Lexus : Always in pursuit of perfection
Lexus has proven itself to be an ace in the field of luxury car manufacturing . Lexus cars have become a common sight . Lexus has been in the market for just 28 years now . But Lexus' entry into the market is something that drove all other luxury car manufacturers into a financial crisis.
Lexus being one of the youngest companies in the luxury market baffled all economists too. In 1983 CEO Akido Toyoda challenged his engineers and designers to a challenge named the F1 (Flagship one). To by 1985 several workers in Toyota had joined the challenge. A team of F1 engineers and rented a house in Laguna Beach California to observe the lifestyles of the American upper class and the way they saw Toyota. They concluded that a new brand and sales stores were required.
Then came about a name from the CEO , Lexus . Though the CEO did not have much to say about the name , but several called it a short name for "Luxury Exports to the US" . Toyota's main aim was to set foot on the Luxury car market that were being ruled by Mercedes and BMW.
By 1989 , the F1 project turned reality. The project that involved 60 designers , 1400 engineers , 2200 technicians and 220 support staff gave birth to a magnificent and elegant looking Lexus called the LS460.
450 prototypes were created and sent to the US and Germany with an extended Camry body shell .
In 1989 Lexus showed off its production version of the LS 460 along side the ES 250, a Camry based sedan.
The LS had several features that made the Mercedes and BMW run for their lives .
The LS had several standard options . The AC , Sunroof , Bluetooth connectivity , parking sensors and alloy wheels were all standard. The higher trims got rear sunshade , electronic memory seats and 10 speakers at much lower price than the other cars in the market.
Automakers in 1990s did not have all these features in their base cars. Lexus was now posing a major threat to all. When the car went on sale in 1989 , Lexus ended up selling 16000 units of its LS and ES combined. It was a huge success .
The LS was praised by all . Car and Driver magazine rated Lexus' build quality and safety the best in class. Lexus also the first and only car in its segment to feature an 8-speed transmission.
In 1995 Lexus became the first automaker to make Navigation standard in all its cars.By 1995 Lexus had a large lineup . The Lexus LS , ES , RX , SC , LX and IS . In 2005 Lexus started a new sports development division and since then , the GSF , ISF and RXF have been developed into luxurious yet sporty cars dominating the segment of luxury entry level sports cars.
The upcoming LS 460 is the first car in its segment to have an all aluminium chassis. The LFA hyper sports car was one of the costliest yet simple car to handle. Only 500 LFA's were produced and it still is an eye catching car.
Until date Lexus has been creating new technology and has been trying to make its car as perfect as possible. Lexus has always been in the pursuit of perfection and continues to do in its upcoming models.Lexus has gone from being a luxury car to a car for all luxury car dreamers now. The ES and the RX are now one of the highest selling cars in their segments.
The story of Lexus teaches us that competition helps us discover what we can do and discover our inner self and prove our talents to the outside world.
Lexus being one of the youngest companies in the luxury market baffled all economists too. In 1983 CEO Akido Toyoda challenged his engineers and designers to a challenge named the F1 (Flagship one). To by 1985 several workers in Toyota had joined the challenge. A team of F1 engineers and rented a house in Laguna Beach California to observe the lifestyles of the American upper class and the way they saw Toyota. They concluded that a new brand and sales stores were required.
Then came about a name from the CEO , Lexus . Though the CEO did not have much to say about the name , but several called it a short name for "Luxury Exports to the US" . Toyota's main aim was to set foot on the Luxury car market that were being ruled by Mercedes and BMW.
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| LS 460 1989-1995 |
By 1989 , the F1 project turned reality. The project that involved 60 designers , 1400 engineers , 2200 technicians and 220 support staff gave birth to a magnificent and elegant looking Lexus called the LS460.
450 prototypes were created and sent to the US and Germany with an extended Camry body shell .
 |
| ES 250 1989-1992 |
In 1989 Lexus showed off its production version of the LS 460 along side the ES 250, a Camry based sedan.
The LS had several features that made the Mercedes and BMW run for their lives .
The LS had several standard options . The AC , Sunroof , Bluetooth connectivity , parking sensors and alloy wheels were all standard. The higher trims got rear sunshade , electronic memory seats and 10 speakers at much lower price than the other cars in the market.
Automakers in 1990s did not have all these features in their base cars. Lexus was now posing a major threat to all. When the car went on sale in 1989 , Lexus ended up selling 16000 units of its LS and ES combined. It was a huge success .
The LS was praised by all . Car and Driver magazine rated Lexus' build quality and safety the best in class. Lexus also the first and only car in its segment to feature an 8-speed transmission.
In 1995 Lexus became the first automaker to make Navigation standard in all its cars.By 1995 Lexus had a large lineup . The Lexus LS , ES , RX , SC , LX and IS . In 2005 Lexus started a new sports development division and since then , the GSF , ISF and RXF have been developed into luxurious yet sporty cars dominating the segment of luxury entry level sports cars.
The upcoming LS 460 is the first car in its segment to have an all aluminium chassis. The LFA hyper sports car was one of the costliest yet simple car to handle. Only 500 LFA's were produced and it still is an eye catching car.
Until date Lexus has been creating new technology and has been trying to make its car as perfect as possible. Lexus has always been in the pursuit of perfection and continues to do in its upcoming models.Lexus has gone from being a luxury car to a car for all luxury car dreamers now. The ES and the RX are now one of the highest selling cars in their segments.
The story of Lexus teaches us that competition helps us discover what we can do and discover our inner self and prove our talents to the outside world.
