Scott Pruett's Custom Wine Cellar ES 350 F Sport

Lexus Knows Best

Lexus always knows how to cater to their customers. They are experts at identifying a market need and specializing in the vocation. This concept is a perfect example of that. The Lexus ES 350 F Sport Culinary Build is a full-size sedan with winery aspirations.

The Man Behind the Brand

Scott Pruett has been a part of the Lexus team since the early 2000s. He has immense experience and has been racing for a long time. He has participated in races ranging from Indy car, NASCAR to Grand-Am and beyond. He is no stranger to the racetrack nor to Lexus and their ethos. He currently is driving the Lexus RC F GT3 under the 3GT racing team with Lexus. He is essential to the brand and its racing pedigree.

His experience extends beyond the racetrack and into the grape fields. Placing his roots in the Sierra Foothills, he has been producing top-rated wine since 2006. His Syrahs and Cabernets have been consistent top-finishers.

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

Custom Truck Space

Pop the trunk of this concept build and you will be greeted with a one-off interpretation of what Lexus and racecar driver Scott Pruett envision to be a winery experience in your vehicle. The trunk is lined in an oak frame and comes fully equipped for all of your wine-ing needs. A temperature-controlled wine fridge, iceless bottle chiller, and an insulated four-glass case. Repurposed wine barrels accent the sides to enhance the winery experience and really tie the room, *ahem*, trunk together.

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

Continuing into the Cockpit

The experience doesn’t end in the trunk, the wine theme continues into the cockpit. Cork floor mats replace the standard carpets. The seats have a custom stemware/utensil embroidery embossed on the headrest, with the Lexus logo displayed underneath. The entire car is sprayed in a unique Tempranillo paint scheme, displaying the superiority of the Lexus paint studio.

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

Let’s Be Responsible

Clearly wanting to keep alcohol out of the cockpit, most of the build was focused on the trunk. Pruett states the plan was "doing something in the trunk, and then talking through how would it work, how would you use this as a consumer, going out on a beautiful day to a picnic, something romantic or special?” Putting himself into the mind of the consumer and focusing on what he may want out a vehicle such as this, he was able to put together an interesting and quite useful build.

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

The Car Has Created Significant Interest

Pruett explains that “people are digging it.” Lexus currently has no plans to move forward with any production version of the vehicle, but every custom builds a brand creates foreshadows their interests and their plans. "Lexus just did this as a one-off. But with that being said, I think there are some elements—especially the wine fridge and stuff in the trunk—it's really cool!" says Pruett. "I'm going to have to see if I can get one for myself!"

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

When Can I Buy?

Unfortunately for the wine enthusiast, the ES 350 Culinary Build is merely a concept. The car was created to showcase Lexus build quality and their custom studios. The car made its rounds at the typical car shows including Pebble Beach as well as SEMA. Presented at the Napa Valley Film Festival and Aspen, it is obvious the car is meant to draw attention from a different market than the traditional car buyer.

This ES 350 serves another purpose as well. While Lexus has been extending to compete in the performance luxury sedan market, they need their customers of the traditional luxury segment to know there is still room for them in the Lexus lineup. With the standard luxury segment diminishing to SUV’s and performance sedans, this is an essential market to Lexus and is one that still requires the intimate focus of the brand.

>>Join the conversation about this Lexus ES wine cellar concept right here in the forum.

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