The Lexus LC is now available in Europe with an aviation-inspired rear wing, as a result of the collaboration between Lexus and Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya, a Japanese aerobatic and race pilot. The rear wing made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic is part of the Lexus Bespoke Build program and will be available in limited quantities.
This is not the first time we come across
this component which debuted in the Japan-only Lexus LC Aviation special
edition in October 2020 before appearing on the US-spec Lexus LC Inspiration
Series (January 2021) and the UK-spec Lexus LC Black Inspiration (October
2021). Even Australians had access to a few units of the Inspiration Series so
it was time for Europeans to get it as well. The wing measures 2 meters wide and was created in an aluminum prototype before being reproduced
in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. It is laminated in carbon-fiber and epoxy
resin with a hollow core, with a visible woven texture through the lacquered
finish after baking in an autoclave.
According to Lexus, the resulting
component is “lightweight, highly rigid and sleek”. The design inspiration
comes from the wing-tip vortices that influence the design of winglets on jet
aircraft, and its shape is said to maximize the aerodynamic performance of the
flagship coupe. Yoshiaki Ito, Lexus Takumi master driver said: “The winglets
sharpened the LC’s handling, but without using drag-creating downforce,
resulting in better performance without sacrifices.”
Lexus has been collaborating with
Yoshihide Muroya since 2016, with the Japanese pilot winning the 2017 Red Bull
Air Race World Championship series. The automaker helped Muroya to develop his
championship-winning aircraft using the expertise of Lexus designers and
engineers in the areas of aerodynamics, cooling, and ergonomics. The
partnership is not just for show since it resulted in innovations like a
control column grip for the aircraft cockpit incorporating Lexus’ sensitivity
technologies, and a new turning maneuver for the aircraft based on aerodynamic
data from Lexus.
