The Lexus UX Concept Car Drops Jaws At Paris Motor Show

The Lexus UX Concept car has been revealed at 2017’s Paris Road Show, and it’s very different from what you’ve probably seen before. It might remind you of something a 90s heavy metal band would have designed.

This means the design could be grossly impractical but extremely intimidating. It almost looks like Max Rockatansky of the Mad Max series designed it to scare off Warboys and had access to state-of-the-art technology. If you saw this small SUV pull up behind you, you might just get a little nervous.

First and most noticeable is the front grill, which bears the classic Lexus solo in blue against black and chrome, but the slats have the general appearance of predatory animal teeth. Sharp angles permeate the appearance of the grill like the Lexus UX Concept is about to eat you whole.

This grill pattern is replicated on a smaller scale on the sides just below the headlights, as well as around them. This car could be a body mechanic’s nightmare, but it’s likely that Lexus knows this. If you can’t fix it yourself, you’ll bring it to a mechanic who can, and in this case that mechanic might be the dealership. It seems to be designed to keep you sending your repair money straight to Lexus.

This obviously means it’s a car you don’t want to be reckless in. One dent could clean out your savings.

The sides of this vehicle appear to be more standard fare, with front doors which could be interchangeable in modern vehicles today. However, the rear doors open in the opposite direction, giving the fully open side the appearance of a two-door hatch.

Of course, your eye is instantly drawn to the wheels, which look equally as formidable as the grill. The wheel wells appear to be slightly more than standard flare housing what appear to be the most expensive tires you’ll ever see. They appear to be carbon fiber all over, though that won’t be so great for overall traction, complete with a blade-like rim design that seems to melt into the very tire itself. The hubcaps are rather tiny; a spiral screw design once again bearing the Lexus logo.

The inside looks equally intimidating, with the blade and teeth design permeating everything down to the gas and brake pedals. The driver’s seat is a pair of supports with a fiber mesh between them like a lawn chair. Auto World News claims that despite the appearance, the seats are made with ergonomics in mind, meaning they are extremely comfortable and absorb shock well. They probably won’t be very handy for holding groceries, though, as your purchase is likely to fall between the straps.

The center armrest looks to be a blade-like swoop ending between what appear to be foam rear seats.

Looking inside a bit further at what matters, you will notice it doesn’t have a dashboard — until you turn the ignition. The dashboard is a holographic display, possibly following the concept of technology seen in the controls for Marvel’s suit from Iron Man. It’s unknown just how bright the display will be or how user-friendly the controls for air conditioning and heat are. Hopefully, you can turn on the dashboard without running the engine; checking your gas gauge at the pump could become risky, as you’ll be burning gas as you check the gauge.

Lexus may be toning down the appearance when it comes to production, but for car aficionados looking for the most radical design, the Lexus UX Concept car is about as crazy as it gets. Would you drive one, or are the appearance and lack of practicality too off-putting?

[Featured Image by wjarek/Shutterstock]