The initial unfamiliarity compared to a conventional steering wheel is apparent when you first see it. When I started driving and moved my arms as if operating a steering wheel, the angle became too large, and the car's movement exceeded my intentions. The nose tucked in sharply.

Within about 100 meters of starting, I quickly adapted to the operation. It's possible the prototype intentionally uses a mild gear ratio. For the driver, the difference from a conventional steering wheel is minimal. However, once you get used to this, turning a traditional steering wheel might feel cumbersome.

The RZ450e prototype drives nimbly. With motors producing 150 kW for the front wheels and 80 kW for the rear (compared to, for example, the 80 kW front and rear motors in the Toyota bZ4X 4WD), its acceleration is impressive.

The steering wheel for the steer-by-wire system (which developers referred to as a "handle" rather than a "steering wheel") was set slightly heavier. As mentioned earlier, the steering response is somewhat mild, so it's easy to inadvertently understeer on tighter corners, causing the car to drift outwards.

When I realized I was clearly late on the steering input and panicked, I corrected my steering, and the car smoothly navigated the corner without drifting outwards. The DIRECT4 system likely plays a significant role here. Once accustomed to the steering weight, such issues disappear, and you can fully enjoy the drive.

The test course also included intentionally created uneven road surfaces. Driving over them, I noticed that harsh impacts from the road were not transmitted to the steering wheel. I recalled the words of Takefumi Yamaguchi, the lead developer of the steer-by-wire system: "The ability to filter out unnecessary information is one of the system's advantages." Indeed.

Master driver Akio Toyoda reportedly commented after his initial test drive of a model equipped with this system, "There's little information transmitted (from the road to the steering wheel). It should be a system that allows the driver to communicate more with the car." Following this, the development team was motivated to refine the system. This, too, makes sense.

While filtering out information like road imperfections, it effectively conveys details such as how the tires are gripping the road. To achieve this, professional drivers were involved in the development process to create a system that aligns with human perception.

"It's comfortable, and on winding roads, it's enjoyable. The ability to enjoy it in various situations is precisely its merit," says Mr. Watanabe.

The system is still "under intensive development," and the release date has not yet been announced. We look forward to its arrival.