Soft Q car

Meet the Takara / CQ Motors QUNO “Soft Q Car” — an incredibly rare early Japanese electric microcar with a fascinating past.

Launched in Japan in the early 2000s, the QUNO was essentially a real-life Choro-Q, produced by CQ Motors with Japanese toy giant Takara behind the project.

But this particular example is far from a standard QUNO.

🔬 Actual university research vehicle

⚡ Fully electric single-seater

🧠 Converted for the Soft Q Car Project

🚦 Experimental intelligent speed-control technology

🎓 Associated with Shanghai Lixin University of Commerce

🇯🇵 Part of Japanese research into what we now know as Intelligent Speed Assistance/Adaptation

🛠️ Still wearing its original research equipment, electronics and project markings

The “Soft Car” concept explored vehicles that could electronically restrict their own maximum speed depending on their surroundings, with the aim of making cars safer around pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

Research Soft Q Cars were demonstrated in Japan and the wider project even featured at the 2005 Aichi Expo.

This survivor still carries the Soft Q Car Project Team graphics, Shanghai Lixin University markings and the bizarre experimental hardware that makes it such a fascinating little piece of early EV history.

We import plenty of unusual machinery from Japan, but this one might take the biscuit.

A genuine piece of Japanese automotive research history — and it’s coming to Ireland. 🇮🇪