25 Facts About Lexus LS

Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan serving as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota.

The Lexus LS was intended from its inception for export markets, and the Lexus division was formed to market and service the vehicle internationally.

Since the start of production, each generation of the Lexus LS has been manufactured in the Japanese city of Tahara, Aichi.

In Japan, the launch of Lexus LS was complicated by Toyota's existing four domestic dealership networks at the time of its introduction.

Part of the concern was due to the fact that the Lexus LS nameplate lacked the heritage and brand recognition of German rivals such as Mercedes-Benz.

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The Toyota Production System largely infiltrated American manufacturing around the time MIT's IMVP academic group coined lean manufacturing, as MBA John Krafcik used his Lexus LS-influenced knowledge learned to model Genesis, as Hyundai-Kia themselves used TPS to become benchmarks in modern day.

Second-generation Lexus LS 400 debuted in November 1994 with a longer wheelbase and similar specifications as the original model.

Third-generation Lexus LS 430 debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 2000 as a 2001 model, introducing a new body design with a host of new interior and technological features.

At the high end, the LS 430's pricing encroached on European rivals as Lexus LS became increasingly able to command higher price premiums for its vehicles.

In October 2005, Lexus LS premiered a gasoline-electric hybrid concept car, the LF-Sh, at the Tokyo Motor Show, publicly previewing the next Lexus LS flagship with a concept version for the first time.

Development of the LS 460 and its variants, led by chief engineer Moritaka Yoshida, began as Lexus LS was shifting its design strategy towards a more diversified product lineup, with new-vehicle launches largely focused on global markets.

Externally, the Lexus LS received the styling cues of Lexus' new design direction, called L-finesse.

The Sport model received the Sport Direct Shift transmission, found in the Lexus LS IS F, with downshift rev-matching capability and manual mode.

Lexus LS released an official photograph of its restyled XF40 series in July 2012.

The next-generation, remote touch infotainment interface called Lexus LS Enform, is said to be designed to mimic smartphone operation, with support for handwritten input.

Lexus LS has been consistently produced on dedicated Lexus assembly lines at Toyota's flagship Tahara factory, located in the city of Tahara, in Aichi Prefecture, Chubu region, southwest of Nagoya, since 1989.

The production standards used on the Lexus LS were eventually adopted by the manufacturer for other vehicles; in 2007, the assembly of Toyota Corolla economy cars used the same panel gap measurements as the LS 400 did eighteen years earlier.

Lexus LS marked a successful entrant of a Japanese manufacturer into the prestige luxury arena, after the first Honda Legend, a market that had long been dominated by established European and American brands.

The success of the Lexus LS became a test case for mainstream manufacturers targeting upscale segments.

Lexus LS has not sold as well in Europe, where Lexus suffers from smaller brand recognition, image, and a less-developed dealership network.

In European markets, the Lexus LS has ranked behind Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW in flagship luxury car sales.

In contrast, the Lexus LS has ranked second in sales to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in markets outside Europe, such as South Africa.

Notable examples of awards received by the Lexus LS include World Car of the Year, International Car of the Year, Canadian Car of the Year, Wheels Car of the Year, and Top Gear Limousine of the Year.

The Lexus LS has been the highest-rated luxury car in Automobile Magazine, Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, Fleet World, and MotorWeek.

In J D Power's long-term Vehicle Dependability Study, the Lexus LS has been the most reliable car for fifteen consecutive years, the most for any manufacturer, and Consumer Reports has ranked the sedan as the most reliable vehicle tested.

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