Lexus LF-LC is "A Sign of Something Big": 2012 Detroit Auto Show

There seems to be a new wave of thinking spreading through Toyota and luxury brand Lexus, which at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, manifested itself in this, the LF-LC Concept.

Starting out as a brief by the Lexus Center in Japan, for the Calty (US) design studio to come up with a futuristic hybrid coupe concept, the LF-LC is without question one of the most stunning pieces of mobile sculpture at this year’s Detroit Auto Show.

It’s lines combine trapezoidal shapes with organic curves, the front and rear ensembles taking an exaggerated stance on Lexus current’ design language. Both are dramatic. At the front, an aluminum surround gives the grille an almost 3-dimensional look, flanked by functional air scoops, while outback, the car’s rump resembles a combat jet on take-off, thanks to rear lights with inner illumination that resemble afterburners.

Probably the coolest aspect of all is the glass roof, which features a cantilevered pillar and glass meeting glass, a design aspect you’d more often find on trendy coffee tables, yet it in this application it actually works quite well.

Inside, details run to plenty of leather, suede and brushed metal. There’s also a pair of Liquid Crystal Display 12.3-inch touch screens that control climate and info-entertainment functions, plus further touch screen operation for the windows, seats and mirrors. There’s also a special remote touch screen device that allows the driver to operate controls without changing line of sight or position.

Transmitting power to the rear wheels is a version of the Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive, which according to Lexus group vice president and general Manager Mark Templin “promises a rewarding driving experience that is also kinder to the environment.”

Let’s hope we see more stuff like this coming down the pike from Lexus; concept and production machines that really provide both excitement and practicality while remaining relevant to the fast changing automotive landscape. The LF-LC is certainly a very good start.

And if Templin’s remarks are a sign, he boldly declared that the LF-LC is, “a sign of something big” at Lexus.