Lexus’ vision for the future is a world with Tron-like cars, holograms, and hovering suitcases

This vision for the future still has a steering wheel in it, thankfully.

Presented at the 46th Tokyo Motor Show, the Lexus LF-30 is a conceptual direction that embodies Lexus’ vision for the future of electric vehicles. The LF-30 gains the distinction of a BEV or a battery electric vehicle, hinting at the fact that Lexus probably has other technologies in mind for electric cars. The BEV looks absolutely stunning on both the outside and inside. Controlled by the rider who can activate the car by simply swiping in mid-air, the vehicle has the ability to ride autonomously as well as be driven manually. Autonomous riding is unlocked by tapping your personalized Lexus band against the car’s dashboard to have it identify you, whereas the other option would be to treat yourself to a spectacular driving experience from the cockpit, with a steering wheel that emerges from the screen-enabled dashboard. When it hits the road, the LF-30 has a four-wheel drive, thanks to motors located in each of the wheel hubs, and the design is indicative of that, with illuminating wheels and a body-language that points to it. The car does away with the bonnet on the front, which is then replaced by a windscreen that seamlessly runs from the front all the way to the back, forming a panoramic skylight for your rides while also working as an augmented-reality display inside the car for everything from driver information to entertainment.

With a futuristic exterior comes an equally futuristic interior. The car’s insides are accessible via super-wide gullwing doors that open to give you entry into both the front as well as back seats. The driver’s seat has a feature-laden dashboard, with a HUD in the front, gesture-recognition screens on the window, and an interactive screen on the top that can be controlled by voice. The seats are modeled on the appearance of that of a first-class aeroplane seat, and come with artificial muscles that can help the car’s fabric and cushioning conform to the shape of the person sitting in it for a bespoke ergonomic experience. The seat can even tense or relax its cushioning based on your preference, allowing you to choose your comfort. To top things off, the seats have their own audio units in the headrest that even come with noise-cancelling abilities to make sure your cabin has a silent tranquility about it, because when you’re not looking for the adrenaline rush of driving down open roads, you’re probably looking to kick back and relax as the car gets you from A to B. Opacity of the side windows can even be adjusted to control how much light filters into the cabin, letting you choose your level of privacy, and for everything else, Lexus’ onboard AI helps you out by helping you adjust air temperature, navigation routes, entertainment options, and even goes the distance to suggest activities for you at your destination. However, want to know the part that has me the most excited?? It’s the hovering luggage platform that carries my stuff around from inside my home to inside my car and back.

Designer: Lexus

Lexus’s first autonomous EV has drones and ‘artificial muscle technology’

Lexus is finally ready to unveil its first electric vehicle prototype. At the Tokyo Motor Show today, it pulled back the curtain on its LF-30 Electric Concept, its vision for the next generation of EVs.

The Tokyo Motor Show 2019 Concepts that has us swooning

Tokyo Motor Show is here and boy are we glad to see it! You have to love Japanese technology, bringing us the best of the automotive world and here is our favorite from the bunch as of now!

Lexus LF-30

This is Lexus’s first fully electric car to be available in 2030! And what a car this is…A single, fluid form of metal, the car brings to mind an inverted swoosh. Weighing about 5,300 pounds, this beast can reach 60mph from still in 3.8 seconds, traveling up to 310 miles in a single charge. And if you’re tired of actually driving, just let the onboard autonomous technology take the reins. Being Japanese, it channels a concept named Tazuna, inspired by the connection between a horse and its rider. 536 horsepower, 110-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and a personal drone that carries your luggage from your door to your trunk, there is very little that Lexus is leaving unchallenged.

Toyota e-Racer

Childhood dreams come alive in this car! This car is a pure concept. Toyota has not revealed any specs about this beauty, except for asking you to be seated and take a drive. From real-life experience of a racing course to an underwater driving experience, this exhibit is all about showcasing the ‘fun to drive’ element of the future. The most interesting thing is they have trademarked the name ‘e-Racer’ (Speed Racer anyone?!) in the USA that will be applicable for vehicle/apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water! Go e-Racer, go!

Mitsubishi Mi-Tech turbine

Mitsubishi brought out the big guns for this project. They’ve let their imagination run wild, so much that there is no roll-cage, handlebars, doors or even a roof for you to hang on to while you settle in for what promises to be a wild, wild ride! Powered by 4 motors, it’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle so when the battery fizzles out, it will be powered by the gas turbine engine. And that is where our bubble bursts. Currently, Mitsubishi has no gas turbine engines in its arsenal to power this beast. A chunky concept with the distinguishing Mitsubishi tail lamps, I can (unrealistically) imagine off-roading with the speakers blaring born-to-be-wild!

Nissan Ariya

The essence of Ariya is to showcase what the future of EV’s could be and bring to light their need/origin in the first place. A very clean concept, so much that it looks ready to roll, without any extra gimmicks, this is a big departure from Nissan Leaf. You would hardly say they belong to the same family! The grill, now christened a Shield, houses radar and other sensors for the ProPilot 2.0 driver assist suite, which allows for hands-off driving. The interior lights keep changing to keep you aware of the auto mode, just in case the automatically driving part didn’t do the trick. Painted in a deep Suisei Blue that contains embedded glass flakes, resulting in ‘billions of light reflections like a comet crossing a night sky’, there are also copper accents in the wheel and the roof lines to pay homage to Japanese craftsmanship.

Toyota LQ

Toyota LQ will be the car that moves you both physically and emotionally. Given the way we love our car, Yui will probably take that relationship from an unspoken bond to a lively conversation with its interactive nature and by converting ozone to oxygen, making it stylishly eco-friendly! Who is Yui you ask? Yui is an AI assistant that resides inside Toyota’s latest launch, the LQ concept model, as a blue dot in the center of the instrument panel. A color often associated with depth and stability, Yui can recognize your emotional state using facial scans, conversations and analyze the environment to adapt to the driver’s capabilities and senses at that moment. He can track your alertness levels and make you sit upright (by literally nudging you upright by inflating) with the help of a ‘bladder’ embedded into the seat.

Mitsubishi shows off an oddball hybrid buggy prototype

At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi is showing off its oddball hybrid buggy prototype, the MI-TECH Concept. It's meant to look like a rugged off roader with no doors or roof, and it's built with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain. According t...

Yamaha has the Kando Attitude

Take a step into the future with Yamaha’s hyper-futuristic motorcycle – aptly named Motoroid. Yamaha has dished out several concepts recently, excitably being released at the Tokyo Motor Show which takes place in just a few days’ time. I believe this concept easily takes the gold medal for being the most futuristic concept yet.

The Motoroid, like many futuristic concept vehicles, is complete with an AI system, but not just any AI system, Motoroid’s AI can recognize its owner and even go as far as interacting with the user in different methods similar to a living creature would – freaky. This comes as no surprise when Yamaha also boasts the ability to evoke the experience of ‘Kando’ for the rider – the Japanese philosophy which simultaneously inspires a deep satisfaction, appreciation, admiration and emotional impression.

An interesting aesthetic choice for the Motoroid is the speed racer look, which gives it an edgy, durable feel. Another aspect of this concept that catches the eye is the battery cylinders located behind the front tire – indicating how Yamaha envision the future of two-wheel transport. The removal of any windshield, the low lying handlebars and the lower back brace for the bike all add exciting details which make this bike look and feel like something straight out of Blade Runner – reinforcing just how cool Yamaha continues to be.

Designer: Yamaha

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Lexus Illuminates the Future

At this year’s 45th Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus will be commemorating the 10th year anniversary of their ‘F’ sports models with the limited editions of the spectacular “RC F” and the “GS F” models. But not only that, fortunately for us, Lexus has another gem up their sleeves with the unveiling of the automated-driving-capable “LS+ Concept” concept.

The LS+ Concept embodies all that Lexus envision for the future of autonomous driving. With its edgy, clean sedan appearance, the LS+ Concept is also packed to the brim with state-of-the-art tech to ensure the passengers can have a safe, smooth and fun drive at all times. Specifically, it intends to make automated driving from the entrance ramp to the exit ramp on motor-vehicle-only roadways possible by using its “Highway Teammate” automated driving technologies, which, with an eye toward application in 2020, are featured on the LS+ Concept.

The LS+ Concept is undoubtedly full of character. All throughout this vehicle your eyes become drawn to the hypnotic LED light trims found along the wing mirror, the wheel arch and in eye-catching trims here and there. To not mention the fantastic headlights and taillights would be a sin. Easily the most scintillating feature of the LS+ Concept is the extravagant lighting and grill design seen here.

As I mentioned before, the “RC F” and the “GS F” models will be showcased at TMS, and I especially cannot wait for the “RC F.” Given a more edgy, and sharper look than the previous “F” sport, this limited edition upgrade is an animal.

Designer: Lexus

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RC F Below

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This Third Wheel is a Big Deal

What makes the Tokyo Motor Show great? The fact it’s a motor show and not a car show. Without the excitable additions of two-wheelers, it just wouldn’t be the same. And nothing is more exciting than the Yamaha Niken Three-Wheeler. Describing the Niken Three-Wheeler as utterly unique doesn’t come close to describing the form we’re dealing with here. The front of this beast looks angry, almost demonic, while the saddle reaches back over the rear wheel like some sort of tail. Edgy, futuristic, and all forms of cool, the Niken Three-Wheeler will be one of the highlights from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

The body design makes full use of the novel front-end suspension mechanisms pairing 15- inch front wheels with dual-tube upside-down forks. The dual front-end suspension is indeed something new to see when mid-action, coming around a bend. With TMS just around the corner, we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer to see this guy in full on November the 6th.

Designer: Yamaha

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Cars of the Future, Take Notes

It is hard not to get excited by what the Tokyo Motor Show has to offer. Every day is like Christmas with the sneak peaks at what the best of the best have to offer. One of these guys is Mazda with their Vision Coupe – the perfect example of a harmonized balance between elegant design and an edgy, clean future approach. With next-generation design, Mazda is reinterpreting the very essence of Japanese aesthetics and its subtle beauty.

The goal here was “to create an elegant and refined atmosphere with a sense of vitality that makes Mazda cars come truly alive.” It’s safe to say that Mazda has gone over and above this with the Vision Coupe. As you run your eyes from front to back, this car can only be described as ‘flowing elegance.’ Similar to the Mazda Kai Concept, the body of the Vision Coupe leave no curve or edge out of place. With its striking nose, the Vision Coupe edges forward in an intimidating pose, while the overall body and roof sit rather close to the ground – radiating an exhibition of sleek and clean design all throughout this sporty body. If this doesn’t get you excited about the Tokyo Motor Show and what the future of Mazda has in store, I’m not sure what will.

Designer: Mazda

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