Toyota and UNDERCOVER Head Designer Jun Takahashi introduce the Aygo X UNDERCOVER
Toyota and UNDERCOVER, innovators in their respective fields, have reimagined the Aygo X city car as a showcase for the best of both brands and a new icon of the subversive spirit that the fashion brand’s head designer Jun Takahashi is known for.
The Aygo X UNDERCOVER had its premiere today in conjunction with the UNDERCOVER Fall 2023 catwalk show at Paris Fashion Week. Just 5,000 examples of this special model will be released, featuring unique interior and exterior design details.
The design updates are inspired by Takahashi’s creative philosophies of non-conformity and breaking stereotypes. They include a bi-tone grey body colour specially developed by Toyota and coral red accents around the cabin and on the black 18-inch alloy wheels. The UNDERCOVER influence is also witnessed in the branded seats, monogram-patterned floor-mats and Takahashi’s CHAOS/BALANCE catchwords within the design of the roof decal, which depicts the brand’s rebellious spirit and unique ideology.
Takahashi commented: “It was my first experience working on a car and with Toyota being such a prestigious and innovative Japanese brand, it came with deep emotional meaning and significance. Fusing together two contradicting elements, or worlds, is exciting for me. Both the materials and how we supplied the colours differ completely from clothing collaborations. Cityscapes inspire colours that feel typically UNDERCOVER, blending in with everyday life but questioning convention if you look below the surface. I believe we have a design that is still very much UNDERCOVER while working in harmony with the city. I drive my own car every day and recognise the significance colour can have.”
Aygo has been Toyota’s most accessible car since the original model was launched in 2005 and it has attracted many new style-conscious buyers to the brand with its youthful and fun character. The on-the-road price for the Aygo X UNDERCOVER is £20,095 with manual transmissions.
“We knew that UNDERCOVER could further expand the strong character of Aygo X and were excited to explore how Jun’s fashion language could be translated into the car development process,” said Tadao Mori, Toyota Motor Europe’s Head of Styling Design. “Fashion design and car design have a lot in common, but Jun introduced us to completely new ways of looking at colour and ideas for how to make more of everyday details to create something more interesting and unexpected.”
ENDS
About UNDERCOVER Jun Takahashi
UNDERCOVER was founded in 1990 by Jun Takahashi and first became known in the Harajuku underground scene for its unique fusion of art, streetwear, and music subcultures. Later, the brand cultivated synergy with collaborators and found global recognition with high-end fashion in Paris, where it has shown for more than a decade, but has always remained true to the ‘rebel’ spirit and unique ideology at its core.
