Custom Toyota MR2 carputer presents the ultimate distraction for drivers

This insanely kitted out Toyota MR2 is being put up for sale by its owner somewhere in Germany -- he's a highly motivated seller, provided you have the prerequisite electronics and programming (especially Visual Basic) skills. The standard gauges and indicators in the car have been removed, replaced with touch screens and a console mounted iDrive knob, offering the pilot of this machine control over almost every aspect of its operation: climate control, GPS, fuel consumption, mirrors, radar/laser, wireless transfer of music from a home computer, lights, fog lights... and the all-important VCD playback. Also listed on the original posting is something called the "police button" which "virtually controls the police." This might have been something that Google mistranslated, but we prefer to think otherwise.

[Via Autoblog]

[kadajawi Posted Sep 14th 2008 5:59PM]

I think the police button might switch off the speed camera detector, which is illegal in Germany (you might actually drive slower with it, so they have to make it illegal so they can earn more money). The text says that the turbo display and the videos are deactivated when he hits the police button, besides other things.

Actually there are a lot of pretty nice ideas in this thing, like the light assistants. Ok, the function to measure the time from 0 to 60 mph might be a bit over the top...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 14th 2008 6:54PM]

Quick, someone call the Hoff! The new KITT is here, better than that Mustang

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 14th 2008 6:57PM]

Maybe for some added fun he could throw in an "automotive visualizer":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUq7PS2Go1U

those were the days...

[kreg37 Posted Sep 14th 2008 8:19PM]

you know... he could be doing all this just so he can roll back the odometer

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 14th 2008 9:52PM]

No night vision? Pass!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 14th 2008 10:16PM]

Though that knob looks like an iDrive controller, it's actually a 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator. An interesting application of one at that, considering it's usually used to supplement a mouse when using 3D CAD apps.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 14th 2008 11:13PM]

Here is the eBay link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130251680821&ru=http://search.ebay.com:80/search/search.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37.l1313%26satitle%3D130251680821%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1

Looks like noone bit! I would have. Awesome car w/ an awesome pc

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 12:05AM]

I have owned 3 MR2's, 2 of them turbo, 1 non turbo. They are such fun cars to drive. My dad now drives an '85 MR2 for his daily.

The MR2 handles like it rides on rails through corners, but I have to say if you push them too hard and second guess your cornering don't hit the brakes or when exiting a corner don't accelerate too heavily, you may find yourself facing the way you just came from or worse :D.

My deuces always appeared stock but I primed the motor on them then made them perform, brakes upgraded, engine tuned, and suspension improved. Each of my turbo 2's had no less than 280rwhp yet were daily drivers. My non turbo though, well I never got around to doing much to it other than suspension.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 1:36AM]

This thingymajig set of wheels “virtually controls the police”? How fast can the guy ship it to California?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 5:20AM]

the police button actually just enables the driver to quickly remove some applications from the ui display, such as video playback, turbo indicators when being pulled over in order to avoid trouble with the authorities.

[ran Posted Sep 15th 2008 6:45AM]

The issue is the guy used standard TN panels with crappy panels which would make off angle viewing difficult; had he used say and S-IPS or MVA panel, it would have been safer and less distracting.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 9:06AM]

I think this carputer looks tacky as is the car.
THe GUI seems to be designed by a star trek fanboy. Well done and all that but not for me.. as is the playlist.. britney?...

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 9:18AM]

Ah! I miss my black 93' MR2. It was the first car I ever bought and I'll never forget it. You don't know what you're missing until you drive one. I wish there were more here in Illinois. Mine wasn't even turbo powered and I still loved it.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 12:32PM]

Am I the only one to find it quite sad that not even the Mercedes S-Class has a system that sophisticated? Or let's take a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce.
You won't see this in any car if not custom made.
And even more sad, it would be unaffordable if it was available. Remember even an ordinary navigation system is easily a few thousand bucks.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 15th 2008 1:10PM]

Not to say somebody hasn't done this before, but why is the MR2 the first car to get a full-blown carputer? How about a Porsche 911 or something?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 17th 2008 1:21AM]

I cant wait for this system to get into my car, I want it to talk to me and say, "Hello Michael!" I'm going to call it KIT, Knight Riders back!