AUCKLAND, Today: It was the shining star of the Tokyo Motor Show – but (sadly) Saatchi NZ and Wright PR won’t be running an ad campaign for the Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept in NZ at this stage. Just yet.
Toyota NZ marketing manager Morgan Dilks told M+AD: “Being just a concept vehicle there has been no commitment to vehicle production.
“If a concept vehicle does transition to production we would then assess its viability for the New Zealand market.”
Lexus’ newest design study astonished the international media in Japan with its radical looks and avant-garde technologies – Toyota calls it The Yet Philosophy.
Yet describes how seemingly contradictory characteristics can combine to form a symbiotically balanced outcome. And the LF- 30 Electrified Concept is filled with examples of this, such as comfortable yet sporty, handcrafted yet high tech, smooth yet powerful, and flowing yet stable.
“The LF-30 offers a dramatised glimpse of the electrified future for Lexus,” said the company in a global statement.
“It is, in fact, a dream car; therefore, the design team used these key words – Brave, Artistic, Futuristic – to define every one of its facets, from the exterior and interior to the materials and finish.
“Saatchi & Wright PR are the Lexus agencies in NZ.”
“The front of the vehicle expresses speed, while the rear suggests a comfortable lounge. The middle of the LF-30 is lifted, but the roofline remains sleek and the tyres planted firmly to the ground.
“While the LF-30 lacks a grille, the brand’s signature spindle theme is represented in the vehicle’s overall architecture. A keen eye will spot the subtle shape of a spindle in the headlight wings and front fenders flares at the front of the vehicle.
“Also, when the vehicle is in autonomous mode, a soft light highlights the spindle shape integrated into the front fascia.
“The power of the LF-30’s stance doesn’t come from a long hood, like in a traditional conventional gasoline-powered car. Being an EV, this vehicle doesn’t require a long hood, so we chose to express the LF-30’s power from the wheels, because it gets its power from the four in-wheel motors.”
Much attention was paid to the details, which includes the integrated wheel/tyre system – the first of its kind – the turbine fins that cool the battery, and the motors that are visible through the wheel spokes.
It features a large ‘glider’ door, which gets its name from the forward-mounted pivots that allows the door to open and close like the wings of a glider.
“We wanted to bring the augmented navigation experience to the rear passengers.”
The cabin’s thematic direction accentuates comfort for rear-seat passengers in a style Toyota calls Active Zen.
The highest calibre of first-class airline seats inspired the LF-30’s front passenger space.
Rear seats use artificial muscle technology to mould to their occupant’s physique, and feature modes such as reclining, relaxation, and alert functions.
Those occupying the rear cabin are treated to a gesture-controlled display window that uses AR to display information such as a realistic star-filled sky or favourite videos and even navigation.
“We wanted to bring the augmented navigation experience to the rear passengers,” the company said.
The interior boasts sustainable materials to illustrate LF-30 Electrified’s eco-friendly presence. Yakisugi (charred cedar), a traditional Japanese material, covers the floor and steering controller while recycled metal was processed into fibres to create the pleated door trim.
The cabin blends Japanese tradition with European design. The subtle co-ordination of these two styles resulted in what Toyota calls ‘bespoke luxury’.
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