Lexus eyes the moon, unveils series of lunar concept vehicle designs

The Lexus design team has unveiled a series of concept transportation vehicles to facilitate travel to the moon. One of the concepts, meant for a single rider, is called Zero Gravity. It’s inspired by the LF-30 concept which was introduced at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. The LF-30 is an all-electric vehicle and sports an extreme exterior design. It has a number of autonomous driving technologies and a four-motor powertrain.

Lexus, the luxury car division of Japanese automobile major Toyota, participated in a lunar design event and came up with the concept vehicles. The European Advanced Design Studio for Lexus and Toyota—ED2—revealed seven concepts that include the Zero Gravity and even a lunar rover. 

The Zero Gravity, designed by Karl Dujardin, looks straight out of the Star Wars franchise. Its design bears a striking similarity to the speeder bikes seen in Star Wars with the Tron light cycle trail behind it. The Zero Gravity sports a spindle grille design that has been adopted into a single-seat motorcycle-type hovercraft. The vehicle is inspired by how a single rein achieves mutual understanding between a horse and its rider. Zero Gravity’s steering control offers an active driving enjoyment forged by direct communication between the rider and the machine. Dujardin claims that the vehicle can reach a speed of up to 500 kmph.    

Among lunar concept vehicles revealed by Lexus, includes the Bouncing Moon Roller, designed by Julien Marie. The vehicle is actually a gyroscope that spins around the moon, instead of landing on it and driving on its surface. There’s also a lunar cruiser which is a multipurpose vehicle. It’s equipped with oversized tires that offer comfortable cruising on the satellite’s rough terrain. The lunar mission racer vehicle, on its part, would transport people earth to the moon and back.  

Releasing the designs, ED2 president Ian Cartabiano said that the lunar project has come at the right time. The company is almost halfway through the LF-30 development. The lunar project, he said, has given the design team an opportunity to build on the imagination and include some of the design aesthetics from the LF-30’s cabin into the concept of lunar vehicles.

Also read: Fernando Alonso completes Dakar Rally without windshield