Lexus Asks Students To Imagine The Future Of Luxury

Another entrant that pays homage to Japan is the Lexus NEKO inspired by the country's culture and nature, sporting an insect-aping exoskeleton. Designed as a pure electric vehicle, it can be operated in two modes. The first, unsurprisingly, as a conventional vehicle for everyday driving. The second is more unusual; passengers can enjoy scenery recorded on past journeys for "an Instagram experience on a grand scale." Other clever touches include the ability to perform traditional Japanese bowing.

As a nod to thesignature Lexus spindle radiator grille, the hydrogen-powered Crucible is described as an "escape vehicle". Melding the idea of shared ownership with an owned vehicle interior, the creation promotes shared car ownership and can be adapted based on the needs of the occupants. Perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch, ALTO is a vertical take-off and landing vehicle that is also hydrogen-powered. Described as "jewelry in the sky - like a cloud's earring," the ALTO is an antidote to a future where technology is no longer seen as a luxury.

雷克萨斯UrbanSwarm被描述为一个“模块化的一个d seamless way to travel," providing the amenities of micro-mobility with the efficiency of mass transport systems. This is done through a tessellation feature, which allows it to link with other pods. Lastly, the #Units places significance on digital personalization. The interior can be customized with blockchain technology, for example. What's more, it can be used as a social space - the vehicle can link to other vehicles and be used as a projector device, to join concerts virtually.

Commenting on the submitted designs, Cartabiano said, "We were very impressed by the breadth of creativity and innovation shown by all the designers. They demonstrated skill and imagination in bringing together their ideas for future mobility and vision of how the concept of Lexus premium quality might evolve."

The shortlisted finalists will now use the time ahead of the March 15 exhibition to further refine the designs. The winning projects will be announced at this event.