Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept is the most daring Lexus in some time
It's a bold move from a company best known for being a bit boring.
Lexus has been making some big moves lately. The traditionally staid automaker has had a slew of hits with more daring models such as the RC, LC and new LS. That tradition will continue with the LF-1 Limitless concept, perhaps its most interesting concept from the last few years.
Lexus claims the LF-1 Limitless "introduces a new genre" of luxury vehicle, the flagship crossover. Whether or not that's true, the Limitless concept packs a wide variety of impressive tech and some handsome character lines. So if something does come to production based on this car, it deserves nothing other than top billing.
Eventually, Lexus' vehicle bodies will be 100 percent grille.
We'll start with the body. Its shape is similar to Lexus' best-selling SUV, the RX, borrowing a good bit of design language from it. But it takes that design into the future with sharper lighting, the removal of a "floating" C-pillar look and a grille that covers nearly the entire front bumper. The lights blend well into the front end's various creases. The weirdest design element is the split rear spoiler that lives atop the liftgate.
Inside, things stay futuristic with some wild angles on just about every surface. The steering wheel has buttons galore, the seats have all sorts of stitching and there are screens for just about every passenger in the vehicle.
The tech is where it gets weird. The wood door trim has miniature perforations to allow LEDs to shine through. There's a touchpad for the infotainment system embedded in the leather center console, and there's a second controller in the second row for the same thing. The navigation system is touted as a "four-dimensional" system that can take time into account, offering rests and potential hotels for long trips. As in all good concepts, the mirrors are cameras, beaming side views to two screens flanking the gauge cluster.
Lexus is known for taking risks in some of its concepts, but rarely do those risks carry over to production. Hopefully Lexus will take as much inspiration from this concept as possible when it creates a production flagship SUV, because it could certainly use a dash of daring in its lineup.
