YAMAHA LUXAIRE CONCEPT – FIRST LOOK

There appears to be a school of thought among Japanese engineers and stylists that what scooter customers want is Chrysler Imperial levels of ostentatious luxury and bulk. Yamaha’s Luxaire concept has, as CW forum regular BoraxKarloff pointed out, a certain Chrysler New Yorker oeuvre to it.

It’s long, low, lean and has alternative front suspension and enclosed final drive. But it’s also a hybrid, with a Yamaha Intelligent Power Unit built into the rear hub. A super-thin electric motor kicks in during acceleration (or in reverse) and serves to recharge the battery during braking and straight-line cruising. That should mean fuel economy significantly better than an Imperial.

In a market that breeds niches, a hybrid-drive luxury scooter seems inevitable. This styling exercise is a glimpse at what Yamaha’s designers think is possible. Icing on the cake is the special audio system, supplied, of course, by Yamaha (audio).