Lexus

One-off Royal Wedding Lexus LS 600 h Landaulet

By Ryan Konko

Posted on June 27, 2011

The coachbuilt limousine for Prince Albert II of Monaco.

On July 2nd, 2011, Prince Albert II of Monaco will marry Charlene Wittstock in Monte Carlo. After the wedding, the newlyweds will take a tour of the principality in a new coachbuilt Lexus LS 600 h Landaulet.

The Royal Wedding Lexus LS 600 h Landaulet is a one-off car built by Belgian coachbuilder, Carat Duchatelet, alongside engineers from Lexus. In order to preserve the build quality, safety, performance, and luxury, the entire project took more than 2,000 hours to complete and required the entire car to be dismantled. The project began with CAD design calculation, simulations, and three-dimensional modeling. The roof pillars were removed and the bodyshell was fitted with complex honeycomb structures, carbon fiber, and Kevlar to maintain chassis strength and rigidity.

The installation of the new composite parts required engineers to completely dismantle approximately 20,000 mechanical, electrical, and interior from the LS 600 h. The naked chassis was then put inside a specially prepared oven where the new composite parts were given time to cure. After the composite parts cured, the car was hand-painted in Midnight Blue livery using a bespoke water-based paint. The entire car was then reassembled under the supervision of Lexus engineers to ensure the utmost in quality and craftsmanship.

The roof of the new Landaulet posed several design and structural challenges. To achieve a strong, safe, and lightweight solution, Lexus worked alongside a French company that specializes in producing similar aerospace industry components. The company made a roof that was 8 mm thick and weighed just 57 lbs. (26 kg.). The lightweight polycarbonate shell is fixed to the LS 600 h in two intermediary parts, and was produced and fitted with robotic tools. After the roof was installed, a team of ten specialists spent two weeks re-assembling and finishing the car.

The Royal Wedding Lexus LS 600 h Landaulet will take the new Royal couple on a tour of the principality after the ceremony. The LS 600 h will operate for most of the trip in full-electric mode, producing zero emissions. After the tour, the LS 600 h Landaulet will be displayed at the Media Centre and later the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco.