Every so often, companies within a specific industry make the decision to launch a new product in a completely new category/industry all together. Usually it’s fairly strange for a business to break out into a new industry, especially when they’ve established themselves in one specific industry so well. Car companies and brands operate in an extremely lucrative industry, one that is also fairly complex. It takes a lot of research and money to bring a new car to market, so it would seem strange for a car company to drift into a new type of industry. However they do from time to time, and sometimes these new ventures can be big hits. We are going to take a look at a few different car companies that have ventures outside of the automobile industry.
Photo from Hondajet.com
4. Lexus
Lexus has made news recently with a launch of a new project well outside the realm of automobiles. While some car companies choose to launch “safe” projects, those that relate somewhat to the production of automobiles, Lexus has gone a bit further than that. The company has recently announced that they have actually created a working hoverboard that is totally rideable and it’s called “Slide”. Lexus released a video teasing the new project and it seems very interesting. While it’s still very much so in the early stages of development, the board uses liquid-nitrogen semiconductors and electromagnets to float around. The catch is that the board can only really hover above a metal surface, however it’s still very cool. Lexus tells us that we should hear more information about Slide later this summer.
Photo from Lexus International
3. BMW
BMW is well-known and respected for their luxury automobiles and high-end motorcycles, and they often venture outside of the world of cars. Recently they have announced a new partnership with Alpinestars to develop and create a riding jacket for motorcyclist that has a built-in airbag. While this jacket sort of relates to what BMW normally does, entering into the clothing/motorcycle gear industry is certainly outside the world of automobiles. This new jacket seems to be fairly impressive and has the potential to save the lives of many riders around the world. The jacket will obviously have an airbag and it can deploy within 25 milliseconds upon detecting an impact. The airbag will protect the riders chest, back, kidneys, and shoulders and is expected to head to market sometime later this year. There are no indications on how much this will cost, but I imagine it will be close to around $1,000 dollars. If it can save your life, then it’s definitely worth the high-price.
Photo from alpinestars.com
2. Aston Martin
We all know Aston Martin as the legendary British automobile company that produces some of the finest luxury grand touring vehicles in the world, and they predominantly have always stuck to constructing cars. But as of recently, Aston Martin has launched a special new project that many are interested in. They have partnered up with Quintessence Yachts to design and develop a high-end powerboat. It’s called the AM37 and it brings everything we love about Aston Martin into the world of luxury performance boats. As the name implies, the vehicle will be 37-feet in length. It will be constructed from a variety of high-end matierals (premium wood, carbon fiber, Nappa leather, etc.) and offer all the comforts seen in a normal Aston Martin car. The boat, once launched, will be available in the standard version that can reach speeds of 50 knots and then a performance version that can attain speeds of 60 knots. They are currently working on the prototypes right now, and there’s no current information regarding when the AM37 will launch or how much it will cost, but we expect it to be comparable in price to an Aston Martin automobile.
Photo from Quintessence Yachts
1. Honda
Honda is one car manufacturer that has always ventured outside the world of automobiles, and one of the more important ones to have come out recently would be their HondaJet. This is the first aircraft developed by the company, and many people are already praising the aircraft. It’s been in development since for a number of years now, and has recently met all of the certifications that allow the company to finally sell the vehicle. It takes a long time to develop, test, produce, and then certify a jet and the HondaJet is now finally rolling off the production line. It’s priced at $4.5 million dollars and it is a light business jet that can accommodate 4 to 6 passengers in total. It’s efficient, reliable, and relatively affordable (private jets aren’t cheap, but compared to others, the HondaJet is certainly affordable) and we are very excited to see these jets hit the skies around the world. It just goes to show you that car manufactures can break out of their industry and create exceptional products.
Photo from Hondajet.com
