Lexus is well known as a luxury automotive brand. They launched in 1989 with a sedan and, less than a decade later, introduced the luxury crossover category. They also presented the first luxury hybrid. They are committed to bold designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and terrific performance. With Lexus, luxury is firmly ingrained in their DNA.
Document Journal is a biannual journal focused on the most exciting and pre-eminent concepts in arts and letters. For their issue No. 15, they have chosen to imagine life in the stars and literally on the moon. They stretch the realm of this world to include what man (and woman) would need to not only survive on the Moon, but to thrive. The Lunar Design Portfolio is focused on what our lives, and our luxuries, would be if we were to relocate from the Earth we know to the Moon that we would know. Design concept needs include where we would live, what we would wear, and how we would move around.
So it comes as no surprise that Document Journal approached Lexus to participate in envisioning and designing for possible life on another celestial body. When man dreams of life in the stars, it goes beyond the workaday lives. ED2 is the European Advanced Design Studio for Toyota and Lexus and they create concept proposals and groundbreaking designs. They were working on the LF-30 Future Concept vehicle and this was an excellent inspiration point for further progress into out-of-this-world transport vehicles. The “LF” stands for Lexus Electrified. The team is perfectly prepared for planning life on the lunar satellite.
The design team was looking at how advanced tech will affect our lives, particularly how we use vehicles. As Ian Cartabiano, President of ED2, explained, “The lunar project came at the right time, half way through the LF-30 development. It gave the team a chance to dream further out, and then apply some of the design language from the LF-30 interior to their lunar proposals.”
Among the concepts the team has created, the Zero Gravity sketch has been chosen for featuring in the magazine. The single rider incorporates magnetic levitation, also called magnetic suspension. The object is suspended purely by the magnetic fields. Magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational acceleration. Lexus previously created their spindle grille and has incorporated this with the motorcycle-style driving experience. The spindle grille has been elevated through 3D spindle architecture, creating a more fluid and stronger connection between driver and vehicle. The driver would be able to maintain complete control over the vehicle as it traverses the rough lunar surface.
While life on the lunar landscape may seem a distant reality, at least we have teams planning for that eventuality. Lexus certainly leads the way with the Zero Gravity rider. Sign me up for that ride of lunar luxury.
