Opinion

Lexus introduces SkyJet- A Spacecraft designed for the 28th Century

Even if you do not have even the foggiest ideas about cars and automobiles, you may have come across the brand Lexus. Owned by Toyota, the company has taken traveling to new heights and how. Known to build its credibility by selling some of the most prominent cars that have stood their ground without troubling their owners with service issues, the Japanese executive car manufacturer has always been in the limelight for its edgy designs and its top-notch innovations.

The brand Lexus might recall the LFA supercar that was by far its most successful and the most impressive creation built by the brand has now taken a step back due to the launch of this amazing innovation.

Presenting, Skyjet, a single-seat pursuit spacecraft. (Nope, I’m not drunk and demonetization has not given me anything to worry about) The Spacejet, although currently unavailable in the market is scheduled to grace us with its presence in the 28th century. This is no joke and I certainly hope this jet does not become commercial allowing people to take turns flying them.

All of this wasn’t as easy as gulping a space cake. The company announced the formation of a creative partnership with film studio EuropaCorp. One of the early highlights of this collaboration will be the highly anticipated 2017 science fiction film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, starring Cara Delavigne and Dane DeHaan. Lexus collaborated with the Valerian creative team, as they imagined and brought to life the vision for the SKYJET, a single-seat pursuit craft featured in the film. An epic teaser trailer unveiled online gives fans a long-awaited first look at footage from the film. Viewers will also get a first glimpse of the SKYJET maneuvering through the intergalactic citadel of Alpha.

The Valerian team created the SKYJET with the ambition of featuring a vehicle grounded in reality but befitting of the Valerian world, set 700 years in the future. The creative team met with Lexus’ Chief Engineer, Takeaki Kato and the Lexus design team, to discuss incorporating believable, imaginative technologies and contemporary design cues into the final iteration of the SKYJET.

The SKYJET design also incorporates an adapted interpretation of Lexus’ signature “spindle” grille, and a similar headlight design to that of the hotly anticipated 2018 Lexus LC coupe, defined by an athletic and aerodynamic shape.

Commenting on the partnership, director Luc Besson said, “For this partnership we were looking for a brand that’s pioneering in innovation and technology, who is focused on the future more than the past.”

The brand is set to provide a unique fan experience over the next nine months that is designed to bring enthusiasts from around the world closer to the action leading up to the film’s release set to happen in July 2017.

 

Commenting on the development of the SKYJET, David Nordstrom, Global Branding Department General Manager at Lexus, added: “As fans of films and Luc’s previous work, Lexus is privileged to help bring Luc’s dream to life. We enjoyed the challenge of bringing Lexus’ design philosophy and technology innovations to this project. We look forward to developing our partnership with EuropaCorp as we strive to give audiences the most amazing experiences imaginable in the coming years.”

The design meets the aim of creating a vehicle that looks as though it could be from the Valerian future, but seems to be grounded in reality. The result is a streamlined, tubular craft that tapers towards the rear jet, with two pairs of side-mounted wings, two additional pairs of wings mounted to its underside and a top-mounted rear fin. What appear to be large air inlets can be seen on the sides and the pilot is seated in a cockpit with near-panoramic views out of the craft.

Lexus Chief Engineer Takeaki Kato and his design team met with the movie’s creative team to discuss the vehicle’s styling and design cues. Among those that are rooted in today’s reality are the headlights, which are inspired by those of the LC coupe, and an interpretation of Lexus’s signature mesh grille. It’s even badged as a Lexus.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is based on the French graphic novel series Valérian and Laureline. The film follows a pair of special government operatives working to maintain order of the human territories in a sprawling universe. Just so that you know, the Skyjet isn’t Lexus’s first movie vehicle, there was a car that was driven by Tom Cruise’s character in Minority Report and that too was a lexus.

 

7.7 out of 10
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