Ground Control to Major Lexus: RC F’s V8 Engine Serenades Outer Space
To promote the RC F, featured in new sci-fi flick Men in Black: International, Lexus headed to the final frontier.
Lexus has partnered with Australia’s Swinburne Center for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS) to reach for the stars. They recently sent a message to any aliens that might receive the transmission. Lexus and CAS created a message from the exhaust sound of the RC F’s naturally aspirated V8 engine. The message said: “New Lexus RC F. Earth. We’ve been expecting you.”
We’re expecting little green men to reply at at moment to say “Damn, that’s is one sick exhaust note.”
To send this intergalactic text, CAS encoded the RC F engine’s sound into an audio waveform which was transmitted into space using using a large radio telescope, the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (UTMOST) located in Canberra, Australia. Lexus calls the mission the “Intergalactic Test Drive.”
“We’re experts at listening to and decoding the naturally occurring radio transmissions from neutron stars but Lexus wanted us to invert that process,” Professor Matthew Bailes of CAS told Swimburne University of Technology online. “We had to find a solution that was both technically feasible, adhered to radio transmission regulations, and didn’t blow up our telescope. In a few thousand years we’ll find out if anyone has heard it.”
“The Lexus brand is proud of anticipating the needs of its customers before they’ve communicated them, and we are excited to take that philosophy beyond Earth to new worlds in an innovative partnership while showcasing one of our most evocative powerplants,” said Scott Thompson, Chief Executive of Lexus Australia.
This is an innovative marketing move by Lexus. But why did they chose to go outer limits? Mainly to promote the film Men in Black: International, hitting theaters next month. The Hollywood flick, whose story involves aliens and high-tech weaponry, heavily features a modified Lexus RC F. It’s a smart choice on Lexus’ part to diversify its advertising efforts, and paid off in a big way with the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther.
The aliens will no doubt be impressed. The sports coupe has a 5.0 liter V8 engine that produces 472 horsepower and 395 lb.-feet of torque, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds.
In space, no one can hear you scream “woo-hoo!”
Photos: Swinburne University Australia/Lexus
