Lexus History: The Launch of the Original LS 400

krew

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krew
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Did you know that the global press launch of the original LS was in Germany?
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Can't for the next generation LS that will detonate an atomic bomb the luxury auto industry segment!
 

mikeavelli

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It was as brilliant of a way to launch a luxury or any brand/product we will ever see. The product was world class and a game changer and the marketing/advertising also was a game changer. It makes us all proud to be Lexus owners!
 

GSCT

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I borrowed an LS when it first came out and heard comments on it like "the best car in the world". It was hard for me to compare as I hadn't driven any of it's German competitors, but I remember it as being amazingly quiet on the highway and wonderfully luxurious. I wish I could drive one now to see what it was like.
 
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I think Lexus IS going to have the same or even bigger release on the next gen LS. and it would be worth it
 

GuoxJason

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It is amazing how smooth the panels were! Even the newest generation from the competitors were chunky and looked like they were from a previous decade. Ironically, critics equated the amazing manufacturing finish to blandness. GM itself admitted that it did not have the technology to produce a car like the LS 400.

The exterior of the competitors were closer in comparison to the first ES 250, and that is not to discount the ES 250. Haha
 

Black Dynamite

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The list provided missed one of the biggest points in Lexus history, the release of the Lexus SC in 1991.

The LS was a certified bad-ass hit, and it won begrudging respect from the industry, but the haters all though Lexus was a one-hit wonder, and that was gonna be it. Anybody can make one bad-ass car, but the ES250 was just a Camry knock-off, so it left doubt in the market.

When the SC was introduced, the automotive world was left speechless. So clean and so beautiful, it was like a naked Kim Kardashian built on four wheels. It was more artwork than automobile. A vehicle the industry always wanted to make, but didn't know how. Lexus, and only Lexus, knew how.

You couldn't take your eyes off it. It was clearly a decade ahead of the industry, and it proved that Lexus was going to be a force for many years to come. This was a company to be reckoned with.
BD
 

CIF

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A lot of people say Lexus can never match the reveal of the 1st gen LS or surprise the industry the way it did. I disagree. Lexus did exactly that a second time with the LFA reveal a few years. Ignore all the hyperbole and misplaced haters of the LFA. The LFA is revolutionary in terms of how accessible of a supercar it is, and it is a supercar that set new standards for craftsmanship, quality, and reliability.

Lexus can do it again. The only question is whether they will. I really, really hope that the upcoming 5th-gen LS reveal will be a huge one, and a big industry shocker. I want Lexus to shock the industry yet again. Lexus has been on a roll for the most part the last few years with Akio Toyoda in charge. To really make people take bigger notice, and to raise the prestige level of Lexus, I feel the 5th gen LS needs to be a concrete statement, the big cherry on top of this recent product renaissance.
 

krew

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Lexus can do it again. The only question is whether they will. I really, really hope that the upcoming 5th-gen LS reveal will be a huge one, and a big industry shocker. I want Lexus to shock the industry yet again. Lexus has been on a roll for the most part the last few years with Akio Toyoda in charge. To really make people take bigger notice, and to raise the prestige level of Lexus, I feel the 5th gen LS needs to be a concrete statement, the big cherry on top of this recent product renaissance.

I have nothing to back this up, but I feel like Lexus might have decided to postpone the next-gen LS specifically for this reason -- similar to the way the LFA development started with an aluminum frame but took a few steps back and went restarted with carbon fiber.

A vehicle to beat the current S-Class, that's what I want. Something amazing.