The Japanese automaker Toyota has also entered the 2009 L.A. Design Challenge with the LINK, playing up on the increasing college enrollment rate, Toyota has positioned their car of the future an affordable customizable, mass transit vehicle for students with high social networking demands and a continuously evolving list of likes and dislikes. Even if you have never gone to college you might be familiar with scraping by with little to no disposable income snacking on ramen noodles. The goal of the LINK is to allow these students to once again enjoy the freedom of an automobile and the ability to go where they want when they want, something that is becoming more and more difficult in the current environment where personal transportation has become more costly and a bit more taboo.

Perhaps the cleverest part of the Toyota from the year 2030 is its name. That is because once the operator climbs inside, the vehicle will seamlessly link up to a transportation based social network, and because those are all the rage with today's youth they will most certainly be much more prevalent twenty years from now. The new network will allow connections with other drivers to share the commute, trade music or even compare class schedules. Either way this innovative personal transportation solution for 2030 is sure to be something worth linking up for.

More information after the jump.

Official Statement

With the college enrollment rate at an estimated 81%, the youth of 2030 are one of the most intelligent and proactive generations yet. The Toyota LINK is an affordable customizable, mass transit vehicle for students with high social networking demands and continuously evolving preferences. With little-to-no disposable income, these students are now able to once again enjoy their commute in a world where transportation has become more expensive and less appealing.

Students can meet at various HUBs to pick up their LINKs. Once occupied, the LINK seamlessly links onto a transportation social network, allowing connections with other drivers to share the commute, trade music, or compare class schedules. Made with Toyota's newly patented electro fiber technology, "LINK SKINZ" can be downloaded to digitally transform the vehicle's shape into a personalized exterior design. In place of traditional wheels, the LINK drives on SPHERES made of an electro conductive material that converts friction into energy, recharging the batteries and satisfying the driver's high standards of a maximized eco-friendly vehicle.