The design of the LS-FC is a big, four-door coupe, with a new take on the feature Lexus spindle grill, big wheels and lights at the back that look to have been inspired by the Toyota Mirai.
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But was it ever in the limelight?
The LF-FC concept comes as Lexus is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first LS, a auto that turned the German automaker-dominated segment on its head when it debuted.
And this is down to the hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain powering electric motors that in turn drive each of the four wheels individually. We didn’t expect that it would be a fuel cell vehicle. Electronics in the dashboard would be controlled by gestures, according to Lexus, with a hologram on the console guiding passengers.
E-mail your opinion to [email protected], with Motoring in the subject line, and we will consider it for publication, or use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. Viewed at eye-level, the front seats appear to be “floating” says Lexus. That’s the heart of this concept, with a fuel cell stack under the long hood, hydrogen tanks below the floor down the center of the chassis and below the rear seat, and a battery pack at the rear.
Inside, the LF-FC is created to be “comfortable yet futuristic”.
Stylistically, the concept was a Tokyo show traffic-stopper, with its sleek contours, tightly-wrapped skin, low roofline and short overhangs, particularly at the front of the auto.
Lexus Naturally, the LF-FC also includes autonomous driving technology, but Lexus is hush-hush about the details of their ongoing efforts. Lexus claimed such a setup allows for optimum torque distribution between the front and rear set of wheels, something that leads to “exceptional dynamic handling and superior road stability”. Also, the high-priced nature of fuel-cell technology is a good fit for the flagship LS, which today begins at $75,520 and reaches $120,440 for the LS 600h L.
“The LF-FC concept went well beyond conventional thinking to showcase visionary design and technology”, Lexus global president Tokuo Fukuichi said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
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Missing from the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show is the next-gen Lexus LS.
