I had the chance to take a Segway out for a jaunt in the park the other day, and I have to admit that it was pretty fun. After the two-wheeler picks up a little pace, you can really move down that sidewalk. Too bad they are very much illegal where I live, both on the street and on the sidewalks. They’re better suited for private property, like for operation on a golf course or something.

Up until now, what we once knew as Project Ginger (remember that?) and later came to know as the Segway had that part of the market cornered. Now Toyota wants a piece of the walking-replacement. What you see here and in the video below is the Toyota Winglet. It’s designed to a people-mover, naturally, and it comes in three different sizes. The largest is probably most in line with what Segway is already doing, but check out the smallest one. It has no handlebars! Instead, there’s the bar that you squeeze between your knees.

Seeing how a Segway is generally priced in the $5,000 to $6,000 range, it will be interesting to see where Toyota will be placing the Winglet. I also wonder if they’ll be willing to ship me a review unit…