When it came to developing a new, networkable version of the Crown, Toyota's domestic luxury car, the biggest problem was figuring out how to get younger drivers interested in a prestigious 63-year-old automobile popular mainly with 60-somethings.
"I had to develop it amid mounting pressure," recalls Akira Akiyama, 55, the chief engineer of the 15th model.
With most Crown drivers in their 60s, Toyota Motor Corp. is concerned the sedan will go extinct if it doesn't stoke interest among younger generations of drivers.