Late last year, there was a rumor that Lexus was planning a performance-oriented variant of the LS 460, and today there’s more information to back it up.
According to Japanese magazine Best Car (by way of 4wheelnews), there are plans to release the curiously named LS SZ, which will be an LS souped up with a new body kit, black chrome grille, a Brembo braking system and a set of wheels designed by BBS. No mention was made of an engine upgrade, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a version of the IS-F’s 5L V8 under the hood.
The exact price of $94,425 USD was even included, which would make it a bargain compared to the S63’s $126,000 USD price tag.
The only question so far is: why the new SZ naming scheme? My only thought is that this will be the designation in Japan, with something less confusing for the rest of the world. Really, if it has the same assortment of modifications as the IS-F, why not just call it the LS-F?
(One thing’s for sure, the accompanying image is fake, it’s a photochop of the very same image I use as my Twitter icon.)
Long-time Mercedes tuner Lorinser has taken its first step into the Lexus body kit market by releasing an aero-kit for the LS 460. Here are the photos:
Breaking down the kit, it starts off with a new front bumper with squared-off edges and round foglights, then adds side-skirts, a rear trunk spoiler, a revised under-spoiler and quad-exhaust tips. The car shown is also sitting on Lorinser aluminum wheels.
While I prefer the stock front bumper, the side-skirts and the rear work are a nice blend of subtle and bold. All together, it’s a very professional looking package.
Even more than that, the fact that Lorinser is branching out into Lexus vehicles is a very good thing—looking forward to seeing their next installment.
Lexus will have a one-off LS 460L to show at the U.S. Open in Farmingdale NY next week, having commissioned a full-body cover designed to look like the surface of a golf ball.
Lima Ohio reports on the story behind the vehicle:
It all started with mailboxes. Brad Smith began making and selling mailboxes that look like a giant golf ball in October. At the PGA Golf Show in Orlando, Fla., in January, representatives of Lexus asked if he could put the same surface on a car.
Smith said he might be able to do it and contacted his friend Rick Davis, who worked with him at Accubuilt in Lima for 10 years. Davis’ son, Matt, had worked with a company that had some experience with a plastic that might work.
While Lexus refers to the “firm” that is doing the project, Rick Davis laughs at the term, pointing to the two-car garage outside his home, where all the work was done.
Here’s a closer look:
According to the Smith, they didn’t get a chance to see if the dimples made the LS 460L any faster, but there was a story earlier this year about a company claiming a similar surface could reduce MPG by as much as 20%.
For comparison, there was a similar wallpaper featured last year, though with this head-on angle, it’s much easier to see how each generation built on the previous design.
…our staffers lauded the interior’s rich ambiance and excellent ergonomics, the buttery V-8’s power and acceleration, and the first-rate bumper-to-bumper build quality. And with an eight-speed automatic transmission, it didn’t force us to visit the gas pump that frequently. Over its year stay, the LS delivered an impressive 18.7 mpg, highlighted by a best tank average of 30.2 mpg.
As we spent more time behind the LS’s wheel, however, our admiration shifted to dissatisfaction…Complaints ranged from minor grumbles (“Side mirrors are too small”) to major grievances (“If you’re a driver, you’ll just find the whole experience numb and uninvolving. There is no emotion to this car. None”), all of which made us wish Lexus had produced more of a driver’s car than a curtailed limousine. “Too soft” and “floaty” were common notebook entries, as was, “more wind noise than I expected.”
I always find myself bristling when I read complaints about “numb steering” and “uninvolved driving”, but then I remember that I’m reading a car magazine and that’s what they do. Nothing’s perfect, after all. (But seriously, new tires and brake pads at 20K? The car’s a limousine, not a track-star.)
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