About a year and half ago we brought word of Yanmar’s concept tractor the Y-Concept YTO1 Advanced Tractor. Boasting the sleekest design to grace any tractor and other high-tech features, the Osaka company aimed for a whole new way to look at farming. However, like many concept vehicles, no one was holding their breath for it to actually materialize on the market.

However, this spring Yanmar came through on their promise of futuristic farm-wear for sale in limited quantities to the public, but still no tractor. Then, out of the blue on 19 November it came. The first models of the YT Series tractor were announced for sale in May of 2015.

This first editions of the YT series are somewhat trimmed down from the concept model. Many of the sleeker components of the frame and wheels seem to have been cut. It still has that transformer look designed by Ken Okuyama though, especially when viewing directly from the front.

Most of the attention appears to have be placed on the performance of the YT series instead. The tractor is equipped with a variety of vibration and noise reducers to make this one smooth ride both in looks and feel. The inside of the cabin also has a sleek look vaguely reminiscent of a Mobile Suit cockpit.

The Y-concept also hinted at a feature to allow one person to drive two tractors at the same time which didn’t seem to make it into this version of the YT Series. That’s unfortunate but this model does come equipped with GPS and other sensors to allow the tractors performance and location to be monitored remotely.

There will be several YT tractors available next year, presumably with varying horsepowers and ranging in price from 8.13 million to 12.44 million yen (US$69,000-$106,000). That might seem like a lot, but if you’re one of the few who plopped down the 247,600 yen ($2,100) for Yanmar’s farmwear of the future last spring, this shouldn’t be a huge stretch.

While it’s not quite what was shown back in 2013, the YT series of tractors are coming after all, and who knows? In just a few years we may finally get us sentient tractors that can change into battle robots rather than ones that just look like them. Japan’s farmers are going to need them when the TPP eventually hits the fan.

Source: Yanmar (Japanese/English) via Japaaan (Japanese)
Megatron Toy Image: Amazon (edited by RocketNews24)