In Japan, parking space is so scarce that certification of suit able
parking is required just to purchase a car. A team of engineers from the
car company Toyota put their minds to the problem as part of an annual design
competition within the company. They came up with a concept car which, at
the touch of a button, stands up on its end and pretends to be the entrance
to a house. The Town-House car seats four when it is on the road but in
its domestic mode the bodywork opens out to form two mock pillars which
conceal the seats. The wing mirrors contain lights, in case late visitors
mistake the doorway for a car leaning against the wall.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Environment
June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe
News

Physics
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
News

Life
Synthetic biology may finally be ready to solve life's biggest mystery
Leader

Environment
Geoengineering could expose plane passengers to sulphuric acid
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
4
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
5
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
6
The 4 must-watch science-fiction films of the year so far
7
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
8
What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet
9
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
10
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible