The Toyota Driver’s Seat blog has posted a recap of the recent Lexus USA National Dealer Meeting, which took place in Los Angeles and celebrated the brand’s 25th anniversary:
There were enticing previews of commercials for the RC and NX, coming to Lexus showrooms within the next two months. There was Akio Toyoda inspiring the crowd with his passionate message. There were plenty of light-hearted moments. But the overall message was clear: Be proud of what Lexus has done in the last 25 years, push to make the next 25 years even better.
All future product news was obviously left out of the article, but the featured parts of Akio Toyoda’s speech are worth highlighting in full:
“Welcome to the fulfillment of a dream, a vision, a belief that together we could create something truly meaningful,” Toyoda said. “And that dream, ladies and gentlemen, is Lexus.”
“Although this is an important anniversary for us, in many ways I consider it a kind of rebirth,” he said. “An opportunity to say ‘Ok, now what?’ Or perhaps more importantly, ‘What if?’ What if we really go after the competition? What if we exceed every customer expectation and then some? What if we develop technologies no one has even thought of yet? And what if we make cars that literally take your breath away? To me, Lexus should be a canvas for automotive artistry.”
Toyoda-san continues to refine his vision for Lexus, and there’s plenty in his speech today that shows a minor correction in the brand’s direction.
The recent focus on performance and design has shifted to customer expectation and artistry, two characteristics that have been key pillars for Lexus over the past 25 years — in fact, almost all of the “what if” scenarios suggested by Toyoda-san are what made the very first LS 400 special.
(Really recommend reading the full article, there’s plenty of insight into how Lexus USA will approach the next year.)
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