Lexus takes to the high seas with LY 650 luxury superyacht

With almost three decades of crafting luxury cars under its belt, Lexus is now launching into superyachts.

The first of its offshore fleet is the multi-million dollar LY 650, launching in 2019 and which the Japanese carmaker describes as its fourth flagship alongside the LS limousine, LC coupe and LX SUV.

Like its land-locked siblings, the LY 650 incorporates the marque’s 'L-finesse' design theme – but it all other respects the LY 650 is very, very different.

For a start, it can sleep six people in three staterooms and provide luxury lounges that are only a dream for even the world’s wealthiest car owners. It also has three onboard heads (boatie talk for toilets).

As yet, there is no detail for Australia, but Lexus confirms the yacht is 65 feet long - up from the 42-foot concept - with a beam of 19 feet, and will be built, sold and serviced through the well-known American boat building company Marquis-Larson.

“We’d definitely like to see it here. But, for the moment, there has been no announcement of a local introduction,” says Lexus Australia spokesman, Nick Raman. “We don’t know about how it can be showcased locally. But we’re definitely interested in the product.”

And as for the potential price down under? “We don’t have that yet,” admits Raman.

Ironically, the decision by Lexus to go ahead with the boat project comes soon after Aston Martin moored its own proposal for a super yacht.

But the LY is more about a design connection than a full-on yacht division.

And the company has made waves in the past with a number of cutting-edge projects, including a working hoverboard - inspired by the one ridden by Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies - which was demonstrated briefly on the beach at Los Angeles.

There is only one shortcoming in the Lexus LY project. The concept boat was built and promised with a pair of 5-litre Lexus V8 engines, but by the time the first production boat is launched next year it will be powered by a pair of Volvo Penta diesels.

Paul Gover

As Motoring Editor for Executive Traveller, Paul Gover spends less time at his Gold Coast home than he does on the road (literally) test-driving the best of the four-wheel world.