Lexus Trademarks LM 350 & LM 300h Nameplates in USA

Posted by Kevin on June 18th, 2018

Lexus has trademarked LM 350 & LM 300h in the USA, making for two unexpected nameplates and a fun game guessing their significance.

The L model designation is reserved for the top end of the Lexus lineup (think LS, LC, and LX), and the LM nameplate could be the perfect fit for the production model of the recent LF-1 Limitless crossover concept. However, there are a couple issues:

  • The 350 & 300h engine designations would mark a dramatic departure in Lexus flagship powertrain options, as no Luxury model has ever been offered with a gas-only V6 in North America or a four-cylinder hybrid in any country.
  • Just last month, Lexus trademarked the LQ nameplate, presumably also an option for the LF-1 production model.

Website Kaizen Factor, who found these trademarks originally, have hypothesized that the M part of LM could be for “Multipurpose”. This would fit well with the LF-1 crossover, and it’s as good a guess as any.

One left field option could be “Mini”, as in Luxury Mini, and be the production nameplate for the LF-SA city car concept — in fact, this is a direct quote from the Lexus Europe website:

The LF-SA Concept explores a future in which Lexus drivers will still be able to enjoy the ‘luxury’ of getting behind a wheel and driving themselves, whilst enjoying the ultimate in on-board connectivity, infotainment and safety.

This idea is funnier than most, as it would mean Lexus putting a 300+ horsepower V6 into a car of this size:

Lexus LF-SA City Car

For those wanting details, both the LM 300h (trademark Serial Number 87958305) and LM 350 (Serial Number 87958281) were filed for “automobiles and structural parts thereof” on June 12, 2018.

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Comments
bogglo
Lexus Mirai maybe..:grinning::grinning:

Probably not related to the LF-1

I taught about Le Mans also. but maybe Lexus is going back to model number been equivalent to engine. 3.0l hybrid...
Joaquin Ruhi
bogglo
Lexus Mirai maybe..:grinning::grinning:
LOL!

bogglo
Probably not related to the LF-1.
I thought about that, but why would they start with an "L" (implying flagship), yet couple it with such low numbers?
Gecko
bogglo
Joaquin Ruhi
LOL!


I thought about that, but why would they start with an "L" (implying flagship), yet couple it with such low numbers?
Maybe it's just Toyota playing mind games with us again. Remember how they renewed the Celica and Supra at the same time?

What baffles me is how specific they are with the LM trademark unlike the LQ.
krew
krew

Lexus Trademarks LM 350 & LM 300h Nameplates in USA
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Is it for the LF-1 or a mystery model?
View the original article post
S
TOYOTA just won 24hr Le Mans!!! LM could be the designated name for the Gazoo road car they're coming out with!!!
L
The suggested engine sizes seem too modest for a flagship cross and too generous for a city car. Something Sienna-esque,perhaps?
Joaquin Ruhi
SteVVT-i
TOYOTA just won 24hr Le Mans!!! LM could be the designated name for the Gazoo road car they're coming out with!!!
Highly doubtful.

Yes, the LM=Le Mans part makes sense. The numbers don't. As noted in a couple of official Toyota/Gazoo news releases and the Gazoo Racing Super Sport Concept thread, the GR Super Sport Concept is powered by a 2.4-liter twin turbo V6 with a racing hybrid system putting out over 1000 hp. That's got to be equivalent to way more than a 300h or 350.
Joaquin Ruhi
Lasse J. Nordvik
The suggested engine sizes seem too modest for a flagship crossover and too generous for a city car. Something Sienna-esque,perhaps?
Hmmm, that did briefly cross my mind at one point but I never put it into my article. Perhaps the Lexus minivan Asian markets have been clamoring for?
krew
Lasse J. Nordvik
The suggested engine sizes seem too modest for a flagship crossover and too generous for a city car. Something Sienna-esque,perhaps?
Love this idea, personally -- it would be a bold move by Lexus to make a luxury minivan!
Y
Joaquin Ruhi
Hmmm, that did briefly cross my mind at one point but I never put it into my article. Perhaps the Lexus minivan Asian markets have been clamoring for?
I would agree if these trademarks weren't filed in the USA.
Gecko
Considering the market right now, it would make more sense for Lexus to make a luxury version of the Tundra or Tacoma than the Sienna. The minivan market continues to shrink in comparison to crossovers.
S
Luxury minivans are still desirable in Asia and they are ridiculously profitable even in small numbers. 3.5 and 2.5 hybrid are exactly what they have on the Alphard. The 3.5 is WAY too much power for a minivan but they are bought primarily for smoothness.
M
Lasse J. Nordvik
The suggested engine sizes seem too modest for a flagship crossover and too generous for a city car. Something Sienna-esque,perhaps?
Not if it’s a flagship level city car. Maybe this is Lexus’ first BEV vehicle, in which case it’s great that it’s receiving the flagship treatment akin to the first LS and the hypothetical flagship crossover LQ (LF-1).
Y
mordecai
Not if it’s a flagship level city car. Maybe this is Lexus’ first BEV vehicle, in which case it’s great that it’s receiving the flagship treatment akin to the first LS and the hypothetical flagship crossover LQ (LF-1).
Be it a city car or a minivan I think Lexus would be seriously risking rendering the letter L in their nomenclature meaningless if they decide to put it in a class no one in the US would associate luxury with. It'll be like Infiniti's Q, which used to mean flagship, and now it's utterly meaningless. I hope Lexus still has the sanity not to go forward with the abuse of the letter L if it is to really make it a minivan or a city car.

At this point I'd rather dream that the letter M stands for mid-ship, and is to become Lexus' incarnation of the MR2.
S
Coupe version of RX? Might be whats happening.
Y
spwolf
Coupe version of RX? Might be whats happening.
It should be the coupe version more of the LQ than of the RX if the nomenclature means anything.
S
ydooby
It should be the coupe version more of the LQ than of the RX if the nomenclature means anything.
LQ is already a coupe suv.
Y
spwolf
LQ is already a coupe suv.
No, the LQ is a sporty CUV that still has a flat roof line like the Cayenne, but does not look anything like the "real" coupe SUV, i.e. the X6 and the GLC, where the roof line is entirely arched just a coupe.
S
looks pretty coupeish to me... and engines tell you what it is and what it is not... both 350 and 300h tell us that it is vehicle similar to RX... but what could be different about it? It can only be more sporty.

Y
spwolf
looks pretty coupeish to me... and engines tell you what it is and what it is not... both 350 and 300h tell us that it is vehicle similar to RX... but what could be different about it? It can only be more sporty.
Well it's the spoiler that makes it un-coupe-like, as it totally breaks the arched roof line that defines a coupe profile.

In any case, I still hope that the "L" in the LM actually means flagship. If it's just something based on the FWD RX then it should not deserve the letter L.
T
Joaquin Ruhi
Hmmm, that did briefly cross my mind at one point but I never put it into my article. Perhaps the Lexus minivan Asian markets have been clamoring for?

Wouldn't a 300h be underpowered for this, though? A 450h perhaps better suited?
For the US market, yeah. The 300h powertrain would be considered underpowered for a vehicle that weighs over 2 tons empty.
S
ydooby
Well it's the spoiler that makes it un-coupe-like, as it totally breaks the arched roof line that defines a coupe profile.


In any case, I still hope that the "L" in the LM actually means flagship. If it's just something based on the FWD RX then it should not deserve the letter L.
I dont see much difference, especially withou that last window... also check GLE.

I dont see why something thats TNGA based cant be sporty, it certainly can.

And engines and designation tell you everything... 350 means it wont be in city car, 300h means it is not LQ/LF-1.
S
TheNerdyPotato
For the US market, yeah. The 300h powertrain would be considered underpowered for a vehicle that weighs over 2 tons empty.
another thing to note is that we have Highlander coming with this engine too, so it will RX then... and so it will ... LM :)

When Toyota announced factory expansion for Highlander, they also expanded engine factory to handle 4cly hybrid for Highlander.............
Y
spwolf
I dont see much difference, especially withou that last window... also check GLE.

I dont see why something thats TNGA based cant be sporty, it certainly can.

And engines and designation tell you everything... 350 means it wont be in city car, 300h means it is not LQ/LF-1.
Both the X6 and the GLE have perfectly arched roof line, while the LF-1's roof line is interrupted by the spoiler and takes sharp downturn with a completely flat rear window. It simply does not look smooth like a coupe to me.

Of course TNGA-based cars can be sporty-ish as the ES F-sport has proven, but it is not fit for a flagship as the "L" in the name would have you believe. It's all I'm saying.

The 300h nomenclature has been used in Lexus' sports-oriented cars such as the IS300h and the GS300h already, so having the 300h name in the LM does nothing to invalidate the possibility of it being a sports-oriented car.
T
spwolf
When Toyota announced factory expansion for Highlander, they also expanded engine factory to handle 4cly hybrid for Highlander.............
I hadn't heard about that, but after a little digging I found out that the Indiana factory is also where the Sequoia and Sienna are produced. If the LM is a minivan, it may share the factory with the Sienna, much like the ES is being built alongside its platform mates in Kentucky.
S
TheNerdyPotato
I hadn't heard about that, but after a little digging I found out that the Indiana factory is also where the Sequoia and Sienna are produced. If the LM is a minivan, it may share the factory with the Sienna, much like the ES is being built alongside its platform mates in Kentucky.
It is not going to be a minivan, since that has died with MB R, and it is not going to be produced with Sienna or in the US, because thats announced way ahead of the time (minimum 3-4 years), because manufacturers shop around for incentives package which is usually quite substantial 25%-35% of the investment.

In general, if you follow plant news, you will find pretty much everything new thats happening in next 3 years in western world at least... Here is engine capacity expansion news:
https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/toyota-announces-106-million-investment-huntsville-engine-plant/
L
ydooby
Be it a city car or a minivan I think Lexus would be seriously risking rendering the letter L in their nomenclature meaningless if they decide to put it in a class no one in the US would associate luxury with. It'll be like Infiniti's Q, which used to mean flagship, but is now utterly meaningless and a waste of a letter. I hope Lexus still has the sanity not to proceed with the abuse of the letter L if it is to really make a minivan or a city car.

At this point I'd rather dream that the letter M stands for mid-ship and is to become Lexus' reincarnation of the MR2.
Oh man, I love that idea! An MR2 for the affluent. Now that I could really get behind!
bogglo
ydooby
Toyota minivans bound for the Asian markets have always been of the thin and tall type, e.g. the Previa and the Alphard, due to the much narrower streets and alleys everywhere in those markets. The fact that the new trademarks were filed in the USA should mean that the LM is more likely tailored to the American market and to be based on the new Sienna, which itself is also long overdue.

Hopefully it will at least fare better than the R-Class.
I drove The Alphard to Tokyo just few weeks ago with my colleagues at work. It's a really nice Van very spacious and luxurious in it's own way. the sound system in it is very good to with some ambient lights running across the roof. if that's what the LM is it wont be a bad Idea.
bogglo
Just another taught. The Lexus mid-engine might make sense after all. the Le Mans car 2.4l hybrid system could be the LM300H. And maybe the MR2 is not returning as a Toyota but instead as a Lexus. If they give it enough luxury treatment and a mid engine set up I think it deserves the "L" badge.

LM vs Porsche mid engine coupe/new corvette mid engine car
LCF VS Merc GTR/Nissan GTR
RCF vs M4

B