Lexus Imagines Future of Transportation Via New Art Project

Luxurious Future

Lexus and art have long made for a compelling combination, as well as one that proves to be a very natural fit. Thus, it's no surprise that the luxury automotive brand is a big-time sponsor of all sorts of art events and also puts on special exhibits such as the most recent one dubbed "Lexus 2040: The Soul of Future Premium." This particular exhibit was created by Lexus Europe and the Royal College of Art in London, giving 20 RCA Intelligent Mobility postgraduate students the chance to reimagine the future of luxury transportation.

Photos: Lexus

Futuristic Scenario

Lexus specifically asked those 20 students to come up with a mode of transportation that will fit perfectly with the changing lifestyles of European city dwellers, as well as figure out what sort of role Lexus might play in this futuristic scenario.

Photos: Lexus

Color Shifting

Out of the 20 original submissions, Lexus narrowed things down to six winners that all offer their unique take on this future urban utopia. One artist believes that color-shifting paint will become a thing in coming years, mimicking the changing colors of the seasons along the way.

Photos: Lexus

Jewel of the Sky

Others went with VTOLS (vertical take-off and landing) vehicles, which could be housed in buildings and launched from there, as well as link together to make the morning commute a bit more efficient. This particular submission, dubbed "ALTO," is just that, and represents somewhat of a modern hot air balloon that RCA student Richard Newman refers to as "jewelry in the sky, like a cloud’s earring."

Photos: Lexus

City Dweller

Benjamin Miller came up with this design, dubbed "Crucible," which features an adaptive interior design and hydrogen power that can double as an urban escape pod for when city dwellers need to get away for a weekend. The car is also designed to exist inside the home, which is a great way to save on parking.

Photos: Lexus

Block Party

Next up we have "#Units” by Zhenyu Kong, a vehicle that relies heavily on social media by linking to other vehicles and sharing data as well as acting like a big projector that can be used to allow owners to join concerts or parties virtually, or even display NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or other purchased pieces of digital art.

Photos: Lexus

Impressive Results

"We were very impressed by the breadth of creativity and innovation shown by all the designers," said Ian Cartabiano, president of the Lexus European design studio ED2. "They demonstrated skill and imagination in bringing together their ideas for future mobility and vision of how the concept of Lexus premium quality might evolve."

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus art project right here at ClubLexus.com.

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