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Just showed Mirai-based research vehicle w/ satellite tech from @KymetaCorp More: https://t.co/EupvcpRubp #NAIAS pic.twitter.com/rg9jsGuQFU

— Toyota USA (@Toyota) January 12, 2016

Last year, Dr. Michio Kaku excitedly hailed the Toyota Mirai as the beginning of an emission-free future at CES 2015.

It's a year later, and the Mirai is making waves at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Last week, Toyota displayed a research vehicle at NAIAS. Based on the Mirai, this concept is embedded with flat-panel satellite antennas.

You heard right: flat satellite antenna.

Take it from your chums here at Capitol Toyota: we know a good thing when we see one. And the 2016 Toyota 4Runner, our midsize SUV, is no doubt a very good thing, indeed.

How has this utility vehicle garnered such unmitigated praise? Autotrader reviewer, Jabari Jones, is here with an explanation:

Motivated by a 4.0-liter V6, the 4Runner is rated at a very respectable 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission offered. And though rear-wheel drive is standard on most models, the available four-wheel system is well worth your consideration ...

If you’ve ever been out walking, jogging or cycling and had a close encounter with a motor vehicle, you know how scary it can be. In fact, approximately 125,000 accidents occur each year between pedestrians and automobiles. Of that number, roughly 2,800 involve so-called “quiet cars,” like hybrid and electric vehicles.

Regulators brought these concerns to the government and, in 2010, Congress passed a law stating that these vehicles must use some sort of noise-generating device to alert individuals of their presence on the road.