In several hours’ time, I will be dusting off my finest suit, buffing up my most expensive shoes, and digging out one of those ties my six year-old keeps recycling as a father’s day gift to join a hand-picked group of very special guests to welcome in Japanese automotive royalty tonight as Lexus Manila finally pulls the covers off their flagship model—the new LS.
That may seem like a lot of trouble to go through for a local car launch, but considering that this is the model that started it all back in 1989 when Lexus shocked the automotive industry by not just launching the brand, but by having the audacity to launch “The best luxury car in the world” at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, I figured the least I could do is dress up for the occasion.
Because as audacious as it may have seemed back then to the established heavyweights like BMW and Mercedes—before they even had a chance to stop laughing at the notion of competing with an unknown luxury brand from Japan that, at best, made cars for cement salesmen—Lexus outsold them all two years later to become the bestselling luxury import brand in the United States; and by the year 2000, went from being a question mark to the benchmark, becoming the top-selling luxury car brand in the US—a title it held for nine consecutive years.
This goes a long way in explaining why the LS is virtually the last to receive the new family face with their spindle grille (if you don’t count the LFA of course); quite simply because it is Lexus’ way of letting the world know that they have indeed, saved the best for last. And while it may be just an updated version and not a complete model change, it does feature 3,000 all-new parts. And the good news is Lexus have put them in all in the right places.
The biggest visual upgrade is of course the new face, which adds some much-needed attitude into a front end that many felt was bordering on generic, while the rear end gets brand new LED taillights that does wonders to shave 20 years off its age. Aside from the spindle grille, the new headlamps now arrive with such an unprecedented level of detail, you could almost proudly wear one on your wrist. They feature an upgraded LED daytime running lamp that Lexus calls a “light tube” that illuminates as a solid strip, rather than a dotted line, visually separating it from all those nasty aftermarket kits that many folks are now placing on their AUVs.
And just in case you’re still feeling shortchanged, Lexus have thrown in several “world firsts,” including climate concierge that monitors the individual body temperatures of each passenger and adjusts accordingly, a dynamic new LED interior illumination system that introduces some motion into the welcoming ceremony, as well as best-in-class NVH levels. They have also returned to the 8-speed automatic across the line up after scratching a brief CVT itch.
Climate concierge may sound like a clever little marketing gimmick, but after experiencing it first hand in notoriously temperamental San Francisco weather last August, it is anything but. A total of 13 sensors monitors each passenger’s core temperature and has the ability to individually compensate the seat, steering wheel and air temperature to ensure the most natural, seamless and pleasant acclimatization for its occupants.
This works especially well in situations where there are already passengers in the car who have all adjusted to the climate but are now picking up a person that has been standing on a hot and humid driveway, or in our case, a windy, chilly sidewalk, for ten minutes waiting.
Climate concierge recognizes that it may need to accelerate the cooling experience (or warming) to bring the new passenger into the pre-selected desired temperature zone as seamlessly as possible and can infinitely adjust each zone to achieve a perfect transition from the contrasting temperatures, without upsetting those who are already comfortable.
But as impressive as that is, the whole LS experience begins as soon as you approach the car, performing a state-of-the-art LED welcoming experience that could rival any Japanese tea ceremony. It begins by illuminating the exterior with gentle LED floodlights that paints a path of light around the doors, creating a warm invitation to what has to be the most impressive start sequences for any luxury car I’ve sat in.
Pressing the start/stop button upon entry begins a lighting ritual that pours itself through the discreetly positioned LED accent lights like warm cognac, gently flowing around the entire cabin, wrapping you up in a carefully choreographed blanket of peace and tranquility.
That may seem absurd, I know. But so is using a steering wheel that requires 67 individual processes to complete and takes 38 days to make. Because luxury is not static; it is an experience that needn’t explain itself to anyone except its recipient, and whose value is not always determined by the end result or experiencing perfection, but rather being in the relentless pursuit of it.
Contact the author at facebook.com/mr.counterflow.