The Lexus Method
Amazing stories of human obsession and ultimate perfection
Lexus cars are created quite unlike any others. Many of the practices used to create such vehicles may be unheard of in the automotive industry, often taking inspiration from such diverse areas as the fashion industry, architecture, the arts and even medicine. Join us as we take a walk through the Lexus plant and discover some of the practices that are redefining the luxury car market.
Flawless leather
Leathers have been selected from animals raised in pastures free of barbed wire. This is not only more humane for the animals, but helps ensure a blemish-free finish to the leather.
The craftsmanship of the Takumi
In the Lexus Tahara Plant in Japan, the build quality of every LS 460 is closely supervised by an elite team of 10 Master Craftsmen or 'Takumi', a centuries-old tradition of artisans in Japanese manufacture.
It is this crucial human touch that meshes artistry with science. Each Takumi possesses a unique skill and meticulously checks 10 criteria, from engine casting and assembly to the body welding, to maintain Lexus' impeccable standards.
Lexus engineers describe their role as 'achieving a synergy that links our technological edge with the years of experience and finely honed senses of our experts, resulting in an advanced sense of motion grounded in linear stability.'
Fine tuning every engine
One Takumi is charged with the role of personally inspecting every engine. After assembly, the Takumi fires up every engine on a test bed under light load conditions, and listens intently with a stethoscope to detect even the faintest variations in sound. He then makes any necessary adjustments, as though tuning a grand piano, ensuring every LS 460 and LS 600hL assumes a perfect state of tune.
Sound thinking in quality control
Once built, every LS 460 is placed in a soundproof inspection booth and driven over a stone paved roller at up to 200km/hr. The car is analysed through a highly sensitive 7 way microphone and any car which shows any abnormal noises then moves to a second booth. A master craftsman analyses the car and makes any necessary adjustments before it is permitted to leave the plant.
Perfection in pure sound reproduction
The IS 250 Chief Engineer Mr Fukusato, a lover of music, wanted to create superior speakers for the car's audio system. He was well aware that the quality of the paper fibre used in the construction of a stereo speaker is critical to its frequency response. Water is used in creating this paper, and any impurities in the diaphragm or 'cone' limits a speaker's ability to deliver sound without distortion. So he ordered a search to be carried out throughout Japan to find water that was free of impurities.
The water sources they discovered include a 200 year old spring which also supplies the water for the production of premium sake. Only water like this was deemed sufficiently free of minerals and impurities for the manufacture of the wafer thin speaker cones of the Mark Levinson audio system in the IS 250.
Woodwork that goes with the grain
In the IS 250 Sports Luxury, the three components of the console come from a single piece of timber hand-selected for its colour and elegant grain. The three individual pieces are in turn crafted by three different craftsmen, to be later reunited during assembly in the one vehicle.
Such lengths are deemed mandatory by designers and engineers driven to achieve perfection and inspired by cleaner design.
The sound of luxury that opens doors
Lexus searched the world to determine the right audio qualities for the closing of the vehicle's door and chose the sound of a large oak door to a mansion. Engineers then spent hundreds of hours perfecting the door closing mechanism to emit just the right note.
So as you step into an LS 460 and close the door, the feeling is consistent with being welcomed into a fine luxury home.
Shaving unnecessary weight from every bolt
A tiny sliver of steel is scooped from the head of every bolt used in every Lexus, reducing the overall weight of the vehicle by up to nine kilograms. This is just one of the meticulous practices that frees up the performance and improves fuel efficiency. At Lexus, the tiny details are not treated lightly.
Forty-two separate paint processes, one flawless finish
Up to 42 separate and carefully executed steps are taken to achieve the unmistakable finish of the LS 460. From the cleansing of the body panels prior to priming, to the hand rubbing of the bodywork between paint coats, nothing is considered too much effort to achieve a perfect finish and deep lustre.
Hand polishing the teeth of gears
In order to optimise Lexus' trademark levels of quietness and smoothness, the gears in the Electronically Controlled Variable Transmission of the LS 600hL are micron polished. This is a painstaking process that reduces friction, and further lowers noise levels in what is already a whisper quiet car.