Toyota’s next-generation 2020 Highlander crossover
is scheduled to make its official public debut at the New York International
Auto Show next Wednesday, April 17th at 9:10 a.m EDT. Ahead of its unveiling, the
Japanese automaker has sought the services of augmented reality artist Michael
Murphy in order to create a 3D illusion that sees the Highlander suspended on
nearly-invisible strings like something out of the ending of Interstellar.
This very same 3D rendering will also be projected
into the night sky on buildings around New York City leading up to the show,
allowing people the chance to admire some of the 2020 Highlander’s new design
lines, including what Toyota describes as a “powerful stance with a modern,
sophisticated attitude.”
As for how long it took Murphy to create the 3D
illusion, apparently that was a two-month long process. He began by creating 3D
printouts using a rendering of the car, before hand-painting each piece. In the
end, 200 individual pieces was strategically placed to make the 2020 Highlander
appear three-dimensional as if floating through the air.
We brought you images of a prototype back in
February that didn’t have those annoying cardboard panels applied to the
bodywork, like older test cars. Thanks to the more conventional camouflage, we
could tell that the 2020 Highlander looked slightly bigger than the current
model, while featuring a RAV4-inspired design with a large grille and sleek
headlights that seem to push back into front fenders.
Still, we expect the Highlander to feature an
overall elegant design compared to the youthful RAV4, using a more angled
D-pillar. While no specifics have been released to the public, we believe
Toyota has focused on helping the Highlander lose a bit of weight, while also
giving it more efficient powertrains – meaning some type of an electrified
variant is definitely in the cards.
