Lexus Goes ‘Back To The Future’ With Hoverboard And ‘Futuristic’ Skate Park
Hoverboards do exist! Lexus sparked a lot of buzz when the luxury brand showed off a hoverboard in an ad campaign video, reminiscent of Marty McFly’s hoverboard in Back to the Future Part II. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the video ended just before the skateboarder’s foot touched the deck of the hoverboard. Shot in Barcelona, the hoverboard video is part of a longer commercial, according to Lexus Communications Manager Moe Durand.
In a press release, Lexus said they “partnered with world leading experts in super conductive technology to create one of the most advanced Hoverboards ever developed.” At this time, the hoverboard prototype operates in a controlled environment and appears to levitate above concrete, but there are magnets beneath the surface.
Lexus goes back to the future with rideable hoverboard http://t.co/s02MC2FdfJ pic.twitter.com/cgHsJs1Ifa
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 25, 2015
Lexus says the board only works on a metallic surface, and they’re in the process of building a “futuristic” skate park for demonstration purposes in Cubelles, a village outside of Barcelona, Spain. According to the Spanish website El Patín, Lexus’s skate park has been under construction for about a month and is patrolled by private security 24 hours a day. An embedded metal track can be seen in the ground.
While the Lexus hoverboard isn’t quite a reality at this time, it could be one day. In a statement given by Mark Templin, executive vice president of Lexus International, Mr. Templin expressed the brand’s hopes for their hoverboard project.
“At Lexus, we constantly challenge ourselves and our partners to push the boundaries of what is possible. That determination, combined with our passion and expertise for design and innovation, is what led us to take on the Hoverboard project. It’s the perfect example of the amazing things that can be achieved when you combine technology, design and imagination.”
Testing of the hoverboard will take place in Barcelona over the next few weeks. Bloomberg Business reports that more information will be revealed by Lexus on Oct. 21, the date Marty, Doc, and Jennifer traveled to in Back to the Future Part II.
A different piece of Back to the Future could be coming to a store near you. Remember Marty’s shoes which automatically tightened when he put them on? USA Today reports Nike has plans to introduce shoes with power laces later this year.
Unfortunately for Back to the Future and Marty McFly fans, there won’t be Lexus hoverboards on sale anytime soon, which is mentioned in the press release. What do you think about Lexus’s hoverboard prototype?
[Image via YouTube]
