Lexus is a manufacturer of luxury cars and SUVs, including hybrid vehicles. The company is constantly pursuing innovation through the development of concept cars — some of which eventually make it to market and perhaps your driveway.
Concept cars showcase a new style or technology. Some of these are simply displayed at an early stage to help gauge consumer reaction and inform whether the company should continue pursuing development. Some, such as the LC 500, are incredibly flashy and high-tech, and others, like the LF-FC, LF-SA, and LF-C2, are thrilling for more practical reasons. Here are three future Lexus vehicles that buyers may see on the market in the coming year.
LF-FC
The Lexus LF-FC was first shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and made a later appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show 2015 along with an official press release. The model is definitely on-brand for the manufacturer as far as the exterior goes. The two-door vehicle looks incredibly sleek and powerful, and images of the interior highlight the navigation system and a flashy dashboard. Two features of this car, however, really make it stand out: its fuel cell power system and its automated driving technologies.
This is Lexus’s first attempt at manufacturing a fuel cell vehicle. Fuel cell engines operate using hydrogen to power an electric motor, which generates enough force in the LF-FC to support an all-wheel-drive system. The second notable feature is the LF-FC’s “advanced human-machine interface.” Drivers will be able to control the vehicle’s various system using only hand gestures.
LF-SA
The LF-SA (SA stands for “Small Adventurer”) debuted at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. As you may have guessed just by looking at the body of this vehicle, this is far more experimental for Lexus than the LF-FC. The press release that Lexus published for that event focuses mainly on the design, noting the unique, angular body structure and compact frame. The manufacturer has also discussed some of the vehicle’s interior features, noting the information system and “hologram-style” digital display and wide-angle Head-Up-Display. Lexus is hoping to make this an efficient-yet-practical city car for consumers in the near future.
LF-C2
Lexus revealed a sleek, yellow concept convertible at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show: The LF-C2. This vehicle follows a 2+2 roadster construction, featuring a sleek body that looks very fast and powerful. The press release for this concept car focused mostly on its exterior styling, noting features such as the mesh grille, triangle-shaped LED headlights and the “arrow-shaped” body. A few other technological features are briefly mentioned:
- A center console that stretches the length of the cabin
- A minimal instrument cluster with a central video monitor
- A remote touchpad on the center console
You can subscribe for email updates about these and other vehicles on the manufacturer’s website. This will keep you in the know as these cars move further down the production line. If and when these vehicles are made available to the public, you can schedule a test drive at a local dealership and see for yourself whether Lexus has lived up to all the hype.
Image by smoothgroover22 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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