Lexus has been on the motoring scene since 1989. It’s hard to believe it has been that long. Anyway, when they first introduced their new luxury lineup of cars, Toyota basically served notice to Mercedes-Benz and BMW that they no longer dominated the luxury scene, that a new player was on the block.
A bold statement to be sure, but when you take a bold statement and then back it up with performance, you really have something. And that’s exactly what Toyota did with the Lexus line.
Now here we are in 2013 and the new Lexus LS is about to hit the dealerships. So, what do we have in store? Well, the new Lexus LS delivers exactly what it is supposed to deliver, namely style and luxury, for less money than the Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series. Let’s put it this way: The Lexus LS is the car for those who, back in the 50’s, would have wanted a new Cadillac.
If it is performance and road-hugging handling that you want, look to the Germans. If it is affordable luxury and fine craftsmanship that you want, look to the Land of the Rising Sun and Lexus. Sadly, for either of those qualifications, you should not look at America.
The Lexus LS comes with a 4.6-liter V8 engine that will give you 386 horsepower and 16/24 mpg. This is not a car that is going to explode out of the starting gate, and it is not going to push your head back during acceleration; it also is not going to hug the turns like a Porsche. However, this car is going to give you stately power, a fine sense of road manageability, and refinement throughout.
Complete with 19-inch wheels as standard, Brembo brakes and opulence inside with all the latest technology and a great, great audio system, this LS screams to the world that you have made it and you are quite comfortably living the life.
There is nothing about the new LS that will shake the car world up! This is about a fine automobile getting finer. This is about delivering time and time again what was promised. This is about announcing to Mercedes and BMW that the old world and the old way of doing things have been changed forever. Yes, there is a new kid on the block, and he is more than willing to mix it up with the big boys.