Toyota’s new FT-AC Concept crossover is an interesting rig. It’s an off-road-ready vehicle with all-terrain tires, skid plates, LED off-road lights, recovery hooks, and massive fender flares. Toyota says its rugged aesthetics are inspired by the Land Cruiser and 4Runner – Toyota’s leading off-road SUVs. But the FT-AC Concept is more than a brawny crossover with exaggerated features. It’s a mobile camera platform ready to capture, edit, upload, and share your next outdoor adventure with all your friends.

The FT-AC boasts two infrared cameras mounted to the side mirrors. They not only capture the trail ahead but can be removed for hand-held use. And if the infrared image isn’t bright enough for your selfie, the LED off-road lights will act as a flash. The raw video and photo content is uploaded to a cloud-based storage system via the FT-AC’s Wi-Fi hotspot where users can edit and share the content through their smartphone. Yes, this is the future of connected vehicles, according to Toyota. Or at least it’s a superfluous theory.

For better or worse, the FT-AC is only a concept, and it seems Toyota has no formal plans for production. While the cameras might be outlandish, there are some really innovative features, the best of which is the built-in bike rack integrated into the rear bumper. Simply pull the center section rearward, and the bike rack expands to fit a full-size road or mountain bike – all without having some shaky aftermarket rack scuffing up the paint or rattling on the receiver hitch.

What do you think about the FT-AC? Would you want your next crossover to have cameras for uploading video content? Let us know in the comments below.

References

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