Photo: Lexus / Wikipedia
It was exactly 25 years ago when Toyota’s luxury division Lexus officially entered the automotive industry and presented its first vehicle to the world.
At the 1989 North American International Auto Show, Lexus unveiled the LS 400 full sized luxury sedan, which you may know from the TV ad with all those champagne glasses stacked on top of its hood while revving its engine.
The project started back in 1983, when Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda summoned a secret meeting of company executives regarding a top-secret project code-named F1 (Flagship One). The project was aiming to develop a luxury flagship sedan that would challenge the world’s best.
60 designers, 24 engineering teams, 1,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians, 220 support workers, around 450 prototypes and over $1 billion later, the F1 project resulted in the Lexus LS 400 that debuted at the 1989 Detroit Show. Sharing few elements with previous Toyota sedans, it was powered by a 4-liter V8 engine sending the power to the rear wheels. The LS was widely known for its quietness, ergonomic interior, engine performance, fuel economy and aerodynamics which made it a very valuable sedan.
Subsequently, the brand added more sedans, coupes, convertibles and SUV models, while in 2005 the first hybrid has been added - the RX 400h. Another important addition to the brand was the F Marque performance division, which launched in 2007 with the debut of the IS F sport sedan. The name refers to Flagship and the Fuji Speedway, whose first corner inspired the shape of the F emblem. Along with the F Marque, a related F Sport performance trim level and accessory line was made available for standard Lexus models.
Fast-forward to 2014 and you will find the reborn brand, guided by the L-finesse design language, offering 11 different models (of which 5 can be had with hybrid powertrains) defined by nonconformist design, excellent quality and advanced technologies, which will further expand with at least two new models inspired by the recently revealed LF-NX and RC concepts.
The project started back in 1983, when Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda summoned a secret meeting of company executives regarding a top-secret project code-named F1 (Flagship One). The project was aiming to develop a luxury flagship sedan that would challenge the world’s best.
60 designers, 24 engineering teams, 1,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians, 220 support workers, around 450 prototypes and over $1 billion later, the F1 project resulted in the Lexus LS 400 that debuted at the 1989 Detroit Show. Sharing few elements with previous Toyota sedans, it was powered by a 4-liter V8 engine sending the power to the rear wheels. The LS was widely known for its quietness, ergonomic interior, engine performance, fuel economy and aerodynamics which made it a very valuable sedan.
Subsequently, the brand added more sedans, coupes, convertibles and SUV models, while in 2005 the first hybrid has been added - the RX 400h. Another important addition to the brand was the F Marque performance division, which launched in 2007 with the debut of the IS F sport sedan. The name refers to Flagship and the Fuji Speedway, whose first corner inspired the shape of the F emblem. Along with the F Marque, a related F Sport performance trim level and accessory line was made available for standard Lexus models.
Fast-forward to 2014 and you will find the reborn brand, guided by the L-finesse design language, offering 11 different models (of which 5 can be had with hybrid powertrains) defined by nonconformist design, excellent quality and advanced technologies, which will further expand with at least two new models inspired by the recently revealed LF-NX and RC concepts.
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