Not since Marty McFly zoomed around Hill Valley on one has there been such a focus on getting a hoverboard. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's a Lexus.
Ever since Marty McFly escaped the trouble on a hoverboard in Back to the Future II, kids and adults have wanted one and now Lexus may be able to oblige.
As part of its new Amazing in Motion project, the brand is showing off a floating skateboard it claims is real.
Working with experts in super-conductive technology, Lexus engineers created “one of the most advanced Hoverboards the world has seen,” the company said. The concept is the fourth project the campaign, demonstrating its commitment to pursuing new possibilities in advanced design and technology.
“At Lexus we constantly challenge ourselves and our partners to push the boundaries of what is possible,” said Mark Templin, executive vice president, Lexus International.
Despite the buzz, Lexus officials say they have no plans to build the hoverboard.
“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.”
Assuming it’s real, how does it work? It uses magnetic levitation with liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets to get frictionless movement of a kind that had been thought impossible.
The nitrogen-cooling may explain the steam coming from the sides of the hoverboard in the ad. Testing of the Lexus Hoverboard will be taking place in Barcelona, Spain, in the coming weeks.
Despite it being a functional board, Lexus officials say there are no plans to build them for the masses.
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The Hoverboard is part of the fourth project in the Lexus Amazing in Motion campaign, an international showcase for the brand’s creativity and innovation. The prototype is being tested in Barcelona in the coming weeks prior to the campaign’s launch this summer.
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Of course, you can’t have a Lexus-designed hoverboard without Lexus stying cues, such as the signature spindle grille. It has also been made using some of the same materials, both high-tech and natural, such as bamboo.
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Perhaps the most impressive part of the Lexus hoverboard is that it’s able to ride over concrete. Other models, such as the Hendo Hoverboard, require a special conductive surface to help create a magnetic field allowing the board to repel about an inch or so over it.