Japan 2014: Toyota Megaweb, puppies for sale, Toyota History museum

Megaweb is really Toyota's chance to showcase their technology with interactive rides and things that people can interact with. Even if you don't have an interest in cars it's a fun place to go and children love it.

For example I had a go driving a GT86 round Suzuka circuit on Gran Turismo that they have setup there, then I had a go on a hybrid versus petrol endurance in one of those machines that has a gyro and tips you as you corner, brake and accelerate. You are encouraged to have a seat in the cars and there are wait for it even moving dinosaurs in some slightly odd safari type cross with Jurassic Park.

Next to that and in contrast there is an area showing how Toyota can help people with disabilities. In many ways Japan is ahead of the game in this respect and a lot of care and attention is aimed at helping what is a population growing ever older. This is a good thing I think and shows some forward planning too.

There is an area for executive cars and I even went on a 'safety' ride where you are in a cinema theatre and the seats rise up and move with the film so you get that real feeling of motion. We went on some crazy car ride, crashed, ended up on a field and this was all due to a security guy putting on a virtual reality headset in some test laboratory. What a plot eh?

But, perhaps a little more interesting and apologies in advance for focusing on my love of cars, but, I just can't help it really, there was a big section devoted to the GT86. There was even an LFA GT car present and Gazoo Racing had their own section.

Here is the much famed convertible 'design study' which is best read as a concept. There is some uncertainty about whether it will make production, but it seems unlikely at present in the UK.

I'm not sure about this, being a little bit of a purist, I know that as soon as you chop the roof off a car that wasn't designed as a convertible at the outset you tend to lose all the rigidity of the chassis and this is a key aspect to the GT86 as we know it. The jury is still out.

Typically a concept interior. Note it's an auto, no surprise there then!

Toyota 88C, this car was built by Dome as like other Toyota prototypes of the era. Those who have been to Le Mans will be familiar with Dome. This car competed there in 1988. It also competed in the All Japan Sports prototype series as the equivalent world series and North American Camel GT Championship.

Gazoo race GT86.

Note the vents on the wings, not sure how effective these are but an interesting detail nonetheless.

GT86 by Modellista who are well known for their bodykits and styling.

GT86 TRD. Many will be familiar with this, it had some interesting canards on the front wing/bumper area.

Sorry a bit confusing, this is the interior of the Modellista.

Mark checks out the TRD parts and bucket seat.

Interior of the TRD. I got to have a sit in this. Note bucket seat for driver and bucket recliner for the passenger.

Rear window louvres were perhaps a bit questionable in the 1970s...

If music isn't your thing, how about some TRD gauges instead?

Those canards which were soft rubber and quite flexible. Active aero? I'm not sure. Also note the extensions on the wheel arches. My AE86 has these, which were a factory option.

The CS-V3 which has raced a the Nurburgring 24 hours, though maybe not this actual car!

Lexus LFA GT car.

Mark sits in the Gazoo racing IQ! Much cooler and better made interior than the Aygo I think.

Gazoo racing Vitz (Yaris in the UK). This car had a turbo conversion, which has to make it more interesting than the standard car.

Toyota showcasing fuel cell technology. Think Hydrogen and electric power. Apparently one will be on the road for 2015. Could be the future?

A safety simulation also showing how much further you can get on hybrid technology versus just having a petrol engine.

More electric technology, the idea was to cross a bike with a car, meaning cheap costs, city manouverability but with the comforts of a car.

GT86 on safari. Wish I had a picture of the moving dinosaurs surrounding it. It was like Jurassic park. I'm not sure what this was about but the children certainly liked it!

A nice cutaway of the 4UGSE engine, the flat four in Subaru designation the FA20 engine. The engine is a flat four with direct and conventional injection. It is the highest revving direct injection in the world, though I do wonder if at high revs that the engine just uses the plenum injectors instead.

In the Megaweb there is a mall almost entirely devoted to dogs and a little bit to cats. We went into a pet shop, really we happened upon it. It was a little shocking as there were puppies and a few kittens for sale in perspex enclosures. It was not a nice sight if I'm honest.

I think these two were engaged in play, but the eyes on this one!

I noticed that everytime I put my fingers to the front of the perspex, the puppies would come up and either scratch at an effort to get out or try and lick my fingers which they couldn't of course.

I said most were keen to want to get out, well not this little Indy dog puppy. It made me so sad, as she just lay there and stared out looking pretty vacant and fed up. There were two other puppies in the box and they were playing. when they played and came into contact with this little Cavalier pup, she got up and moved over to the other side and just lay down again. Very said.

This is like how puppies used to be sold in the UK, but it is not allowed now and rightly so. I can't imagine the pain of the attachment issues these puppies will suffer by being separated from their litter mates and put in a perspex box.

Then we moved on to the Toyota History Museum and we were greeted by the legendary Hachi-Roku (8-6 in Japanese).

At the time we arrived the museum guys were busily preparing an Initial D sequence in time for the launch of a road show and new film on the 23rd August. Initial D is a big thing in Japan and is known worldwide by enthusiasts. It really has a cult following.