We just saw a photo of a completely redesigned Q: Corolla and it’s one of those lowto the-ground sports cars with a snubby nose that is obviously aimed at the younger set. We have had Corollas for our run-about cars for 25 years. Why do they mess with a good thing and when will this new thing be out?
A:Toyota showed a “concept version” of the Corolla at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, and I’m certain that’s the photo you saw. It was definitely a completely different looking car, which sends off the air of, more than anything, being trackready.
No worries for now. Car manufacturers present concept cars regularly at car shows. Those cars usually don’t come into being, or if they do come into being it’s in ways very different from the original design, which is rolled out to create buzz and see just how far convention can get shoved.
Readers react:
I recently responded to a reader who wondered whether some colors of cars were in accidents more often because of their lower visibility in some conditions. Several readers wanted to weigh in. More than a dozen said that after several near-misses or, in some cases, wrecks in gray, fog green and champagne colored cars, they’ve settled on deeper richer colors they believe other drivers can see better.
And there were other comments. California reader said: “I’m a very careful driver, especially with my (former and beloved) MINI and now a Honda Fit being so tiny. I nearly creamed a guy by merging smack into him in a long off ramp/couplet one clear, sunny day. His car was champagne pink, which became truly invisible against the pinkish concrete of the sound wall. He was really angry, and rightfully so, but other than the black of his tires, you could NOT see that car!”
Another said this: “I would like to ask you to use your bully pulpit to inform/remind your audience that daylight use of headlights (dawn to dusk) is so that you can be seen. And in states such as California where we have the wipers on/headlights on law, it means taillights too. So automatic running headlights are not adequate or legal.”
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