Toyota Offers Close-Up of Fashions, i-REAL Personal Mobility Vehicle at Oct. 3 Media Event

Chicago, ILL., Sept. 30, 3008 - Toyota will be giving local media an opportunity to see up-close some of the hottest fashions from Fashion Focus Chicago 2008, plus participate in ride-and-drive demonstrations of the futuristic TOYOTA i-REAL, on Friday, October 3. The hour-long event runs from 10 a.m. till 11 a.m. at the Fashion Focus Chicago 2008 tent, in Chicago's Millennium Park, near the intersection of Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.

Toyota is involved in Fashion Focus' World Fashion Chicago, presented by Sister Cities International, through a collaborative program with the City of Chicago and local fashion designers. Chicago-residing designers Agga B. Raya, Anna Fong, Melissa Serpico and Lidia Wachowska will be on hand at this media-exclusive event to exhibit some of their Toyota-inspired fashions. These landmark fashions are based on the design ideology of the TOYOTA i-REAL concept vehicle.

Toyota executives will also be on hand to discuss the TOYOTA i-REAL, a completely-electric device created closely to human scale. The one-person vehicle has three wheels - two at the front and one in the back. When operating in low-speed mode, its shortened wheelbase allows it to maneuver at eye-level naturally among pedestrians. In high-speed mode, the wheelbase lengthens to provide a lower center of gravity and better driving performance.

  Event information is as follows:

  Friday, October 3
  10:00 a.m. till 11 a.m.
  Entrance of Fashion Focus Chicago 2008 main tent
  Millennium Park
  Corner of Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue
  (Media Parking is available on Upper Randolph Street)

  Contact:  Curt McAllister
  Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
  Cell: (313) 318-3906
  Email: curt_mcallister@toyota.com