Jan29, 2001 - Toyota will unveil its RSC "Rugged Sport Coupe" concept vehicle at a press conference at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show. The Toyota RSC concept was initiated and developed by CALTY, Toyota's North American design center in Newport Beach, Calif.

According to CALTY vice president of design, Kevin Hunter, the RSC concept was developed to explore new possibilities for a next-generation sporty car.

"Traditionally, sports cars are influenced by high performance on-track motor sports. For the RSC concept, we looked at one of the world's most popular off-track racing formats for inspiration. Toyota's long history in the World Rally Championships, along with the aggressive, rugged appeal of its race cars with a young audience, made for an ideal conceptual direction"