The Lexus LY 650 yacht makes the boat concept out of the ordinary

Lexus unveiled its latest luxury vehicle, although the LY 650 yacht is designed for the high seas and not for the road. Described as the fourth addition to Lexus' flagship lineup, the ship joins its siblings LS Sedan, LX SUV and LC Coupe as a premium-class transportation option with striking styling.

It is inspired by the Lexus Sport Yacht Concept, the boat that Lexus designers introduced in 2017 as the offshoot of their automotive design work. The automaker confirmed that it had production plans for a larger, concept-based boat for sale in March this year. We are now seeing the results.

Larger and more imposing than the Sport Concept Yacht, the Lexus LY 650 has a length of 65 feet and a beam of 19 feet. There are towering arc and curved apron accents, as well as what Lexus describes as "accented back hips". For their part, the designers also managed to get a fluid Lexus style roofline.

Inside, there will be a mix of boat and car elements and elements of style. The huge Lexus logo built into the floor may not suit all tastes, but the metal surfaces that curl wood cabinets contrast nicely with chrome and leather.

While the Lexus designers may have developed the LY 650, the automaker – perhaps with wisdom – has sought elsewhere the expertise needed to build it. This will be managed by the Wisconsin-based Marquis-Larson Boat Group, which was responsible for producing the actual version of the Lexus Concept Sport Yacht.

There are still some big issues to settle, mind. The Sport Yacht Concept was in part remarkable because Lexus used the same 5.0-liter V8 engine as the LC 500 coupe, modified for use at sea. This continued a tradition that began in the late 90s, when Toyota Marine has used Lexus cars' V8 diesel and gas engines for a number of production boats.

What will fuel the Lexus LY 650 yacht, however, is not clear at this point. Previous Marquis-style boats similar in size to this Lexus yacht were based on twin diesel engines.

According to Lexus, the first completed LY 650 is expected to be ready in the second half of 2019, ready to make its official debut at the end of the year. No word on pricing or performance at this stage.