At least that’s the vision of the future in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film "Minority Report," starring Tom Cruise. The film, based on a short story by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, is an action-detective thriller set in Washington, D.C. in 2054, where police utilize a psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before they commit their crime. Tom Cruise plays the head of this precrime unit and is himself accused of the future murder of a man he hasn’t even met.

When it came time to conceptualize automotive transportation for the futuristic setting, Spielberg turned to Lexus as a potential partner. "I’ve been driving a Lexus SUV," Spielberg said. "And I thought Lexus might be interested in going into a speculative future to see what the transportation systems and cars would look like on our highways in 50 years. The result of that exploration is something that elevates and transforms driving into an environmental experience."

Conceptualizing and creating the film’s 2054 setting - including its transportation systems - began nearly three years ago. From the outset, Spielberg wasn’t interested in creating a fantastical science fiction film but, rather, a future reality film. The first step was to call together a diverse team of designers and futurists to speculate on what the year 2054 might actually look like. Among the participants were conceptual artist Harald Belker and representatives from Calty, the Toyota/Lexus design studio in Southern California.

Discussions were wide-ranging and included topics such as the future of medical advancements, social theories, defense issues, advertising, infrastructure, technology, workplace and household appliances, and of course, cars. There was talk of new inventions, including iris colorants, anti-boredom gelcaps, additional alphabet letters, spray meat, and magnetic levitation transportation systems.

These early sessions would inform much of the design of the futuristic world of "Minority Report." Belker - whose film credits include "Batman & Robin," "Inspector Gadget" and "Armageddon" - was commissioned to design the film’s vehicles, including cars for a vast urban magnetic levitation (MAG-LEV) system, as well as an individual off-system car for driving outside the city. Lexus provided design and luxury cues for the cars, and gave Belker the lowdown on advanced interior technology. "That sophisticated, forward thinking for cars is really a hallmark of Lexus," says Belker.

In the film’s design for its Washington, DC setting circa 2054, a mass transportation system uses electrical/magnetic energy - much like that which sends a bullet train speeding along - with horizontal and vertical surfaces covered with "roadways" made of magnetic discs that support and propel various vehicles. In this accident-free, computer-controlled system, vehicles move at speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour. In the city’s transportation layout, private pods, taxis and multi-passenger cars all negotiate the MAG-LEV system. As cars travel, they make seamless transitions between vertical and horizontal surfaces.