Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
Driving: Achieving excellence in automobile design is just the starting point for Lexus.
From superyachts to intergalactic spacecraft in Men in Black, Lexus is thinking beyond the automobile to express its innovative design and master craftsmanship.
AH YES, reliability, the one thing we all crave in life. We all yearn for things we can rely on: A daily commute without undue delay, timeous client approval before deadline, and a consistent wave at our favourite surf spot. Okay, perhaps I’m beginning to project a little bit now…
However, the fact of the matter is that dependability is what we especially strive for in our cars, and it’s something you could never accuse Lexus of neglecting. With more fivestar ratings for reliability and customer satisfaction across its entire range than any other brand, extensive testing and consumer feedback always puts Lexus ahead of the rest in a ticks-all-the-right-boxes kind of way. But the premium brand recognises that remaining trouble-free is only half of the battle won, and with that quadrant of its business taken care of, it can afford to shift
focus and make a statement on the design front as well. Being bankrolled by the world’s most profitable car company doesn’t hurt in this regard either.
When we say design, we are not just talking about hexagonal grilles and sheet metal so finely pressed that it could be sculpted by a Samurai master – nope, that’s already a given with Lexus. We’re talking about the fact that every year since 2013, the brand has run a competition called the
Lexus Design Awards, which strives to nurture and support up-and-coming designers and inventors who use design to build a better future.
Now in its eighth year, the judges and mentors don’t only rock fashionable turtleneck sweaters – but the esteemed panel reads like a who’s who of luminaries from the world of modern art, architecture, technology and economics.
The Lexus Design Award Grand Prix winner each year has the honour of being announced at the Milan Design Week. The eclectic mix of creations from previous competition winners includes chairs, handblown crystal spheres, free-form porcelain created only with origami, and even something known as the Extrapolation Factory, a test location that collaboratively prototypes future societal scenarios.
Yup, real highbrow stuff.
One thing that caught our eye and pushes the boundaries of Lexus design into literally (well almost) another stratosphere comes from the most unlikely place of Hollywood sci-fi. It’s the Lexus QZ 618 Galactic Enforcer jet and it features in the latest instalment of the Men in Black movie franchise. The design appears to have come from looking at a Lexus through a holographic mirror, and that’s no accident because at the touch of a button the spacecraft morphs into a
Lexus RC F sports coupé.
Lexus says it is powered by hybrid transformer technology and is only available in the darkest black in the universe: Umbra Black – Surrey NanoSystems, and BMW, might argue that one with its Vantablack though. Better still, the QZ 618 features Amazon Alexa – programmed to understand all seven trillion alien languages, it averages
122 MPG (millennia per gallon) and it uses only the best intergalactically sourced, ethically spawned Adorian leather in the cabin. This is all to be taken with a pinch of salt, of course.
For something a little closer to Earth, and continuing Lexus’ quest to deliver innovative and amazing designs, the firm has premiered its first luxury yacht, the Lexus LY 650. Inspired by the 2017 Lexus Sport Yacht Concept, the LY 650 combines cutting-edge styling with superb cruising performance and a comfortable interior living space that exemplifies high quality in every detail. By fusing advanced technology and craftsmanship with
exquisite attention to detail, the shape of the hull, volume of the stern, and its distinctly curved lines give the LY 650 a unique exterior. The end product is the result of a collaboration between Italian yacht-design studio Nuvolari Lenard and Marquis Yachts LLC in Wisconsin, US, who jointly developed and built it. More than just 20 metres of superyacht porn, the LY 650 was also made applying Toyota Production System techniques in its production processes to improve efficiencies and quality. The President of Toyota Motor Corporation
Akio Toyoda says, ‘The LY 650 symbolises Lexus’ aspirations to be a true luxury lifestyle brand, to venture beyond the automobile and pursue new possibilities for a mobility company, even on the sea.’
Meanwhile, back on terra firma, Lexus’ latest fourwheeled product to be infused with this inspirational design is a gorgeous new convertible version of its flagship LC coupé. It was recently confirmed for production at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the prototype making a dynamic first appearance up the famous hill-climb course. The dramatic
LC 500 hardtop made its debut at the festival back in 2016 and quickly established itself as one of the most sought-after sports cars on the market, thanks to a rare combination of striking design, fine craftsmanship and naturally aspirated V8 performance. It proved that low-slung exotica was no longer the exclusive birthright of dream-machine makers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Its evolution into an openair convertible was alluded to earlier in the year at the North American International Auto Show with the LC Convertible Concept. The design goal was plain and simple: to express ‘ultimate beauty’ on four wheels – something no one will begrudge the LC Convertible for achieving with its long, low, and athletic proportions.
What’s the old show-business saying, ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it’? Well, thanks to the fresh influences from the annual Lexus Design Awards – from chairs and porcelain, to superyachts and intergalactic spacecraft – the brand is not afraid to cultivate a striking and multivalent design ethos for itself. Lexus has wholeheartedly adopted the philosophy that, to thrive in the future it’s going to require a diverse product portfolio that doesn’t simply focus on cars. Mission accomplished.