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