Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) recently honored Peruri Lakshmi Sahasra, a young artist from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, for being named one of the Best Finalists in the 17th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest (TDCAC) Global Competition. Her artwork, titled Toyota's Memory Car, earned her a spot among the top 26 finalists globally, selected from 712,845 entries across 90 countries. As a finalist in the 12-15 age category, she was awarded a prize of USD 3,000.
The Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, initiated by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2004, is a global competition encouraging children to design their "dream cars" and imagine the future of mobility. Since its inception, over 9.4 million children from 144 countries have participated. The competition, open to children under 15, is divided into three age categories: under 7, 8–11, and 12–15 years. This year, 26 global winners were selected, including finalists like Sahasra, whose entry stood out for its creativity and vision.
Sahasra’s design, Toyota's Memory Car, was praised for its artistic quality and originality. The concept envisions a car that navigates through different moments in life, preserving memories while utilizing an eco-friendly engine.
Commenting on the recognition, Sabari Manohar, Vice President of Sales, Service, and Used Car Business at TKM, said, "It is inspiring to see young minds like Ms. Sahasra envision vehicles that reflect Toyota’s vision for a sustainable future. The Dream Car Art Contest allows children globally to explore their creativity and think about the future of transportation."
Sahasra, a student at Sri Prakash Vidyanikethan in Visakhapatnam, expressed her excitement about the honor, saying, "Participating in this contest has allowed me to explore how future cars could impact the world. I am grateful to Toyota for providing such a platform."
Her design was selected from national contests held globally between December 2023 and March 2024, with the final global winners judged in March 2024.