Lexus debuts amazing Sport Yacht concept

A few years ago the Toyota Marine Department invited the Toyota Motor Corporation's President Akio Toyoda to spend several days on the water driving their new Ponam range of premium yachts soon to be launched in Japan.

As a master driver, Toyoda was inspired by the power of the turbodiesel powertrains and the handling and stability of the advanced hull designs. As the Chief Branding Officer of Lexus International, he also appreciated the potential of a stylish premium performance yacht to complement the Lexus lifestyle.

This led the Marine Department to envision how a premium performance yacht might expand the Lexus brand into new areas of lifestyle and recreation.

A brief for an open sport yacht for recreational day-touring with six to eight guests, powered by twin high-performance Lexus V8s and with advanced styling and handling was given to the Lexus Design Center in Toyota City, Japan. In the summer of 2015, concepts from the design team were evaluated by Senior Managing Officer Tokuo Fukuichi, Chief Officer of Global Design and President of Lexus International Co., Senior Managing Officer Shigeki Tomoyama in charge of the Toyota Marine Department, and President Toyoda.

The design of the Lexus Sport Yacht concept has the upper deck and outer hull seamlessly bonded around the inner structure, each piece a single massive hand-laid composite of two-part polyurethane epoxy resin reinforced with hand-laid woven carbon fibre cloth, a composite material called Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). CFRP is the technology used in the structure of racecars and supercars like the 553bhp Lexus LFA, high-performance military and civilian aircrafts, competition skis and bicycles, and world-class racing sailboats.

The Lexus Sport Yacht concept's unique CFRP construction saves nearly 1,000kg compared to a similar yacht in fibreglass reinforced plastic. The underwater hull design is stepped to reduce resistance or drag and improve handling balance at high speeds.

The concept is powered by twin 5.0-litre V8 gasoline engines based on the 2UR-GSE high-performance engine of the Lexus RC F coupe, the GS F sport sedan and the new LC 500 grand tourer. Each engine produces 440bhp, driving the yacht at speeds up to 43 knots through a pair of hydraulically controlled inboard/outboard stern-drives. A bow-thruster with joystick control aids in docking.