There’s a new race in town, and Lexus is up to the challenge.
We are all more than familiar with premium car company Lexus on land. In 1989 they took the driving world by smooth, quiet storm with a flagship sedan that redefined quietness of cabin and a customer experience that made people rethink how far luxury should go.
Many will also remember that Lexus has brought out some beautiful seagoing vehicles, first as concepts and then as the Lexus LY 650 Yacht. Many do not know that they have taken to the air. Even before the yacht, Lexus in 2016 began supporting Yoshide Muroya, a Japan-based world-renowned air race pilot. The idea was to regularly study different technologies from different disciplines, and a year later they launched the “Technology Exchange Group” to do just that. This led to the use of Lexus sensitivities technology incorporated into a control column grip on Muroya’s airplane, and aviation-industry carbon-fiber reinforced plastic being adapted for use in the Lexus LC.
The Air Race World Championship (“The Air Race”) begins next year. The luxury car company has taken up the challenge, and has partnered with Pathfinder Co., Ltd. Lexus/Pathfinder Air Racing is a joint race team with Lexus intending to have technical coordinators support development and verification of technologies in the fields of aerodynamics, cooling and ergonomics. These can clearly have positive effects on their automotive products in addition to providing support structure to the race team.
The new team has big plans, stating that they want to make history by winning the first championship of The Air Race. “With the strong support of Lexus, we will strive to become the first champion of the new Air Race’ said Yoshide Muroya. “I believe that an exciting new story will emerge as fans and team crew come together as one.”
The longer-term result though is to develop systems, advances and technologies that will allow more carbon-neutral processes and products. Though this will of course be done with the appropriate level of excitement and dedication. “Lexus will take on the challenge of an exciting air race together with world-class athlete Muroya” stated Koji Sato, President and Chief Branding Officer of Lexus International. “With the excitement and smiles that motorsports bring and the gratitude that we learn from athletes as our inspiration, we will tackle from a new perspective the goal of Akio Toyoda, Lexus Brand Holder, to create a better car based on motor sports. Please look forward to Muroya’s and Lexus’s continuous challenge and evolution.”
