THE LEXUS STORY
The very first Lexus built was created from a potent mix of passion, commitment, and an uncompromising pursuit of perfection. To achieve the ambitious goal of creating a vehicle like no other, a rigorous, exhaustive process was undertaken. The end result was the LS 400 which represents the first chapter of the Lexus story.
Our vision for perfection
From the outset, the planning committee recognised that Lexus
should set new standards of production for a motor vehicle, with
goals that would supersede the world's best cars.
This ambitious new vehicle needed to achieve over 150mph
(250km/h), return 22.5 miles per gallon (10.51/100km), noise
levels had to be under 60 decibels at 60mph (96km/h) and it had
to display a low drag coefficient of 29. At the time, these
benchmarks were considered almost impossible to achieve, even by
the Lexus planning committee.
To create luxury you must know luxury
To get inside the mind of potential Lexus owners, and to truly
understand the limits of luxury, the Lexus design team did not
start their journey in an engineering workshop. Instead, they set
out around the world to immerse themselves in luxury. Their
travels took them to luxury waterfront homes, exclusive golf
courses, multi-million dollar yachts, exquisite villas and to the
workshops of the world's finest watchmakers.
They studied the architecture and craftsmanship to get an
understanding of the very essence of luxury which they could then
apply to the first Lexus, the LS 400.
A vehicle for all seasons
From the unforgiving terrain of the Australian outback to the icy conditions of the Arctic Circle and the Italian Alps, through to the humidity of the Ivory Coast and the extreme cold of a New Zealand blizzard, the first Lexus was put through its paces. Indeed, a prototype was left in the Sahara desert for a full year, subjected to the harshest sunlight, in the quest to create a vehicle that was not merely a luxurious show pony but a vehicle of substance able to withstand nature's most testing conditions.
At a specially designed test track in Japan, every type of driving condition was recreated to test performance dynamics to ensure the Lexus operated at the highest level every time.
A significant investment
The creation of the first Lexus represented a significant investment, both financially and in the number of people who worked on this groundbreaking project.
Reflecting the confidence that the team felt, $US5 billion was spent on the development of the LS 400, employing the talents of 2,300 technicians and 1,400 engineers. An incredible 4.3 million test kilometres were clocked and 450 prototypes developed, with over 100 crashed in safety testing alone.
Aerodynamically designed
Enhanced performance was achieved by creating a body design that was refined in the same wind tunnels used to test the 298 km/hr bullet trains. The design was then tested again at high speeds on German autobahns. This resulted in considerable improvements in the body design, with the aerodynamic shape helping to create a more fuel efficient vehicle.
Designed for all drivers
The first Lexus was built for people who would appreciate an incomparable new level of motoring - whoever they were. The new Lexus had to be a pleasure to drive for both men and women. Representative of the lengths the design team was prepared to go to in the pursuit of a car that was user-friendly for any driver, they stuck false fingernails on their fingers to recreate the possible driving experience of a woman.The team looked for inspiration beyond the confines of a motor vehicle, with a Gulfstream jet providing valuable insight for the instrument panel of the new Lexus.
A vehicle built to last
Lexus engineers put a range of other luxury cars through a series of tests to find out how they could improve on them. By leaving them in the harsh conditions of the desert in Arizona, they could observe how the cars deteriorated when exposed to the elements.
Taking the lessons of these tests and then building upon them, many innovations were created in the quest to build a vehicle that surpassed all others.