Lexus Has Been Hard at Work on a Hoverboard

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hoverboard

We promised you we’d show it to you and here it is: the fourth installment in the Lexus “Amazing in Motion” series.

This one is called “Slide.” It should be called something different, though – something along the lines of “Levitate.” That’s because the video below shows a hoverboard.

The device, which uses bamboo and other materials found in Lexus vehicles, floats above the pavement thanks to liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and magnets. That’s good to hear because “Back to the Future Part II” taught us all that you need some sort of “POWer” for a hoverboard to work.

That leads me to a few questions. Does the Lexus hoverboard actually work? I’ll buy that it can stay floating an inch or so above the ground, but can it hold the weight of a person for more than a few seconds and actually cover a useful distance while doing so? Does it function on a non-magnetic surface?

We’ll all be able to find out more about the Lexus hoverboard’s capabilities over the coming weeks by following the hashtag #LexusHover on social media.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Lexus]

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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