Born from a cartoon, the cute Cat bus made by Toyota made its operational debut in Japan, in Nagakute, Aichi prefecture, as a service vehicle for the Expo 2005 Commemorative Park.
Inspired by the imaginative Nekobus, a feline-shaped vehicle that appeared in the 1988 animated film My Neighbor Totoro, the minibus was built using the Accessible People Mover as a mechanical base, developed by the technicians of the Casa delle Tre Ellipse for the mobility service to Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and designed with particular attention to the needs of elderly people, disabled people and pregnant women or those with small children in tow.
Attentions repeated in this imaginative revisitation.
Photo story Toyota Nekobus - Photo - Ansa.it
In addition to easier access to seats and a mobile ramp that extends in just 10 seconds, the Apm Nekobus has various supports and soft quilted seats, covered with the same soft material used for the roof of the car.
The cockpit in the shape of a smiling cat is in every way similar to that of the film figure created by Studio Ghibli.
The driving position is central.
Among the peculiarities, noteworthy are the mice on the roof with eyes that light up red and the projectors in the shape of eyes with vertical pupils that shine during the night, just like those of felines.
Up to 10 passengers can be accommodated on board.
Built in two versions, brown cat and beige cat, the Apm Nekobus was assembled in a small fleet, under the supervision of Naoki Nagatsu, partner of the Toyota Vision Design Division and Goro Miyazaki, director of Studio Ghibli.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA