I think I've discovered a new car category

Now, what to call it...

Aug 16, 2026

Maybe you’ve heard of sedans, or SUVs, or pickup trucks, or coupés. But you probably haven’t heard of…whatever these are.

I’ve identified three cars, all rare and none sold in the United States, that I need you to know about right now. Here is what they have in common:

These cars are all special editions of more common, more boring cars.
These cars have body panels that would be fixed in place on most cars, but are movable and flexible and repositionable instead.
- These body panels open the cargo area to the elements, or they open the cabin to the elements, or both. So these cars are sort-of pickup trucks and sort-of convertibles.
The design of these cars is inextricably related to the car designers’ fantasies of the kinds of people who would use these cars. These cars are “lifestyle vehicles.” They are made for people with surfboards and tents and kayaks and penny-farthings and whatnot.
- These cars valiantly attempt to be practical cargo-haulers — with mixed results.
- These cars are colorful and cute and one of them may or may not have an animal mascot.
- These cars are small, which amplifies their cuteness and makes their attempted practicality all the more intriguing to potential buyers — especially in these cars’ markets of Europe and Japan, where the roads are cramped and big cars are a nuisance.
Overall, and most importantly, these cars are deeply weird.

And that’s why I’m gonna show them to you now!

Toyota bB Open Deck

2001–2003
Based on the Toyota bB / Scion xB

You might have seen the Scion xB before. It’s a boxy subcompact hatchback that was sold in the U.S. and was beloved for its spacious interior.

You probably haven’t seen its pickup truck sibling. The Toyota bB Open Deck has a teeny-tiny pickup bed and funky roof rails with a 90-degree angle.

The driver’s side (which is the right side, because this car was sold in Japan) has only one door. But the passenger side has an extra half-door that opens backwards for access to the rear seats. (This design is actually pretty common among real “extended cab” pickup trucks.) You can see the half-door below.

Also below is the available yellow interior:

You might be wondering if a pickup bed this tiny is all that useful. But the bB Open Deck has a trick up its sleeve. The rear windshield lifts up, and the panel below it folds down, which makes a massive opening between the cabin and the pickup bed. Then you can fold the back seats and even the front seats down, so your cargo can extend the entire length of the car. Nifty.

(This wide opening between the cabin and the bed is similar to what you get in trucks equipped with a “midgate,” like the Chevy Avalanche.)

The brochure below shows the open half-door, the flexible seating and cargo configurations, and the unique badge on the front of the car. It says “OD,” which is unfortunately the abbreviation for “overdose,” but in this case stands for “Open Deck.”

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Speedblur, MotorBiscuit, Driftworks, The Autopian

Renault Kangoo Be Bop

2009–2011
Based on the Renault Kangoo

The Renault Kangoo was a decently normal van, available in passenger van or cargo van configurations. Then Renault decided to make tiny “short-wheelbase” versions that chop out the middle of the car. And the short-wheelbase passenger version is the Kangoo Be Bop.

The Kangoo Be Bop was available in boring colors or this fun orange paint. Regardless of what you chose, it had a funky two-tone design where the hood and some of the other panels were pale gray, as shown below.

Also shown below is the roof, which has four glass panels (yes, four) to let light into the cabin. The front two crack open for ventilation, as you can see in the photo above.

The rearmost glass panel is actually a retractable roof, similar to the GMC Envoy XUV. The retractable roof slides forward (over a different glass panel that is fixed in place), and the rear windshield retracts down into the tailgate:

This design makes the car a sort-of convertible and gets the wind in your hair. It also lets you transport bizarrely tall items in the cargo area. (This thing could probably carry a Christmas tree! Maybe.)

Renault also points out that retracting the rear windshield lets you load the cargo area even if the car is parallel-parked and you don’t have enough space to open the tailgate.

The Kangoo Be Bop has a colorful interior that seats four. The rear seats are higher than the front seats, giving everyone a great view of the outdoors. And because the rear seats have space between them, Renault says that rear passengers can enter through the tailgate and walk through this space if they so choose.

Photos: NetCarShow.com

Škoda Felicia Fun

1995–2000
Based on the Škoda Felicia Pickup, itself based on the Škoda Felicia

My favorite car website, The Autopian, introduced me to this car just this week. And I’m obsessed.

This car is a “ute,” a low-to-the-ground pickup truck based on a little passenger car and not built for towing or off-roading.

Most utes arent’t this weird. The Felicia Fun only comes in yellow. It has a rear spoiler that I suspect does nothing for aerodynamics. The bed is lined with spruce wood for whatever reason:

The Felicia Fun seats two, except when it seats four. Because the back of the cabin can slide out into the bed, allowing two open-air seats to unfold into place:

Here’s another view. Please note the frog with a crown (this car’s mascot) printed on the side of the car, and scattered all across the upholstery:

The logo on the back of the car also features our crowned-frog friend:

The interior of this car is just about as yellow as the exterior, and the front seats are just about as crowned-frog as the rear seats:

Now, I know what you’re thinking. This car is too boring. A yellow pickup truck with open-air jump seats and a crowned-frog mascot. How tame. How pedestrian. And if you’re thinking that, Škoda had you covered. Because in some markets, you could buy a Felicia Fun with a two-tone yellow-and-green or yellow-and-orange color scheme.

The yellow-and-green combo is hideous. I love it.

Photos: NetCarShow.com, Skoda Felicia Fun Information Site, Evzenie’s Corner via YouTube

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