Lexus Ground Effect Vehicle
Jahanzeb Awan
The Lexus Ground Effect Vehicle concept is a 150-foot vessel intended for the super rich. Inspired by the original ekranoplans designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeyev during the Cold War, designer Jahanzeb Awan’s task was to make a new ‘ground effect vehicle’ that was more suited to current market needs.
“Initially the proposal for this module was to design a bespoke luxury yacht,” says Awan. “This directed research into what type of boat to design.”
The preliminary sketches were regular yachts, says Awan, but a lingering proposal was to design a yacht that could fly. “It was to be bespoke in it would be a new class of sea travel, a yacht which could hover above water with the intention of it being fuel efficient and be able to minimize sea sickness.”
He found his solution in the Ekranoplan concept but concedes it needed a design overhaul to bring it within modern specifications and domestic usage, which would be desirable for people with surplus funds. He defined his target user as Andre Malnichenko, who is not only a Russian billionaire but also happens to have a key interest in bespoke yachts.
His proposal includes the luxuries expected on luxury yachts. Set over three floors, it can accommodate 12 guests, nine crew members and features a luxuriously-appointed exclusive middle deck section for the owner. A British Pakistani, Awan chose the British Racing green exterior color as a tribute to British racing and Pakistan’s flag, while the interior is a light-colored beige, also a reference to classic British sports car color combinations.
Awan decided to brand the concept a Lexus because of their design philosophy and the company’s desire to achieve success in other platforms (as seen on the Lexus Yacht concept unveiled last year). The fact that Lexus also designed a Hover Board concept was icing on the cake.
