Lexus is considered by many in the past two years as the class leading performer in the executive and business class saloon market. It is the division of luxury vehicles in the Japanese car makers Toyota. It has considerably high sales in Europe and record braking sales over in the US where sales have increased The Lexus had a mixed start to life and it is unclear how exactly Lexus came about. In 1983 however the Chairman of Toyota Eiji Toyoda organised a meeting of top secrecy with the company executives. On record he apparently posed a question to the executives saying whether they could create a luxury car that could challenge the world's best car makers such as Mercedes and BMW's. This secret project was then called the F1 project after the word flagship and 'Prototype 1'. This project was then revealed as the Lexus LS400 and it was aimed to extend the luxury car market in Toyotas product range.
This followed in 1986 when Lexus asked a leading Japanese advertising agency to advertise Lexus's new car. Names were chucked around for the new car such as Verone and Alexis. But later on in the advertisement stage this name was then morphed to Lexus. Many factors contributed to the naming of the brand. For example many people suspected it derived from the word 'luxury' but it was actually from the exportation of the car to the US. This formed LEXUS, from the words Luxury export and the United States.
After advertising of the new car that was going to be launched Toyota finally decided to enter the car into production. It appeared In North America at the 1989 Detroit motor show with mixed results. The following year Lexus decided to release the car into the US market with 81 dealerships around North America. Over 450 prototypes were created at a cost of $1 billion and had vigorous testing including a trip down the German Autobahn. When it was released it was praised widely for its silent ride and build quality. Lexus were so proud of how smooth their new V8 engine was that they did an advert balancing champagne glasses on the bonnet of an accelerating LS400. It was direct competition for the European market being priced between the prices of the Mercedes e class and the BMW 5 series. When it was released the car won many awards despite having some complaints of ride handling and in the first year on sale the Lexus sold 63,594 LS400's.
In the next two years Lexus expanded the range of vehicles releasing the SC400 and ES300 sedans. The new SC400 shared the V8 from the LS400 and was an immediate success. On the other hand the ES300 became Lexus's best selling sedan in the United States this sparked the revolution of Lexus in the US of being one of the most recommended and best car makers. In the next couple of years Lexus had plans to release their first SUV called the LX series. In 1996 this became a reality when Lexus released their newLX450 and the SUV/estate car the RX300. Following the sales in the next couple of years the RX became Lexus's best selling car overtaking the achievement of the ES series. This then encouraged the landmark of sales at Lexus and in 1999 Lexus dispatched their 1 millionth vehicle to be sold in the United States.
The latest real concept change in Lexus is the introduction of a sports coupe. The SC430 was a 2 seater coupe convertible that used the 4.3 litre V8 engine. It gained mixed reviews from the public for its strange looks and road handling. They claimed it was neither sporty nor good to look at, its rivals the Mercedes SLK and the BMW Z4 easily outsold it. The biggest leap in Lexus's history was in 2005 when they pioneered the very first hybrid drive car. It was the RX400 SUV and was stated to decrease fuel emissions and gases as well as improving fuel efficiency and power. Using both gas and electric motors coupled to the petrol engine was a huge success world wide with the increase of awareness of global warming and the environment.
Once again, BMW are setting world firsts with their innovative ideas, the latest being in-car internet connection making it the most luxurious version ever. Other firsts include orders directed from a mobile phone, night vision and speed limit warnings. This is more than enough to make Audi and Lexus sit up and take notice.
Using a centre console mounted control, called an iDrive, you can do more than control the air conditioning and change the music - you can connect to the internet. For safety reasons and for the benefit of the daft, BMW have made sure the internet screen cannot be used while the car is in motion.
But the excitement of the new 7 Series starts well before you reach your vehicle. You can call it up from your mobile and instruct it to either cool down or heat up to your desired temperature. The night vision gadgetry senses body heat at the roadside from pedestrians or animals, assessing their movements via its onboard computer and alerting the driver if there is a calculated risk.
In a bid to outwit the dreaded speed camera, BMW have also included a speed alert system by detecting road speed limits and warning the driver to slow down if necessary. Reclining rear seats, rear climate control and back seat entertainment all add to the luxurious feel of this high class limousine while being economical. When the vehicle slows, the energy is captured and used to charge the battery to avoid wasting fuel, enabling the diesel version to reach almost forty miles per gallon, even with its 3 litre engine.
The outside of the car doesn't look a great deal different to previous models, even though it is slightly more aerodynamic with covers over the radiator, but hides a plethora of new ways underneath. With a 3 litre petrol 740i and a 4.4 litre V8 750 version, the prices get pretty high and can reach speeds of up to 155 mph.
This has to be the ultimate in luxury but as far as comfort goes, the Citroen C5 gives it a run for its money. Apparently as comfy as a sofa this is meant to be the best Citroen to date. Alfa Romeo are looking to join in the competition of new models with their 230 bhp Mito - their latest hot hatch which is a stunning little car.
Nissan and Mercedes are doing their bit for the environment. Nissan are planning to release their first hybrid vehicle in 2010, starting at 15,000 pounds and Mercedes have pledged to not go any bigger with their cars, keeping them the same size or smaller and also reducing their weight and thus their impact on the environment.
This all amounts to some good news for consumers and some thoughtful planning on the behalf of the manufacturers even though it does come with a serious price tag.
Catherine Harvey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Culture and Society, Home and Wedding Gowns. Car expert Catherine Harvey talks to luxury vehicle expert James Parker about how have come as far as they have today.. Catherine Harvey's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.