Lexus unveils new space-themed concept vehicles including lunar speeder which uses ‘magnetic levitation’ to hover above the ground and travel at speeds of more than 300mph
- The luxury car manufacturer has revealed a futuristic new set of designs intended for travel in outer space
- The ceterpiece is a motorcycle-style speeded called ‘Zero Gravity’ that uses magnetic levitation to stay afloat
- Other concepts include a gyroscopic bubble vehicle and a six-wheel SUV with detachable living quarters
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This month, the European Advances Studio for Toyota and Lexus revealed seven new designs offering a glimpse at what the luxury car manufacturer’s products might look if there was a commercial market for space vehicles.
The designs were part of a new issue of Document Journal, which commissioned ten designers to create a ‘Lunar Portfolio,’ imagining what life would be like on the moon.
The featured design is called ‘Zero Gravity,’ a single-rider style vehicle that uses a speculative magnetic levitation technology to power the vehicle as it speeds along just above the surface of the moon.
The Lexus Zero Gravity (pictured above) is driven by magnet levitation and can travel at speeds of over 300mph, all without ever touching the ground
‘The design reinterprets the signature Lexus spindle grille and uses the motorcycle-style of driving to employ the new concept of Tazuna (which mean “reins” in Japanese): the fundamental human-centered philosophy,’ Lexus explained in a statement released alongside the new portfolio of designs.
‘Inspired by how a single rein can be used to achieve mutual understanding between horse and rider, the steering control provides active driving enjoyment created by the direct communication between human and machine.’
The magnetic levitation system will allow the Zero Gravity to travel across rocky and uneven ground at speeds of more than 300mph.
The Lexus Cosmos is designed as a massive observatory, the outer space equivalent of a double decker tourist bus meant to provide a contemplative group experience, with a separate pod designated as a ‘space swimming pool,’ where passengers can float in low gravity.
Another design called the Bouncing Moon Roller features a central cockpit surrounded by a clear, flexible graphene bubble that allows the vehicle to roll and bounce over a wide range of terrain. The cockpit is kept stabilized by a gyroscope.
The Lexus Cosmos (pictured above) was designed to give passengers a contemplative touring experience and comes equipped with a ‘space swimming pool’ that lets people float in low gravity
The Moon Roller (pictured above) is a center cockpit stabilized by a gyroscopic system and propelled by a flexible graphene bubble wheel
The Lexus Lunar Cruiser (pictured above) can either drive on the surface of the moon or lift off using thrusters and fly through the sky while its wheels tilt outward
The Lexus Lunar Cruiser is a kind of hybrid vehicle designed to be driven on the surface of the moon like a four-wheel drive SUV, but it can also fly by rotating its wheels outward in a 90° angle and lifting off using small thrusters underneath its chassis.
The Lexus Lunar Mission is a reflective vehicle designed solely for travel through the sky. ‘The design integrates a liquid side body, which can reflect the universe while flying toward the moon,’ the statement explains.
‘The wings are the iconic spindle shape integrated with the Lexus symbol mark as a main geometry.’
The Lexus Lunar Mission (pictured above) is designed only to fly and could be useful on planets without a sold surface
The Lexus Moon Racer (pictured above) is built flexible hexagonal tire concept that will allow the vehicle to navigate severe and rocky terrain without losing traction
The Lexus Lunar (pictured above) is a kind of SUV designed for outer space, with a rugged six-wheel design and a separate campter-style living quarters that can be separated from the vehicle to form an outpost or temporary settlement
There’s also a Moon Racer, a kind of lunar sports car with wheels covered with a flexible mesh of hexagonal tread to ensure it has maximum grip and traction on the unpaved surfaces.
The final design is simply called the Lexus Lunar, a six-wheeled transport vehicle, the upper cabin of which can be detached from the drivable section to create a small lunar settlement.
In addition to Lexus, the portfolio also included a series of sneakers designed by Nike, electric scooters created by frog design, and an entire orbital city created by Dutch architecture firm OMA.
