Modellista Makes The Toyota bZ4X Cool With Cyberpunk Makeover

The Toyota bZ4X isn’t really a bad car. But its biggest problem is that there isn’t really any reason to get it compared to its competitors. The Hyundai and Kia E-GMP cars including Ioniq 5 and EV6 offer far better charging and more driving performance. The Volkswagen ID.4 drives better, the Nissan Ariya has a nicer interior and the Chevy Equinox EV is a better value. But Toyota’s in-house aftermarket brand Modellista turned its attention to the bZ4X for the Tokyo Auto Salon, and it looks cool enough that we could see it pull in at least a handful of additional customers.

2024 Toyota bZ4X

Engine: Electric
Horsepower: 201 hp
Torque: 196 lb-ft
Drivetrain: FWD

Channelling Cyberpunk Vibes

As-is, the bZ4X does have some futuristic cues with its chunky, hunkered-down look and bevelled corners. Modellista leans into this with its various body changes on its Concept Zero, starting with body-color fenders. Its new bumpers and side skirts blend into the fenders adding more heft and giving the car a lower overall look. Inside the faux lower intakes of the bumpers are thin illuminated lines that look like circuitry, and enhance the futuristic look. Even the Modellista badges glow. The extended rear wing also adds an element of sportiness. But the star of the car is the set of aerodynamic-looking wheels. Modellista claims that aerodynamics are a big part of this car, and the wheels show this off the most. They’re nearly solid, and have three pseudo spokes. It’s like a modern interpretation of the best 1980s futurism.

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The Concept Zero’s interior is a little more basic. Most of the panels and parts are stock, but Modellista has added more glowing circuit patterns and ambient lighting around the dash, doors and in the speakers. Those changes are still effective, and definitely pull together the futuristic theme of the car.

Modellista Concept Zero Toyota bZ4X interior — Modellista

Modellista also stated that it wants to hear from potential customers what they like about this Concept Zero, since they want to develop some production parts for it. If anyone there is reading, we dig pretty much all of it, but especially the wheels. So feel free to start tooling up for them.

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The Modellista “Embryo” Is Crazy

While the Concept Zero may have more glowing bits than we’ve become accustomed to, it’s generally what we’d expect from the company. Modellista makes body kits and other modifications for Toyotas, and it’s pretty clear that’s what the company did. Now it’s apparently partly inspired by another concept of theirs called the Embryo, and, well, just look at it.

Depending on the angle, it could look either like a modern coffee table or an alien toboggan. It has no wheels, and really no discernible way for it to move unless it happens to be sliding down a snowy hill. Modellista says the theme of it is “Geometrical Organic.” With the release translated, Modellista also talks about how “an embryo is the very early stage in the development process of a multicellular organism,” and how this is “the starting model for future Modellistas.” We think it falls more into the territory of sculpture, and we should probably leave the critiques to art critics. But if the Concept Zero is the result of creating the Embryo, we’re fine with Modellista creating somewhat indecipherable art pieces now and then.