Driving.ca took a unique turn with their review of the Lexus LS 600hL, putting Jimmy Pattison, the fourth richest man in Canada, behind the wheel:
Once the colourful self-made billionaire figured out how to operate the keyless ignition and push-button emergency brake on the 2008 Lexus LS600h L — and put his seat belt on “old school” style, with the shoulder belt behind him — he instinctively piloted the massive executive sedan for a highway off-ramp and a place to wind out the new Lexus flagship.
Within just seconds of turning onto the highway, Pattison had the hybrid luxury car sniffing 160 km/h on an empty section of the TransCanada Highway. With his well-manicured hands firmly gripping the wood and leather-trimmed wheel, he effortlessly and confidently settled into taking the Lexus through its paces.
“Boy, this is some car,” the natural-born salesman commented a number of times during the highway run, typically when he’d mat it.
“For the size of this car, it really goes.”
He was even more impressed by the groundbreaking LS600h when reminded it is a hybrid.
“Boy, that’s something.”
The idea of actually incorporating a potential customer into the review is a novel one, too bad there’s a catch — Pattison earns part of his billions by owning car dealerships, including a Lexus branch in Vancouver, BC.