In what appears to be an April gag, Lexus made a convertible version of the LX SUV. But it’s not a joke or a real LX convertible that you can buy in Lexus showrooms. Instead, the Japanese luxury company is cooperating with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF) to create a one-of-a-kind passenger vehicle inspired by children with cerebral palsy.
“People with cerebral palsy rarely receive the interventions and support they need when they need them,” said Rachel Byrne, Executive Director of CPF. “Our mission is to change this paradigm and to be a catalyst for creating positive change through innovative collaborations and partnerships.”
The creation of the portable LX is based on the human-centered philosophy of Lexus. Since children with cerebral palsy have the challenge of playing with other children and participating in an environment, Lexus wishes to extend its philosophy so that these children experience mobility like the others.
“We create vehicles around the art and science of human needs. In this case, we wanted to push the boundaries and explore what it could mean for a child with cerebral palsy who could not experience the joy of mobility like other children, “said Cooper Ericksen, vice president of Lexus group, product planning and strategy.
The first recipient of the portable Lexus LX is Finley Smallwood. Finley suffers from cerebral palsy and has difficulty sitting for long periods of time. For this reason, the carrier vehicle is modified with additional padding on the side for lateral support and an adjustable headrest. The doors have also been increased, and the ground clearance has been reduced, as well as a five-point harness to secure the child in place.
Finally, to facilitate Finley’s limited movement, the worn LX also has an armrest joystick for the ability to control direction and acceleration.
You can watch Finley’s journey by receiving the special LX Givewith.
In what appears to be an April gag, Lexus made a convertible version of the LX SUV. But it’s not a joke or a real LX convertible that you can buy in Lexus showrooms. Instead, the Japanese luxury company is cooperating with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF) to create a one-of-a-kind passenger vehicle inspired by children with cerebral palsy.
“People with cerebral palsy rarely receive the interventions and support they need when they need them,” said Rachel Byrne, Executive Director of CPF. “Our mission is to change this paradigm and to be a catalyst for creating positive change through innovative collaborations and partnerships.”
The creation of the portable LX is based on the human-centered philosophy of Lexus. Since children with cerebral palsy have the challenge of playing with other children and participating in an environment, Lexus wishes to extend its philosophy so that these children experience mobility like the others.
“We create vehicles around the art and science of human needs. In this case, we wanted to push the boundaries and explore what it could mean for a child with cerebral palsy who could not experience the joy of mobility like other children, “said Cooper Ericksen, vice president of Lexus group, product planning and strategy.
The first recipient of the portable Lexus LX is Finley Smallwood. Finley suffers from cerebral palsy and has difficulty sitting for long periods of time. For this reason, the carrier vehicle is modified with additional padding on the side for lateral support and an adjustable headrest. The doors have also been increased, and the ground clearance has been reduced, as well as a five-point harness to secure the child in place.
Finally, to facilitate Finley’s limited movement, the worn LX also has an armrest joystick for the ability to control direction and acceleration.
You can watch Finley’s journey by receiving the special LX Givewith.