Lexus Unveils Super-cool Black Panther-inspired LCs
What type of cars do superheroes drive? Lexus responds with two custom rides inspired by Marvel’s Black Panther.
As we enter Lexus’ pre-SEMA event on October 24 in L.A., DJ Cee Brown is spinnin’ some old school Michael Jackson and setting an upbeat vibe. But before MJ can even utter another “mama se, mama sa, ma ma coo sa,” we’ve already made our way through the crowd and are standing in awe in front of the reason we are here: the Black Panther-inspired Lexus LCs.
Like over-excited geeks headed to Comic-Con, after work we sped over to Culver City’s Playa Studios for the media reveal of the Black Panther-inspired LC custom coupe, which is set before us in the center of the room and stealing everyone’s attention. Also managing to gather quite a few glances is a second, equally stunning custom Lexus LC rockin’ the same gorgeous incandescent blue exterior paint job and but featuring different unique styling touches.
The vibrant glow of the Black Panther-inspired LC creates a forcefield-like aura around a classy beast of a Lexus, whose design cleverly incorporates famous aspects of the Black Panther’s Marvel Universe.
To get the vibe just right, Lexus and Marvel transformed Playa Studios into Wakanda, the leafy home of the Black Panther, complete with trees and shrubs surrounding the custom coupes.
Of course, Black Panther is a stylish hipster hero who is equally comfortable in the big city. So, Lexus and Marvel sent out a signal for L.A. artist Tewsr to stop by for a live-art exhibit, where guests are now watching the talented O.C.-raised graffiti artist complete an incredible mural celebrating the slickest car on the road.
The non-metal star of the night is famed Marvel comic book artist Fabian Nicieza, head writer of the new graphic novel Black Panther: Soul of a Machine, which prominently features a Lexus LC in the storyline, as does the hotly-anticipated Black Panther film, which opens in 2018. Nicieza’s work is showcased on giant, high-tech, interactive graphic novel slides that are displayed adjacent to the cars.
After taking in some of the sights, all attention focuses right back on the pair of custom Lexus LCs set front and center.
After a few rum and Cokes, we begin to think we are seeing the Black Panther-inspired LC sprouting shiny metal claws from it’s sideview mirrors. Upon closer inspection, we realize that there are panther-like claws seamlessly included in the concept coupe’s grand design. And these shiny silver claws are just one badass standout feature.
There are also steely straight plates stacked and embedded in the rear body panel near the wheels that create a strong, masculine aesthetic, and an exposed fuel pack embedded in the rear of the LC. This glowing fuel tank looks like it can hold a helluva lot more gigawatts than Marty McFly’s DeLorean. But this gorgeous ride requires a fuel much more rich than mere gigawatts and gas. It takes a tankful of vibranium, the mythical ore found in Wakanda, to take this sporty ride to its limit.
‘What you see as a very intense blue actually isn’t. There is no pigment in the Inspiration Series: LC 500’s paint whatsoever. It takes its cue from a Morpho butterfly.’
Perhaps the most brilliant unique addition to both of the custom Lexus vehicles is their stunning exterior paint jobs, which consist of a gorgeous blue hue that seems to somehow shift and sway as you look at the cars from different angles. This incredible effect, we soon learn, is a result of very clever engineering on the part of the Lexus design team.
“This is the debut of a very special production car for us,” says Brian Bolain, Lexus G.M. of Marketing, about the LC 500 that is sharing tonight’s spotlight with the Black Panther-inspired LC. “It’s going into production, in this particular color, which is what makes it kind of special, in January. We’re calling it the ‘Inspiration Series: LC 500.’”
“The paint sounds like a little thing,” adds Bolain, “but the paint’s got an interesting backstory. What you see as a very intense blue actually isn’t. There is no pigment in the paint of that car whatsoever. It takes its cue from a butterfly — hard to believe, but yes. There’s a species called the Morpho butterfly in South America and Central America. They actually have no color in their wings, yet you see blue, much like when you look at a glass of water, it’s clear, yet when you look at it in the ocean, it’s blue. So, it’s done with the nanostructure in the paint, and thus we call it ‘Structural Blue.’ So, the Structural Blue LC will go on sale in January.”
The clever color scheme of this dynamic duo of custom Lexus LCs is just as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The calming colors and soft hues of the comfortable, roomy cabins of the LCs mesh marvelously with the cars’ overall look and are evocative of what you’d expect would meet the standards and expectations of any card-carrying member of the Justice League.
The Black Panther-inspired Lexus sports an impressive interior comprised of mild but masculine tones, with the blue and silver interior bathed in a purplish-blue glow from strategically concealed under-lighting beneath the dashboard. The silver-colored steering wheel and dash are clean, smooth and sharp-looking, presenting an image that is as cool and classy as the hero it was created for. And we think that getting your own signature Lexus LC is definitely a fair reward for saving the world.
However, mere mortals will, unfortunately, not be able to get their claws on such a rarity. The vibranium-fueled Black Panther-inspired LC is just a concept coupe that Lexus and Marvel thought might be fun to showcase, and a way to hype the real-life and very attainable Structural Blue LC , which is set to hit U.S. dealerships next year. Until then, check out the trailer for Black Panther, which opens February 16.
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