Japan Just Unveiled a Supercar Made out of Wood

Would you drive a wooden car?

Wooden Car

Japan just unveiled its vision for the car of the future — and it's made from wood.

Specifically, the car's entire body and much of its structural tub are made of cellulose nanofiber, a super-strong, super-light material derived from plants.

Twenty-two groups contributed to creating the vehicle, which Japan's Ministry of the Environment unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show this week — but based on what we know so far, the wooden car is far from road ready.

 

Style Over Substance

The wooden car certainly looks futuristic, with its butterfly doors and sharp angles. But it's hard to say just how close the vehicle comes to the team's stated goal of a 10 percent weight reduction, and details about what's under the hood are hard to come by.

Carscoops did report that the vehicle is "thought to feature a hydrogen fuel cell and have a top speed capped at a mere 12 mph (20 km/h)." If that's true, it seems this car is an extremely early concept — unless, of course, Japan envisions people driving very, very slowly in the future.

READ MORE: The Car Is Made Of Wood [Jalopnik]

More on wooden cars: New "Metallic Wood" Could Lead to Super-Light Cars