Lexus' hybrid blue sports concept
2012-10-18 12:32
HYBRID BLUE IN SYDNEY: The latest Lexus LF-LC concept has made its debut at the 2012 Australian auto show.
Lexus has revealed the stunning LF-LC Blue concept at the Australian auto show in Sydney. The concept debuts the automaker’s next-generation Lexus Hybrid Drive system with its high-energy battery pack – it develops an astonishing 372kW!
Image gallery
A second version of the LF-LC concept first debuted at the 2012 Detroit auto show, the Blue is finished in Opal blue as a nod to the precious stone found in the Australian outback.
ADVANCED LEXUS HYBRID DRIVE
Beneath its striking paint finish, this LF-LC shows off a range of advanced technologies and materials that, the automaker said, gives some insight into its future sportscars. As with the LFA, the concept also shows widespread use of carbon fibre and aluminium alloys to keep the LF-LC’s overall body mass down.
Of course, the LF-LC Blue also showcases the next generation of Lexus’ hybrid technology. Dubbed Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive that uses an Atkinson cycle engine mated to a high-energy battery pack designed to deliver greater powerful from a smaller battery than those currently used across the Lexus hybrid range.
A combined output of 372kW from this petrol-electric hybrid powertrain makes this the most powerful Lexus hybrid, yet.
Lexus Australia's Tony Cramb said: "LF-LC is part concept, part reality: the concept hints at what's to come from Lexus, while the reality has us actively studying how we can engineer and build a vehicle like this in the future."
INSPIRED BY ARCHITECTURE
The LF-LC Blue’s appearance is fittingly futuristic with its L-shaped daytime running lights, vertical fog lamps and fading dot matrix pattern for the indicators. Its glass roof has a lightweight, cantilevered pillar with a “glass-to-glass function” said to be inspired by modern architecture.
The tail lamps are inspired by a jet aeroplane afterburner to create “a sense of depth” while the integrated fog lamps repeat the “L” theme and lead the eye down to the Lexus’ quad tailpipes.
The cabin is finished in white and brown leather with brushed metal and wood accents, while a “driver zone” focuses the driver’s attention on the car controls and on the road.
The LF-LC also uses a remote touchscreen device to allow the driver to operate the car controls, while twin 12.3” LCD screens provide information and navigation displays.
The touchscreen system is also used to control the audio system, climate controls and navigation, and features a pop-up touch-screen keyboard for more complex entries.
