Since early 2017, the all-new Lexus superyacht had been in development
The Wisconsin yacht builder hesitated when Venice, Italy-based Nuvolari Lenard approached it with sleek interior design drawings for Lexus’s first yacht. Could conventional yacht design, which focuses on functionality, embrace this radical twist? Lexus is the first automaker to produce a vessel for sale (others have produced prototypes or designs). Before the official debut of the 65-foot LY 650 at this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (Oct. 30 – Nov. 1), two were purchased promptly. Four more are being manufactured.
The yacht constructors used carbon fiber–reinforced plastic and glass fiber–reinforced plastic to create a lightweight vessel
The concept vessel, which measures 18 feet and 11 inches at its broadest point, was introduced in January 2017 with a starting price of $3.7 million, but it was not unveiled until this month. The inaugural design features a two-tone rose-gold color scheme and an exterior available in five colors; the bow is sporty and pronounced, with a coupe-like roof. Marquis was selected as a partner in an effort to demonstrate the “gracefulness” of the Lexus brand, as Lexus’ chief branding manager and Toyota International president Akio Toyoda describes it. The hull consists of both CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced plastic) and GFRP (glass-fiber-reinforced plastic) due to the yacht builders’ emphasis on constructing a lightweight, gravity-appropriate design.
Toyoda is a yacht enthusiast who enjoys disconnecting in the solitude of open water. Earlier this month, he stated at a press conference in Boca Raton, Florida, “I have no truly private space.” “Being on a yacht gives me that private space.”
A view inside one of the ship’s three compartments
And if you believe this is a marketing ploy by the automaker to have its logo on the water, you’re mistaken. “In every room, there is a special Lexus touch,” says Josh Delforge, vice president of design and engineering at Marquis Yacht. “It’s not just Lexus everywhere.” Curves abound on the LY 650, such as the rounded-edge platform bed in one stateroom (all three staterooms are on the lower level) and the narrow horizontal windows in the owner’s suite. Two of the three heads feature a smoked glass floating vessel basin, and each has a private shower.
In the stairwell between the staterooms and the salon is a built-in beverage center with a Miele coffee machine and temperature-controlled wine refrigerator, ensuring that beverages of choice are always accessible. Leather drawer pulls and white leather interior doors with an embedded Lexus-like wave pattern lend elegance. Other design elements include teak decking on the swim platform, cockpit, and aft side-deck walkways, as well as an optional eucalyptus wood interior.