The Lexus 2054 is a concept car designed by Harald Belker for the 2002 Steven Spielberg film Minority Report. In the film it is shown being built at an automated factory and then driven by Tom Cruise, and it later appeared in several motor shows and in another science-fiction film.
Lexus 2054 at a glance
| Designed for | the 2002 film Minority Report |
|---|---|
| Designer | Harald Belker, with Calty, Toyota’s California studio |
| Commissioned | 2002, at the request of director Steven Spielberg |
| Propulsion in the film | fuel cells |
| Safety ideas | crash-proof structure and biometric security |
| Later film appearance | The Island (2005), in red, blue and silver |
| Scale model | Maisto 1/24 replica, sold through Sharper Image |
| Toy car | Hot Wheels Phantom Racer, also designed by Belker |
| Marketing rights | Lexus reportedly paid $5 million |
| Status | concept and film prop, never a production car |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); the 2054 was a film prop and concept car, not a production model
History of the Lexus 2054
In 2002 Steven Spielberg, himself a Lexus owner, asked Lexus to design a vehicle that would suit the year 2054 for his adaptation of the 1956 Philip K. Dick story “The Minority Report”. The work was done by designer Harald Belker together with Calty, the Toyota and Lexus design studio in California. The result was an advanced machine meant to run on fuel cells, with many safety features including a crash-proof structure and biometric security systems.
A film tie-in site proposed a Lexus of the future that would drive itself, take dinner orders by voice and choose music to match the mood of its occupants. The site won several advertising awards, and Lexus reportedly paid $5 million for the rights to market the vehicle and its brand in connection with the film.
The car went on to appear at several motor shows and public events. It also turns up in the 2005 film The Island: a red one in a stationary scene, a blue one in a driving sequence and a silver one in a parking lot. The Maisto toy company made a 1/24 scale replica sold exclusively at Sharper Image to promote Minority Report, while Hot Wheels produced its own version called the Phantom Racer, designed by Belker because of licensing issues.
Design and features
- Film commission: the car was designed to order for a specific film rather than as a show car for a motor show.
- Fuel-cell vision: the 2054 was imagined running on fuel cells, with a crash-proof structure.
- Biometric security: access by recognition of the driver was part of the concept.
- Second career in film: the same design appeared in The Island in three colours.
Lexus 2054 versions
- Minority Report car (2002): the original concept, shown in an automated factory and in action scenes.
- The Island cars (2005): red, blue and silver examples used as background vehicles.
- Maisto 1/24 replica: a scale model sold through Sharper Image.
- Hot Wheels Phantom Racer: a licensed-avoiding toy designed by Belker himself.
The 2054 is one of several Lexus design studies; the later LF series is described under the LF-LC and LF-Ch concepts, and the production supercar under the LFA. More Lexus cars are in the Lexus collection.
Sources
- Lexus 2054, English Wikipedia: design, film work, merchandise
