Lexus LS: 4th Generation News & Information

Road & Track has posted their driving impressions of the LS 460 Sport, which features a sport-tuned air suspension, Brembo brakes, and the Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission from the IS-F, all intended to give the Lexus flagship a more performance-oriented demeanor:

Seemingly small changes add up to big differences out on the road—especially if that road is curvy. Setting the suspension to Sport (the stiffest of its three modes) does away with the squish associated with the regular LS. It takes a firm set entering turns, with minimal body roll and negligible understeer, ..The Brembo brakes bring a high level of confidence, allowing you to brake later entering turns, while the 380-bhp 4.6-liter V-8 makes exiting turns fun, with easily controlled power-on oversteer available—who knew the LS chassis was so competent?

The LS 460 Sport also gains a unique interior with exclusive features like brown ash burl wood trim and a unique-to-the-Sport Package heated leather steering wheel.  The SPDS transmission is also programmed for smoother shifting in the LS Sport than in the IS-F.

(Lexus also offers an Appearance Package which replicates the LS Sport’s exterior appearance for the standard LS 460.)

[Source: Road & Track]

Consumer Reports has announced its annual Top Picks for 2010, and the Lexus LS 460 L was named Best Overall Car and the #1 luxury sedan for the third consecutive year. The LS retained its top score of 99 out of 100 in Consumer Reports road tests, making it the highest-rated vehicle ever tested by the publication.

Read the USA Today article

For the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japanese tuner company Wald International outfitted a 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport with their Executive Line body kit and Renovatio wheels:

Wald’s tendency to overcomplicate the simple Lexus design is too over-the-top for my tastes, especially with the front-fender vents and the massive 22” Renevatio wheels, but it isn’t hard to see the appeal of muscling up the LS with some more aggressive lines.

Superb photography as well, here’s the full gallery:

[Source: Winding Road]

Agent 00R of Autospies drove from New York City to the Detroit Auto Show in a 2010 Lexus LS 460 AWD, and has shared some observations on how the sedan handled the trip.

Read this story

The shiny foil is usually reserved for the Lexus LX, but someone in Kuwait went ahead and decided to give it a go with an LS 460:

Chrome-wrapping is a disturbing trend, though there’s some solace in the fact that it’s unlikely to catch on in North America—too much potential for vandalism and public humiliation.

(Thanks Fhaad!)

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While on the topic of the Lexus LS in the Middle East, check out this absolutely insane video (DO NOT TRY THIS):

Autoblog has posted their review of the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the sedan’s newfound sportiness:

Approaching the first tight turn along this curvy hillside ribbon of asphalt, we instinctively wanted to tap into the upgraded Brembos to scrub off some momentum. Expecting a fair amount of body roll, we planned our line accordingly, but amazingly, the LS – with its re-calibrated suspension, beefier stabilizer bars and uprated shocks – was well planted and barely bobbed to either side. We pushed a little harder into the next bend and the stately sedan just hunkered down and carved a perfect arc. This can’t be right.

As the road straightened out we were scratching our head trying to figure out what just happened. Is this Lexus actually fun to drive? Did these seemingly minor suspension changes really transform the LS from a perfectly wonderful boulevard cruiser to a genuine back road bomber?

These positive reviews of the LS Sport are very exciting—with no (reported) sacrifice in ride quality, a tasteful body kit, a handsome interior color scheme with beautiful matte wood, and all the performance upgrades, there doesn’t seem to be a single drawback to this package.

Best of all, this bodes well for the future of the Lexus’ flagship sedan—maybe these performance upgrades should be standard.

(I also recommend going through the photo gallery, great detail photos in there.)

[Source: Autoblog]