An eye-catching array of hi-tech Japanese compact cars went on display in London on Thursday, including one which rotates through 360 degrees. "Japan Car: Designs for the crowded globe" will open to the public this weekend at the Science Museum, displaying cutting-edge Japanese vehicles alongside the usual technological exhibits.
They include the Nissan PIVO2 concept car, which can rotate on its own wheels, making parallel parking or pulling out of a tight space easy for the urban motorist. Toyota's i-REAL looks a bit like an armchair on wheels. "Cars are not the only industry that represents Japan, but the one which best reflects Japanese society," Japanese architect and designer Shigeru Ban told Sky News television. The exhibition's curator, Kenya Hara, added: "Japan's cars have their own unique characteristics and individuality."
The show is described as "an exploration of the car as a mobile cell," aiming to reflect the "soil and the spirit of Japan" through concept cars and special home market models. The exhibition opens to the public on November 29 and runs until April 19 next year.