The Lexus H2 ROV concept is, at first glance, perhaps the most spurious, frivolous vehicle the firm has ever produced.
It’s a lightweight off-road buggy and that’s an odd fit for a brand that trades on a Japanese vision of premium luxury. It might be fantastic fun but it doesn’t feel like a bold vision of the future in the way you would expect of a concept.
But, as Lexus chief engineer Takeaki Kato notes, premium car buyers still want to have fun. “Lexus road cars are more about luxury, but people who own them still like to play,” he says.
“And there are Lexus owners, particularly in the US, who also have an off-road buggy to play with. So why can’t they have a Lexus for that as well?”
Besides, the creative process that led to the ROV (it stands for recreational off-highway vehicle) is of real significance for how Lexus and parent firm Toyota are developing future technology – in particular, hydrogen.
The ROV uses an H2 combustion engine, with the idea that it could offer emission-free motoring – at the tailpipe, at least.
More broadly, it’s part of Toyota’s quest to prove hydrogen can work in a range of use cases where electric power has drawbacks.
Granted, this might depend on your views on issues such as how ‘clean’ hydrogen power really is, its efficiency relative to electric and more. Right now, though, let’s check out this buggy.
The first thing to know about the H2 ROV is that it isn’t really a Lexus. Its basis is a Yamaha YXZ1000R and the project is the result of a deep collaboration between the two Japanese firms.
Yamaha brought its vast experience of producing lightweight off-roaders, with Lexus adding hydrogen combustion technology and access to more sustainable materials.
The biggest change is to the YXZ1000R’s 998cc direct-injection inline three-cylinder engine. The original runs on petrol, but for the Lexus the Yamaha unit has been converted to run on compressed hydrogen fuel, using a direct-injection system taken from the H2-powered GR Yaris concept.
“It was hard work,” says Kato. “We had to change all the head areas and the injector to ensure it was suitable.”
The H2 engine has a max output of 80bhp, compared with 112bhp for the original, reflecting that it’s still a work in progress and the focus has been on developing the technology, not maximising performance.
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