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december 05, 2017 - Lexus

Lexus LS 500h DPL

The new #Lexus #LS: a fifth generation of the brand-defining flagship sedan

The original #Lexus #LS was the result of six years’ work by 1,400 engineers to build a luxury car that would rival the best in the world. This “Project F1” duly delivered the original #LS 400 model in 1989, launching the #Lexus brand and beginning a transformation of the prestige vehicle market.

Toshio Asahi, Chief Engineer of the new #LS, reflected on how the original model took the motor industry by surprise: “Its excellent driving performance and superior quietness were proof that we allowed no compromise.”

More than that, it aLSo sparked a revolution in customer service and satisfaction, with newcomer #Lexus consistently setting new benchmarks for the established industry players to aspire to.

Almost 30 years later, an all-new, fifth generation #LS flagship sedan is being launched, a model that draws on the proud history of its predecessors while breaking new ground in design, technology and performance, and extending the boundaries of #automotive luxury.

The challenge now for #Lexus is not simply to go beyond the achievements of the past, but to reimagine what a global flagship sedan should be. This mission has had the close attention of Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who is committed to introducing more excitement to #Lexus modeLS and who has helped in the development of the new #LS in his role as a Master Driver.

“Not only will the #LS symbolise the #Lexus brand, it will become the definitive new generation luxury car, embodyin g Japanese tradition and culture,” said Chief Engineer Asahi. “As such, this global pinnacle must go far beyond what the world expects from a luxury vehicle.”

 

The #Lexus brand shift

Customers’ perceptions of “luxury” were very different back when the original #LS was launched; at that time, the focus on was on objective qualities that could be measured. Today the landscape has changed so that qualitative, subjective responses have become more important considerations when developing the new model.

Chief Engineer Asahi explained: “Luxury is now about experiences rather than possessing luxury items, so #Lexus has shifted from being a luxury car brand to a lifestyle brand that offers amazing experiences.”

This broader outlook is witnessed in Lexus’ wide-ranging encouragement of innovation and emerging talent in diverse creative fields. For example, the annual #Lexus Design Award seeks out exciting new designers worldwide, giving them the chance to showcase their ideas at Milan Design Week and develop their work with mentorship from leading professionaLS. #Lexus aLSo regularly works with high-profile innovators in fashion, art and music to help create amazing experiences that capture the essence of its brand.

The rebirth of Lexus’ flagship sedan in the form of the all-new #LS encapsulates this new, wide-ranging luxury philosophy.

Lexus’ brand differentiators BRAVE DESIGN
  • A new luxury flagship sedan that defines the #Lexus brand
  • Radical new design with coupe-like silhouette, yet the spaciousness of a prestige sedan
  • Interior combines modern design with traditional Japanese aesthetics
  • New platform delivers even higher level of #LS agility and comfort
Crafting a unique identity

Koichi Suga, Chief Designer of the new #LS, recognised from the outset the pivotal role the model plays in defining #Lexus, embodying the brand’s history, image and what it stands for.

“I knew that this was an amazing opportunity to create a #Lexus flagship sedan for the world,” he said. “With my team we wanted to produce something completely new, with unique proportions. Our goal was a car that is longer, lower and wider with a more powerful presence,” he said.

The designers were helped in their task by the new Global Architecture – Luxury (GA-L) platform on which the new #LS is constructed. Its proportions allow for an extended wheelbase, a spacious interior and a lower, ground-hugging appearance with coupe lines.

Chief Designer Suga made outline sketches on dozens of small Post-it notes before crystallising his ideas for a sporty look that would project a more emotional image for #Lexus.

“Our modelling theme was ‘forged from passion,’ with the sense of the ‘passion’ being pushed outwards towards the four wheeLS,” he said. “Our sketches were drawn with an emphasis on a flowing silhouette and large tyres. Meanwhile we aLSo had to address the critical points of providing space for rear seat passengers and ease of getting in and out of the car.”

In the process of defining the car’s design, no fewer than seven mock-up modeLS were completed, compared to the three or four usually created for an all-new model development programme, reflecting the intense attention to detail and importance of the new #LS to the #Lexus brand as a whole.

Design generated by the spindle grille

The spindle grille has become a signature feature of #Lexus vehicle design, but its purpose is not simply a brand signifier. On the new #LS it provides a starting point for the car’s design theme, generating lines which flow through the body and converge at the rear.

The grille itself has an intricate mesh design with 5,000 individual surfaces (more than 7,000 in the F SPORT), which took a highly skilled CAD modellers three and a half months to produce (five months for F SPORT), followed by further precision adjustment by hand. The sophisticated pattern echoes the shape of the grille as it folds back, with a sense of tension and an appearance which changes according to the light.

The spindle theme is aLSo evident in the car’s rear styling and is even picked up in the stitching pattern for the F SPORT seat uphoLStery.


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