FC concept gestures toward Lexus future

Today, the Lexus LF-FC hydrogen fuel-cell concept debuts at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, a range-extended electric taxi debuts in London, and a startup plans to equip heavy-duty trucks with bolt-on hybrid systems.

“Lexus wants to surprise and evoke emotion with its distinctive design and forward-thinking technology”, Tokuo Fukuichi, Lexus worldwide president, said in a statement released at the unveiling. Created to preview the Japanese marque’s next-generation LS luxury sedan, the vehicle is actually longer than a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class so we just had to check it out in the flesh.

The exterior design features and evolution of the brand’s spindle grille with a new mesh grille and “floating”, L-shaped daytime running lights.

Lexus The recognizable checkmark LED signature adorns the front, while at the rear, Lexus has adopted a tall, swooping taillight design that is impossible to miss. Featuring a flowing roofline in the style of a four-door coupe, the concept runs on 21-inch alloy wheels with carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) rims adding an “extra dash of flair”.

Lexus has been less forthcoming with details of the concept’s hydrogen-fuelled drive system, although it describes a rear-mounted fuel-cell arrangement and “power control unit” at the front.

The Tokyo Motor Show is Toyota’s chance to show how much the company is betting on hydrogen, all the way up to their flagship American model, the Lexus LS.

Lexus has given a glimpse at the next generation of its LS flagship sedan and underlined its future is powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Lexus Where the LF-FC really gets radical, though, is in the powertrain.

The floating theme continues inside the auto, as front seats are claimed to float at eye level. But, thankfully none of it is overpowering or so blatant in its presentation that it detracts from the quality and feel of the leather adorning the seats or the use of book-matched wooden veneers on door panels and facia.

Interior controls are operated by touch-free gestures, with a small holographic image in the centre console indicating the operation zone. This is all done so that the torque can be distributed equally for exceptional dynamic handling and superior road stability according to Lexus.