The Weirdest Toyota Cars Ever Made (2024)

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Being different can be good or bad, depending on the context, and the same is true for carmakers. Toyota's near-spotless reputation for making dependable vehicles may have secured it the top spot in the automotive world, but that doesn't mean that the Japanese carmaker hasn't made some bold decisions.

This has led to some wacky vehicles. Depending on which part of the world you live in, there is a good chance you probably didn't know some of those existed. Without further due, I am presenting you some very weird Toyota cars that would make you ask yourself "what were they thinking”?

Toyota Will Vi

Toyota is no stranger to collaborations and this weird-looking car is the child of an unlikely partnership. In 1999, Toyota and what is now known as Panasonic (formerly Matsush*ta Electric Industrial) collaborated on a sub-compact, Toyota-badged car that was neither a hatchback nor a sedan.

The Will Vi was bigger than a Kei car and featured a three-box design (kind of), reminiscent of cars from the 1950s. Honestly, the thing resembles a soap box. There were two more Toyota Will models – the Will VS and Will Cypha, but the Will Vi takes the crown for its quirkiness.

1999 Toyota Will Vi performance specifications

Engine: 1.3-liter, naturally-aspirated, DOHC, inline-four

Output: 88 horsepower at 6,000 RPM, 90 pound-feet at 4,400 RPM

Transmission and driveline: 4-speed automatic, front-engine, front-wheel drive

Curb weight: 2,072 pounds

0-60 MPH: N/A

Toyota Previa

When you hear "mid-engine" and "supercharged”, you tend to think of high-performance vehicles. In 1996, Toyota decided to infuse these properties into a minivan thus spanning the Previa. All three generations featured a front-mid-engine layout, with later variants even getting the 2GR-FE V-6 engine, normally found in cars like the Camry or various Lexus models. First-generation Previas could also be had with a supercharged, 2TZ-FZE engine.

1996 Toyota Previa performance specifications

Engine: 2.4-liter, supercharged, DOHC, inline-four

Output: 161 horsepower at 6,000 RPM, 201 pound-feet at 3,600 RPM

Transmission and driveline: 4-speed automatic/ 5-speed manual, front-mid-engine, rear-wheel drive/ four-wheel drive

Curb weight: 3,755 pounds

0-60 MPH: 10.1 seconds

Toyota Origin

In the year 2000, Toyota decided to celebrate 100 million vehicles produced in Japan with a special model. Through a collaboration with Kanto Auto Works, Toyota commissioned a limited-edition, hand-crafted sedan, sharing a platform with the Toyota Alteza (Lexus IS) and other Toyota/ Lexus rear-wheel-drive models.

Toyota Sera

Toyota Sera is weird for several reasons. First of all, it was sold in Japan, as an alternative to the soon-to-be resurrected, Toyota MR-2. Needless to say, it did not have the same success, likely due to the "wrong” wheel drive. Probably the quirkiest characteristic of the Sera are the butterfly doors, with partially opening windows, similar to the Subaru SVX.

There were a few trim levels, but in terms of mechanics, there was only one engine. The only choices you could made were automatic or manual transmission or whether to have ABS or not. The optional, anti-lock brakes were vented discs all around while the base model utilized drums at the rear.

1990 Toyota Sera performance specifications

Engine: 1.5-liter, naturally-aspirated, DOHC, inline-four

Output: 104-108 horsepower at 6,400 RPM, 100 pound-feet at 4,000 RPM

Transmission and driveline: 4-speed automatic/ 5-speed manual, front-engine, front-wheel drive

Curb weight: 2,050 pounds

0-60 MPH: 10.2 seconds

Toyota Mega Cruiser

Toyota's Land Cruiser is not the most rugged SUV ever made. That's because in 1996, four years after the HMMWV-based Hummer H1 came around, Toyota, essentially, made a Japanese equivalent. Like the Hummer H1, the Mega Cruiser was meant for military purposes, although a limited run of road-going variants was made.

It was no less capable either. Toyota Mega Cruiser has a 49-degree approach angle, 45-degree departure angle, 33-degree break-over angle, and a maximum cant of 50 degrees. Between 1995 and 2001, around 3,000 Toyota Mega Cruisers were built for non-military applications.

1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser performance specifications

Engine: 4.1-liter, turbodiesel, OHV, inline-four

Output: 153 horsepower at 3,200 RPM, 282 pound-feet at 1,800 RPM

Transmission and driveline: 4-speed automatic, front-engine, 4X4

Curb weight: 6,283 pounds

0-60 MPH: 14.8 seconds

Toyota Mirai

Toyota's Mirai may have been the right car at the wrong time. Despite many Toyota Mirai owners wanting their money back, the Japanese carmaker is still offering the second-generation Mirai in 2024. The FCEV Mirai definitely looks the part, but Toyota's decision to sell a fuel-cell electric vehicle when cars like the Toyota Camry are available is an odd one.

2020 Toyota Mirai performance specifications

Engine: 1xelectric motor, 1.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, 4JM fuel cell

Output: 182 horsepower, 221 pound-feet

Transmission and driveline: 1-speed, rear-motor, rear-wheel drive

Curb weight: 4,230-4,300 pounds

0-60 MPH: 8.7 seconds

Toyota Cavalier

Toyota Cavalier is as mundane as a car can be and yet, it still managed to be one of the company's weirdest products. That's because it isn't really a Toyota. In an effort to go around export restrictions, Toyota briefly sold a rebadged version of the third-generation Chevrolet Cavalier.

It was also, briefly, sold in Japan with a slightly more upscale interior, featuring more generous use of leather, primarily on the shift knob and steering wheel. There was also a coupe variant. The 2000 facelift models received a facelift and with that came a special, TRD body kit. Needless to say, the car wasn't very popular in Japan.

1995 Toyota Cavalier performance specifications

Engine: 2.4-liter, naturally-aspirated, DOHC, inline-four

Output: 150 horsepower at 6,000 RPM, 160 pound-feet at 4,400 RPM

Transmission and driveline: 4-speed automatic/ 5-speed manual, front engine, front-wheel drive

Curb weight: 2,562-2,900 pounds

0-60 MPH: 7.9 seconds

Toyota C+Pod

I can't blame you for not knowing about Toyota's C+Pod. I didn't know about it myself until a few hours before I penned this article. It is a Kei car, which automatically means, it is meant for Japan. This true JDM car is, essentially, Toyota's BEV equivalent to the Smart ForTwo. Its total length is 98 inches and its width – less than 51 inches. The little Kei car by Toyota was produced between 2021 and 2024.

2021 Toyota C+Pod performance specifications

Engine: 1x electric motor, 9.06 kWh Lithium-ion battery

Output: 13.5 horsepower, 41.3 pound-feet

Transmission and driveline: 1-speed, rear motor, rear-wheel drive

Curb weight: 1,477 pounds

0-60 MPH: N/A

About the author

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can followDimitar on X,Linked-in,Instagram, andFacebook.

Image sources: 1991-1997 Toyota Previa, 2000 Toyota Will Vi, 2000 Toyota Origin, 2003 Toyota Yaris Verso, 1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser, 2023 Toyota Mirai

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