Concept Cars

New Lexus concept car looks like a Prius attempting to achieve Blue Steel

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Oct 23, 2019, 9:41 pm

The design of the Lexus LF-30 Electrified looks familiar.

Photo courtesy of Lexus

Toyota is busy trying how to best move the Prius back into a cutting-edge vehicle choice and Lexus is working to figure out exactly where electrification fits into their brand strategy.

The future of the Lexus Electrified generation of electrified vehicles was shown off for the first time today at the Tokyo Motor Show … and it looks awfully familiar.

Moving forward with the progress toward Akio Toyoda's "no boring cars" mantra, Lexus says that they are engineering future electrified vehicles to focus on driver enjoyment, control, performance, handling, and mobility.

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Sharp angles and futuristic design are at the rear of the model.Photo courtesy of Lexus

On the outside, the Lexus LF-30 Electrified looks like a Prius attempting to achieve Blue Steel. It's sucked in its cheeks, pouted, and is using its headlights to take on Hansel in a runway roll off.

The paint job is a metal-infused coating named "voltaic sky," which sounds like the name of Zoolander's mythical horse.

The cockpit of the LF-30 concept is driver-focused with a human-centered design. Its seats are designed to emulate the first class accommodations in an airplane. There are next-generation interfaces, including gesture control (something BMW already employs) and augmented reality, which shows a star-filled sky, videos, and navigation on the glass roof.

Onboard AI listens to vehicle occupant voices to differentiate between them and adjusts the interior environment to match the occupant including air temperature, audio, navigation, destinations, powertrain, and suspension.

Lexus LF-30 Electrified The interior of the Lexus LF-30 Electrified shows a mostly forward thinking concept.Photo courtesy of Lexus

A Mark Levinson audio system fills the cabin with high-quality sound. Speakers are built into the headrest, something that Nissan currently offers in the subcompact Kicks.

The rear seats of the vehicle use artificial muscle technology to mold to their occupant.

Lexus has equipped the LF-30 Electrified with the Lexus Airporter drone-technology support vehicle. The autonomous Lexus Airporter is capable of independently transporting baggage from a household doorstep to the vehicle's luggage area.

Lexus has designed the car to utilize sustainable materials included Yakisugi, a charred cedar that's traditionally used in Japanese design.

Lexus LF-30 Electrified Advanced technology displays fill the Lexus LF-30 Electrified's cabin.Photo courtesy of Lexus

It features a steer-by-wire system, something Infiniti currently utilizes in their vehicles.

The wheels of the car feature in-wheel electric motors that power the BEV.

The Lexus has Chauffer and Guardian mode, which can autonomously drive the vehicle and self-park it.

Lexus plans to launch its first battery electric vehicle in November 2019 in conjunction with the L.A. Auto Show. Plans for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle are forthcoming and expected to come to fruition in the next few years. By 2025, all Lexus models will be available with electrified powertrains.

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Such a Tease

Infiniti releases first image of new FX-inspired QX55 SUV

The Infiniti QX55 is the company’s new crossover.

Photo courtesy of Infiniti Motors

The Infiniti QX55 was supposed to have already been seen by the public, but COVID-19 derailed the company's plans for a reveal at the New York International Auto Show. Today they're releasing the first official image of the new SUV and confirming that the model will be a 2022 model year vehicle as opposed to its original 2021 date.

AutomotiveMap has already seen the vehicle in full as part of an event last year.

In the image, just the backside of the crossover's body is shown. Even there, design lines inspired by the FX model that has long since been retired by the brand are evident.

2022 Infiniti QX55 Last year, the company teased the QX55 with a rendered image of its profile. Photo courtesy of Infiniti Motors

The model's coupe-like rear stands out as being on trend with designs of modern European SUVs with wing-like taillights reminiscent of the Q60 sports coupe flanking the rear door. Atop the rear windshield is a black design element, possibly showcasing that a two-tone paint scheme will be offered.

The picture also reveals that the model will have a rear windshield wiper, wheels, tires, and cladding (phew).

When AutomotiveMap first saw the model last year, Mike Colleran, then Vice Chairman and Global Division Vice President, Marketing and Sales Operations for Infiniti Motor Company, was quick to point out that the model has FX model bloodlines but isn't a direct FX successor.

Though it's not shown in the new photo, when the full vehicle is revealed, its lineage will be instantly apparent to brand enthusiasts that will see where a bulging hood and sleek lines that make the QX55 look as much like a throwback as it does a fast forward. Its face is commanding, but not as upright as what is seen on Infiniti's larger SUVs, including the 2020 Infiniti QX80 and the redesigned 2021 Infiniti QX60. It has its own unique grille that hasn't been seen on any other Infiniti yet.

Beyond its looks, Infiniti confirms that the QX55 will feature “innovative technologies designed to empower, engage, and connect luxury customers to the road ahead".

The automaker, a luxury arm of Nissan, will reveal the model to the public via social media on November 11 at 5:55 p.m. PST. The crossover will arrive on U.S. shores in the spring of 2021 and then be available in other regions across the globe.

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New Model News

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible takes open top grand touring up a notch

The Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is a new addition to the automaker's lineup.

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

The Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible is the first member of the new Collections portfolio introduced by Bentley Mulliner, a division of Bentley that raises the bar on vehicle offerings with additional possibilities for customization.

Up front are cut-crystal inspired, precision-made headlamps, which sit on the sides of a new Double Diamond front grille. There are also bespoke Mulliner-branded side vents that feature a silver-on-black diamond theme, illuminated Mulliner tread plates, and LED welcome lamps that project the Bentley wings to the ground from the door mirrors.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible The model features many of the same body characteristics of the traditional Continental.Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

Under the hood is the buyer's choice of a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 or a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. The larger engine gets the car from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 207 mph. The V8 has a top speed of 198 mph and gets to 60 mph off the line in 4.0 seconds.

The open-top car has Grand Black wallet veneer standard. Buyers can stay standard or opt to customize the look by choosing from 87 other piano-finished wood veneers. Options include the ability to match the wood to the exterior of the car. To do this, burr walnut veneer is hand sanded and polished to produce a smooth finish before painting to match the color of the customer's choice. Once dry, the veneer is polished to achieve a mirror-like finish.

Chrome details overlay the piano veneer, even showing a convertible silhouette in the passenger fascia and a B-motif in the door waistrails.

Buyers can choose from eight custom-made three-color combinations for the interior. The hand-stitched hides are embellished with unique Mulliner-branded embroidery.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

The Double Diamond design continues into the cabin where a quilter version of the concept adorns four seats, door casinos, rear quarters, and a tonneau cover. To delver the quilting across the cabin, there are almost 400,000 stitches. Each diamond contains 712 individual stitches.

The center console has a Diamond Milled Technical finish. There's a Breitling for Mulliner clock that features a brushed metallic face and bejeweled hour marks. The clock bezel and air vent surrounds are finished in chrome.

Bentley is making the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible available with a Naim for Bentley audio system. The setup features 18 speakers and two Active Bass transducers driven by a 2,200‑watt, 20-channel amplifier and eight DSP sound modes with Active Bass.

The Continental GT Mulliner Convertible rides on new 22-inch 10-spoke painted and polished wheels that have floating, self-leveling wheel badges that remain upright as the wheel rotates.

Buyers get the keys to their car I a Mulliner-branded handcrafted presentation box, which matches the three-color interior configuration of the car. The two keys are provided in similarly color-matched leather cases with contrast stitching.

Pricing of the model depends on options chosen.

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