The creation of the IS F wasn’t the first time Lexus put one of its V8s in a car smaller than the LS. Sure, they put one in the GS, but the oddity you see here, the 1994 Lexus Landau concept, is even shorter than that.
Toyota’s luxury division fitted it with the JDM Toyota Aristo’s available 4.0-liter V8 and all-wheel drive setup. According to Jalopnik, “While it was based on the floor pan off the Lexus GS 300/Toyota Aristo with its mechanical configuration unchanged, the five-door Landau hatchback was about 24 inches shorter.” That dimensional abbreviation required engineers to put the gas tank under the rear seats, which led to them needing to increase the height of the car by two inches to leave enough interior room for never-to-be passengers.
The cabin was lined in fine leather and the exterior around it was styled by Italdesign. The Landau’s combination of Japanese hardware and Italian lines looks great on paper, but, in the metal, its body looks like a 1990s Hyundai or Daewoo.
What do you all think of the Lexus Landau concept car?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
