Lexus ROV Concept
HYDRO TO EXTREMES
In the interests of lightness and simplicity, controls have been kept to a bare minimum: the basic dashboard boasts a single dial.
£N/A (concept) / lexus.co.uk
At least it’s not a hoverboard. Lexus has come up with some wild luxury concepts over the years – including motor yachts and, yes, hoverboards. But the ROV Concept is an altogether different thing. It’s a recreational off-highway vehicle powered by a hydrogen engine and is destined for dirt tracks, which is not where you’d expect to see the average Lexus owner. And while this is a concept, these images are convincing enough to make us think it could easily become a production reality.
So it can attack muddy trails? Oh yes, it packs in all the rugged features you’d expect for an off-roader, with a full rollcage, beefy exposed suspension and bulbous treaded tyres that can take on any kind of loose surface. At the same time, this little Lexus is dinky enough to throw around at just 3.1m long and 1.8m high.
Doesn’t sound very ‘Lexus luxury’. The spartan but stylish interior has been designed using Lexus’s ‘Tazuna’ concept, which we’re assured is all about craftsmanship and build quality. Even though that interior is likely to get very wet and muddy, the seats have been made from leather – albeit of the synthetic variety, to ensure they won’t rot away in six months.