The Camette by Toyota is supposed to be a toy. It’s set for debut at 2012 International Tokyo Toy Show, so yes, it’s a toy. But looking at it you can’t help but think it’s bloody car! I mean it’s like a full-on kei car you see at Tokyo Motor Show for crying out loud. The reason for that according to Toyota is to promote cars to a future generation of potential drivers.

The Camette is car that kids can drive then. It features a customisable body, with easily removable body panels, available in a wide range of colours and designs. Shown here in two Camette ‘Sora’, and Camette ‘Daichi’ guises, the toy is designed to look close to a real car so kids can become more familiar with the workings of motor vehicles. That’s a very good idea.

The interior also has a clever design, with seating for three in a triangular ‘1+2’ configuration to create an intimate family driving space, maximising parent-child communication. The pedals and seats are fully adjustable to allow children to operate controls (where legal), while an adult seated in the right rear seat can assist with steering and braking. The thing is if you buy one of these for your kid, it’s you who will spend more time in it than the kid!