Innovative Design for a Childhood of Fun

Lexus has partnered with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation to bring its design philosophy with CPF’s mission of improving the lives of those affected by CP.

Lexus and The Cerebral Palsy Foundation have teamed up to bring together their design and expertise in an effort to give children affected by CP the opportunity to experience the joy of just being a kid. Together, they decided to help these children overcome the mobility challenges they face by designing a ride-on car.

In the early stages of the project, Lexus engineers agreed they needed a candidate in order to begin to identify the needs and problem solve around in order to create the design for all children. With this in mind, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation selects a spunky, six year old named Finley.

Using this human-centric approach, the team was able to look at Finley’s mobility challenges and customize a ride-on car to meet her requirements. In order to reduce fatigue, modifications to the seating position were crucial. Lexus drew inspiration from their F Sport seats using the headrest, exaggerated side bolstering, 5-point harness in order to help Finley maintain core stability allowing her to maintain an upright position and not slide out of her seat. The steering wheel and pedals were also removed and replaced with joysticks allowing for easier functionality. 

Not only did Lexus engineer the ride-on car with the level of craftsmanship we all come to know and expect, but the design was nothing short of amazing as well. Color matching a walker Finley owns, Lexus painted the body of the car a rich and vibrant purple. They eliminated the chrome trim and updated it all with a matte black finish giving it a sporty, modern look. 

Together, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation and Lexus have created a one-of-a-kind ride-on vehicle inspired by children with CP. To read the full story and view the video, click here. Lexus, in partnership with GiveWith LLC., will be donating 5 cents for every link click and video view to the CP Foundation. So, please share this with your friends and family to spread support and awareness!