Triple Treat: a visit to Toyota Mega Web

By Jason K. Ang Philippine Daily Inquirer July 10,2019

The History Garage takes you back to the streets of 1960s Tokyo.

If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo, make sure to set aside an afternoon to visit the Toyota Mega Web. Comprised of three huge activity areas-the History Garage, Ride Studio, and Toyota City Showcase-it has many unique cars and attractions. Visitors to the Odaiba area attraction will enjoy the features that are attuned to all ages.

The older folk will appreciate classic cars from the heyday of the automobile. These are not limited to Toyotas either. These include the 1971 Mazda Cosmo Sport, 1959 Chevrolet Impala, 1964 Ford Mustang Convertible, and 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Toyota fans will have plenty of eye candy to stare at, such as the 1974 Celica, 1983 Corolla Levin (aka AE86), and the 1967 Toyopet Corona. What many consider the ultimate Toyota-and certainly one of the most valuable-is the rare 1969 Toyota 2000GT. The cars are parked around a recreation of a Tokyo street scene circa the 1960s. Sci-fi fans will love posing next to the De Lorean DMC-12, complete with an autographed poster from that model’s most famous driver, Michael J. Fox.

Mazda Carol is the company’s first four-passenger vehicle

Make sure to make your way to the first floor, where historic Toyota race cars are the center of attention. Here, the History Garage has some previous rally racers which still have the battle scars-dirt, mud, scratches-from the races they participated in. These include the 1993 Celica GT-Four, 1985 Toyota MR2, and Corolla WRC racer. There’s an actual working garage called the Restore Pit. Here, mechanics and restoration experts are putting together classic cars. You can also spend quite a few minutes looking at the Grease GPS, a shop that offers a collection of scale model cars mostly in the 1:43 and 1:18 scale.

The Italian-designed Isetta

On the other end of the Palette Town complex where the Mega Web is located is Toyota City Showcase. This is essentially a huge showroom where nearly all current-model Toyotas are on display. If you think Toyota Motor Philippines’ 20-vehicle lineup is plentiful, the Toyota City Showcase has at least 38 current models on the floor, not counting different variants of each model. The ones that will quicken your pulse to see include the Mirai fuel-cell sedan, a car that runs on hydrogen fuel and emits only pure water. Then there’s Toyota’s answer to the Rolls Royce, the Century super sedan. Every bit as exclusive and outrageously equipped as its British-German rival, the Century is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine with hybrid system. Smoothness, quietness and serenity are the calling cards of the Century. It’s a car worthy of the Japanese emperor, and indeed the royal family owns several customized Century limousines. Price tag is an eye-watering 19.6 million yen (PHP 9.3 million)

If you want to have a quick snack before exploring, they have a small café just for that. The Rookie Café features a wall autographed by company chairman Akio Toyoda. Mr. Toyoda is evidently a motorsports fan, as the company’s Gazoo Racing arm has numerous race cars on displays, including the Lexus LFA that ran in the Nurburgring 24 hour race, and of course the Gazoo Racing Supra.

The Toyota MR2 222D

For the younger visitors, a small rail where a tiny car whizzes by every so often shows unique technology, as does the video game system on the first floor where you are racing on a virtual circuit. This is the Ride Studio, where kids can experience real driving on mini electric-powered cars. They can take the wheel of a Camatte mini car, or even an electric go-cart on an outdoor course.

The best thing to note is that most of the attractions at Toyota Mega Web, including the History Garage and City Showcase are free of charge, while others like the go-cart cost a nominal fee. After the sensational cars and rides at Toyota Mega Web, there are other attractions in Odaiba that are within a few minutes’ walk. These include the life-size Gundam statue, scenic Rainbow Bridge, complete with its own version of the Statue of Liberty. After satisfying your motoring appetite, fill your tummy with a hearty meal at the ramen food theme park that offers ramen from the different regions of Japan.

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