What might driving feel like in the future?

As artificial intelligence, shifting societal values and rapid technological advancements rewrite the rules of the road, the answer is far from simple.

To explore this frontier, Ian Cartabiano, president of CALTY Design Research, Inc., challenged a class of design students at Art Center College of Design (ACCD) in Pasadena, California to imagine how these forces will reshape the high-performance driving experience, using Lexus as a framework.

“Every designer at CALTY began their journey at a design school, much like the students at ACCD today,” says Cartabiano.

“Our sponsorships with these schools are about paying that forward, giving students the space, mentorship, and real-world challenges they need to grow into the designers who will define what mobility looks like in the future. This industry moves fast, and we want to give young designers room to push past the expected and lead its next chapter,” he added.

The project was an academic exercise; it was a rare, immersive bridge to the professional design world. Students were granted exclusive access to the CALTY design studio in Newport Beach, California, visiting at both the beginning and the end of the project to present their work.

Throughout the project, professional CALTY designers stopped by the classroom, guiding the students and pushing their creative boundaries to ensure their visions were firmly launched into the future.

The goal? To deliver a bold, new perspective on what Lexus could become in the decades to follow.

From rendering meticulous sketches and CG movies to sanding and painting  scale models, students were given the coveted opportunity to see their visions for Lexus come to life.

Ultimately, the collaboration between CALTY and these aspiring designers showed that the future of high-performance isn’t just about going faster. It is about feeling more connected, more exhilarated and more inspired.

Watch the art design students at work in the video below.