This Is Why Lexus Thinks It’s Time for Six-Wheeled Vans

We’ve seen our share of off-the-wall concept car ideas, but a six-wheeled minivan from Lexus, of all automakers? Yep, that’s a new one—and with its flagship “LS” nameplate, no less. It’s not quite such a crazy notion in Japan, where vans are held in higher esteem than they are in the United States, but it’s still pretty wild all the same—wild enough that our own Adam Ismail tracked down the designer, Ian Cartabiano, to find out just how serious Lexus is about this whole thing.

Cartabiano is the president of CALTY Advanced Design, which gets its name from its location (southern California) and its parent company (Toyota). CALTY plays a significant role in shaping the long-term design language for both the Toyota and Lexus brands, so it should come as no surprise that the studio had its hand in this monster. And, believe it or not, Cartabiano says a six-wheeled luxury van is not as far-fetched as we might think.

“Is there a timeline? Don’t know yet,” Cartabiano said. “But that thing is totally feasible. I mean, even Akio hinted at that back on October 13,” he continued, referencing a teaser-loaded live stream that Toyota executives held ahead of the show. “It’s basically actively being studied. And who knows, that doesn’t mean it’s coming. But, you know, it definitely means [it’s being taken seriously.]”

Taking it seriously may seem like a stretch to U.S. audiences, but vans aren’t as readily dismissed as mere family appliances in Japan. Toyota even used Alphards to shuttle media to and from the auto show this week; that’s a minivan slightly smaller than the Sienna sold in our market, and Lexus has sold a more luxurious version called the LM there since 2020. To sell something like that in the States, Lexus would need to do some perception management.

“I think there is definitely a part of that pushing against preconceived notions,” Cartabiano said. “As you have already seen here, the luxury van has a totally different meaning. Like, for me, I think a Lexus LM is super badass. And I went to Kyoto this past weekend, I finally had two days off. And I saw these silver ones rolling around those streets at night in the rain. And it’s just like, you know, like my Black Rain movie dream come true, or Blade Runner, and they’re so cool.”

Some minds might need to be changed, in other words, but maybe not too many, Cartabiano hinted.

“But I think, this doesn’t need to be, like, a Sienna-level bestseller. And it just needs to offer something different for somebody who’s bored with the status quo,” he said.

Slapping six wheels on a minivan certainly breaks with convention. But is different necessarily better in this case? Cartabiano thinks so.

“I think if people experienced it, they would understand it a little bit better,” he said.

The six-wheel configuration not only looks wild, but it smooths out the ride for passengers, Cartabiano says. The added stability reduces pitch and yaw motions. Plus, the way Lexus engineered the concept, wheel intrusion into the rear compartment is, in his words, “almost nonexistent.” We assume the design effectively mandates an EV powertrain, as there’s no room for an ICE engine up front and no space reserved for mechanical axles.

It’s a novel idea; we’ll certainly give them that. What do you think? Could you park an LS minivan next to your G63 6×6?

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