?

LX will not be LF-1 and everyone please keep in consideration that Toyota and Lexus dealers that get to see new product usually love the brand and have very enthusiastic view of its especially new vehicles.

For example, my bro was at internal reveal of new Avensis in Spain, only shown to best dealers from main regions, and people were in tears about how good the vehicle was... in the end, it was just really a failed effort despite initial reactions.

 

[maiaramdan]

The next generation Prius shall be the BEV of this next generation Mirai

1) it will make it suitable Tesla Model S competitor
2) it will differentiate Prius name and tech from other Toyota's
3) it will retain the same design relation between Mirai and Prius as same relation as both current models

 

[Motor]

 

[flexus]

Toyota has registered the trademark "氢擎（hydrogen engine）" in China, which means that it may introduce FCEV to the Chinese market in the future, such as the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.
other trademarks：
hev，双擎（twin engine）
phev，双擎e+（twin engine e+）
bev，e擎（e engine）
View attachment 3558

Isn't that traditional kanji? And why not 水素電動車 or 燃料電池

 

[ssun30]

Isn't that traditional kanji? And why not 水素電動車 or 燃料電池

These are Simplified Chinese characters.

水素電動車 is Japanese word for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
燃料電池 is Traditional Chinese word for fuel cell.

He was talking about the trademark ('Hydrogen Engine') not the technical name. It's just like how Toyota Mirai is not simply called 'Toyota Hydrogen FCV'.

 

[flexus]

These are Simplified Chinese characters.

水素電動車 is Japanese word for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
燃料電池 is Traditional Chinese word for fuel cell.

He was talking about the trademark ('Hydrogen Engine') not the technical name. It's just like how Toyota Mirai is not simply called 'Toyota Hydrogen FCV'.

Actually 燃料電池 is also Japanese. Trademarket name is just so dilly

 

[shizhi]

Isn't that traditional kanji? And why not 水素電動車 or 燃料電池

in chinese，we do not use“水素” to translate hydrogen（氢）…
When most Chinese see "水素", they think it's water。It‘s Japanese…