Toyota Unveils New Museum With Immersive Experiences

As the world's biggest carmaker, Toyota's reach stretches across the globe - not just in terms of sales, but in production too. The company has factories all across the world, including several situated here in the United States. The Japanese automaker produces several cars stateside, including the popular Corolla at its Mississippi-based plant.

And, if you've ever wondered how Toyota produces the world's best-selling car, the company is now offering a new interactive experience at its Blue Springs facility. Toyota describes the 15,000-square-foot workforce training and experience center as an immersive museum that allows guests to learn about Toyota manufacturing through "innovative content, multimedia, and engaging simulations."

Visitors can look forward to an educating and engaging experience, with unique simulators and "collaborative robots." Aside from that, a timeline displaying the carmaker's 125-year legacy allows guests to soak in Toyota's rich and varied history.

Through this newly launched center, Toyota is paying tribute to its employees - videos documenting the careers and backgrounds of various employees give visitors an inside scoop of what it's like to work for the company. However, the piece de resistance has got to be the projection light show which features the locally built Corolla.

"Our goal is to showcase Toyota's culture, what goes into producing America's best-selling vehicles, and the many high-growth career opportunities in advanced manufacturing," said the president of Toyota Mississippi, David Fernandes. The advent of this museum coincides with a $75,000 donation to Girl Scouts Heart of the South organization.

Hopefully, as the project grows in the coming years, Toyota will add a few classic cars and create a heritage fleet of sorts. Mazda has done something similar in Japan, with its Hiroshima-based museum. Nestled next to the production facility, the exhibition boasts an assortment of classics and offers guests the chance to go on a factory tour.

Toyota also has a setup like this in Japan but, unlike other automakers, it takes a very different approach. Yes, there are legendary vehicles on display, but the company also has several competitor vehicles on show. The Toyota Automotive Museum doesn't just celebrate its own vehicles but rather honors all cars that it believes have made a significant contribution to motoring as a whole.

As such, you'll find a Honda NSX, several Nissan Skylines, and even a Mercedes-Benz 190E at the museum. It would be great if the new immersive display could serve as the basis of something like this.