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A well-regarded Lexus commenter (UZJ100GXR), caught Japanese spy photos of a XF40 body (current LS) test mule for the next generation Lexus LS flagship in MAG-X. It is due in 2016 as a 2017 model year vehicle, but it has been shown already to Lexus global personnel in last 10 months, which points to a car that was already in its final design over a year ago and mostly designed by 2013.
It takes Lexus over 36 months to go from settling on a design, to when Job 1 rolls off assembly lines. The 2007 LS reached that point in late 2003 and was being accurately rendered by early 2004 (leaked in 2005).
As we all know, Lexus quietly extended the life-cycle of the 40-Series or 4LS, resulting in a more comprehensive, secondary facelift in October 2012 for MY2013. Such decisions to delay a new LS would've been made not long after Akio Toyoda assumed his current position in 2009, likely on the heels of the MY2010 refresh. The current version of the LS, XF40 III would've been signed off before the March 2011 natural disasters.
Recently Toyota trademarked "LS500h", which some are suggesting refers to V6 hybrid powerplant. In that case, an LS500 trademark is not too far behind either. LC500 and LC500h were also trademarked, so a standard powertrain for the US market will be a 5.0 litre V8.
The new modular platform will likely debut for RWD models on the 2017 LS. The design will hopefully be somewhat fresh to Lexus and unique, so that it sets a tone to follow for future Lexus models. One does not want a repeat of BMWs G11 7-Series, pretty much looking similar to the current BMW line-up and was originally described in June 2012 as a bigger F30 3-Series.
It would serve Lexus very well, to take note of the upcoming W222 S-Class facelift in 2017, which is rounding off the design process by now and will be in spy shots next year. The W221 S-Class facelift was designed by 2007 and launched in 2009 (as W222 was approved), so the timing fits my theory. The S-Class may be the trendsetter for this segment, but Toyota cannot miss this rare opportunity to make a grand slam.
What do you guys propose on a new LS or believe needs to be taken seriously on the upper end (well, flagship wise)? I know that a Fuel Cell variant is planned, but more than that suffices surely.
It takes Lexus over 36 months to go from settling on a design, to when Job 1 rolls off assembly lines. The 2007 LS reached that point in late 2003 and was being accurately rendered by early 2004 (leaked in 2005).
As we all know, Lexus quietly extended the life-cycle of the 40-Series or 4LS, resulting in a more comprehensive, secondary facelift in October 2012 for MY2013. Such decisions to delay a new LS would've been made not long after Akio Toyoda assumed his current position in 2009, likely on the heels of the MY2010 refresh. The current version of the LS, XF40 III would've been signed off before the March 2011 natural disasters.
Recently Toyota trademarked "LS500h", which some are suggesting refers to V6 hybrid powerplant. In that case, an LS500 trademark is not too far behind either. LC500 and LC500h were also trademarked, so a standard powertrain for the US market will be a 5.0 litre V8.
The new modular platform will likely debut for RWD models on the 2017 LS. The design will hopefully be somewhat fresh to Lexus and unique, so that it sets a tone to follow for future Lexus models. One does not want a repeat of BMWs G11 7-Series, pretty much looking similar to the current BMW line-up and was originally described in June 2012 as a bigger F30 3-Series.
It would serve Lexus very well, to take note of the upcoming W222 S-Class facelift in 2017, which is rounding off the design process by now and will be in spy shots next year. The W221 S-Class facelift was designed by 2007 and launched in 2009 (as W222 was approved), so the timing fits my theory. The S-Class may be the trendsetter for this segment, but Toyota cannot miss this rare opportunity to make a grand slam.
What do you guys propose on a new LS or believe needs to be taken seriously on the upper end (well, flagship wise)? I know that a Fuel Cell variant is planned, but more than that suffices surely.