Hybrids

There’s an interesting column by Eddie Alterman at Car & Driver—I recommend reading the whole thing, but here’s some choice quotes:

...try to figure out what an IS F could possibly be doing next to an HS250h hybrid. Or why the LFA, a bona fide super-premium super-GT, looks like somebody’s old Supra that crashed into a JC Whitney parts warehouse…You’ll certainly leave wondering what it is that Lexus believes in.

The real answer to the question of Lexus’s product convictions is that it has none. It’s a fine mimic, but there’s no dynamic cohesion among its cars. However blasphemous this may sound to the car enthusiast, those great performance Lexuses represent the problem. They are elaborate ways of confusing the brand’s message and scattering its resources. What’s really killing Lexus is waywardness.

A business, especially a luxury-car business, should stand for something more than just best practices and profit taking. A great car company needs its own animating idea, expressed through the entire product line—a spirit that holds the enterprise together.

What I find most interesting about Alterman’s column is that he almost gets it—it’s right in front of him, but he takes a wrong turn and ends up at the wrong conclusion.

The answer is here in this audio interview with Lexus Head for Global Design, Simon Humphries:

Mr Humphries’ comments are strictly broad strokes, but there’s a lot that can be taken away—particularly when he says “Lexus is about changing, or redefining, the luxury experience”.

This sentiment is the very essence of the brand, the “animating idea” that Alterman is looking for. It’s the common thread that ties every Lexus model together. Alterman mistakes it for a “fine mimic”—Lexus is not copying, they’re improving.

It’s the pursuit of perfection.

It explains the very first LS 400 as much as it does the IS F or LFA, and it’s the reason behind every vehicle in the lineup. Most importantly, it’s been the brand’s slogan since its introduction in 1989—I’m surprised Alterman didn’t know about it.

[Source: Car & Driver & Lexus Magazine]

Taking the upmost caution in the face of increasingly ridiculous media attention, Toyota has announced that the Lexus HS 250h will be investigated alongside the 2010 Toyota Prius for a software glitch that is causing problems with Toyota’s hybrid braking—even though the two models don’t even use the same software:

The mechanical parts that make up the brake system in the Lexus model are identical to those in Toyota’s 2010 Prius, but the two gas-electric hybrid cars use different software systems to control the way the brakes are used, said Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman.

Still, he said, the Lexus is now part of Toyota’s investigation.

“If you’ve got an issue with the Prius, then you are going to look at the [Lexus] HS 250h too,” Lyons said. “The two cars have the same components, so we are looking at both cars despite the difference in their software tuning.”

To be clear, not a single complaint has been received about the HS 250h’s braking system, and neither the HS 250h or the 2010 Toyota Prius have been recalled—in affected Prius’, there can be a temporary “disconnect” in the braking system when going over a bump. Tellingly, it mirrors Ford’s recent Customer Satisfaction Program that fixes a similar issue with the Fusion Hybrid, and which was not classified as a recall and was fixed with a software update.

(It’s unfortunate that media coverage has reached such a fevered pitch, as it’s becoming difficult for consumers to separate hype from fact—events this week with U.S. Transport Secretary Ray LaHood & the UAW have only confused the matter more—and I have to recommend that everyone read this story from the Financial Post (titled appropriately enough “The War on Toyota”) for an alternative look at this entire situation.)

[Source: The LA Times]

Update: Here’s another well-reasoned article, this time by Autocar’s Steve Cropley. Nice to see some “Positive Backlash”, as The Guardian’s Edmund King puts it.

Note: The following interview with Lexus Hybrid Drive chief Shinichi Abe was written by Doug Knox for Lexus Magazine, and is reprinted with permission.

WHEN THE LEXUS Hybrid Drive project first received the green light in the early 2000s, Shinichi Abe, the man about to inherit the biggest thing at Lexus at the time, admits that he and his team shared a few nervous moments.

After all, all that was at stake was the opportunity to help change the luxury auto industry, which had yet to see its first “alternative” energy vehicle on the road. Not only that, Abe had an enormous decision to make: which of Lexus’ several models would get the first hybrid conversion? The flagship LS sedan? The sporty SC convertible? A new model entirely? In the end, Abe’s bold decision belied any initial nervousness.

He chose an SUV.

Continue reading this article...

I’m now halfway through my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h— after six weeks, the interior controls and options has become second nature, and that familiarity has increased my appreciation of the design decisions throughout the cabin, particularly with the steering wheel layout.

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Japanese newspaper Chunichi Shimbun is reporting that the new Lexus CT200h will be on sale in Japan starting in May, adding credibility to rumors of a LF-Ch production model debuting at the Geneva Auto Show in March.

The newspaper also claims the new hybrid hatchback will be powered by same hybrid engine as the third-gen Toyota Prius, where it produces a modest combined 134hp. Too bad Google’s translation falls apart when it comes to price, claiming the CT 200h will start at ¥ 300 million ($3.3 million USD).

[Source: Chunichi Shimbun (translated)]

It’s been rumored that the production Lexus LF-Ch would see its debut at the Frankfurt Geneva Auto Show in March, and now Autoblog has the first spyshots that may very well prove the point:

For comparison, here’s a similar photo of the LF-Ch concept:

It looks like the aggressive wheel arch has been retained, though much of the rear bumper’s muscular look has been toned down, along with the taillights, which now look similar to the RX design. The super-detailed wheels have also been replaced with a more typical Lexus design.

This push toward practicality had to be expected—the LF-Ch concept did a great job at capturing the imagination, but it was far too complex for a production model. From what I can see, Lexus did exactly what was necessary with the rear design—it’s the front-end styling that’s going to be more pivotal.

[Source: Autoblog]