Lexus Alternative history
06-11-15, 08:25 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Lexus Alternative history
Lexus alternative history..
WWII never happened in Japan, instead of being enemies they were allies. Instead of being nuked out of existence in 1945, Japan enjoyed postwar economic boom times much like America
, with great technology and a booming economy at the end of the 1940s, Toyota motor company began to toy with the idea of a full size true luxury car, based on the American market of the day,
In 1951 a secret team of Toyota researchers traveled to the United States to research daily life of postwar upper middle class folks in there early mid 40s, what they discovered was that America was all about bigger, flashier, and "hey look at what I have" keeping up with the joneses gung HO were America and the rest of the world can kiss our *** attitude after the victory over the ***** with dropping the atomic bomb on Berlin and Hamburg.
They said it couldn't be done. At that time american cars were the best in the world, highest horsepower, best build quality, smoothest ride, cutting edge technology and styling that looked like flashy casinos on wheels. Toyota decided they would beat Americans at there own game, with Nissans 1946 Maxima, and 1949 Altima, although with beautiful swooping fenders and plenty of torque in there inline 8 cylinder motors, they missed the mark on horsepower, comfort and technology, and flopped almost at launch. Lesson learned. Toyota didn't not want to make the same mistake with there car, that was dubbed the "circle F" project in 1952. From 1951 to 1953, they got ideas based on Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard, and Buick, which were at the time considered the best cars in the world. After 3 years of research, prototypes, and over 1 million test miles, in 1954 the final design was chosen. In the spring of 1954 someone spotted a prototype, a debaged version with an Asian driver, filling up at a gas station near Texarkana, TX. The man said, "gee wiz!" "What kind of car is that!!?!" "Oh it's a new studebaker" the driver said, before pulling away from the filling station.
That same year a brand name was chosen, "Lexus" meaning Luxury Export to the United States. The car was called the LS400, meaning Luxury Sedan, and debuted at the 1954 Motorama auto show in Detroit.
It was an immediate success and a smash hit, and absolutley stole the show. Most people thought it was some kind of futuristic concept car, but infact, it was a production model. The specs were virtually unheard of for its time, at 23 feet long and 6 feet wide, it was a true full size luxury car, 2 feet longer and a wider lower stance then a cadillac fleetwood sixty-special. Low wide profile with swooping chrome lines, wraparound windshield, panoramic full moonroof, fully automatic power windows as well as power disc brakes, power steering, 4 speaker, twin tube 50 watt nakimichi amplifiers, with a hideaway record changer in the dash board and a open reel tape player mounted in the trunk, which was power opening and closing, with dual rear power antennas for the radio. The chrome plated and brushed aluminum dashboard featured a staggering array of features such as black and white 6" TV monitor gas-gyroscope navigation system, nixie-tube electronic digital clock, the nakimichi stereo controls which were as large and flashy as a home stereo receiver of the day, as well as full dual zone air conditioning and full electroluminecent gauges for instrumentation. Under the hood was lexus 250 hp "kamikaze fire power V8" (1uz-Fe) which featured mechanical direct port fuel injection and quad exaust that could rocket the massive two ton sedan to 60 seconds in a unheard of 6.5 seconds from a standing stop, with a top speed of 165mph. Inside the cabin there's 4 bucket swivel seats, as well as a electronic power tilt chrome and wood steering wheel center console with a chrome shifter, that comes in 3 versions, the Lex-O-Matic 4 speed automatic transmission, a traditional 5 speed manual, as well as a "kaizentronic" semi-auto tiptronic. The car also featured the "LexoGlide" air suspension system that with a simple twist of a chrome **** (three of them), can stiffen and lower the car the ride for a sporty feel, or normal mode for comfort. As well as a "power" mode for quicker takeoff in kick down mode, and in passing gear. But what really peaked the interest of folks at the show, even over the rear massage and power reclining seats, was the wireless telephone system and the keyless entry system
By 1956, Lexus has become a household name, what couldn't be done was done, they brought the American Luxury car makers to there knees in the 1950s and 60s, and again crushing the Germans in the 1970s and 80s.
Toyota also knew they needed a few cars as stablemates to be sold with the LS 400. They introduced the Lexus ES "economy sedan" (later known as executive sedan) 250, which was a direct rebadge of the toyo-pet and didn't sell in large numbers, but was replaced in 1957 with the Lexus ES300 sports cruiser, that sold in large numbers. Lexus revamped the line around 1964 with the LS460-LT (long wheelbase version of the original, with a hybrid gasoline/jet turbine engine) and in 1967 with a two door sports car, based loosely on the mustang Mach one and the Dodge Charger, the SC600F, with a massive 6 liter 450 hp V8 with a top speed of 215mph. In the early 1970s lexus introduced the GS "grand sport" F-type sedan with a 600 hp v8, as well as the IS-F, built version of the Corolla, that made most Lamborghini and Farrari tremble with fear. Unfortunately in wake of the oil crisis midway in the 1970s, these high performance muscle cars were de-tuned, and were never really the same again. Today classic F-type lexus cars are very rare and sought after today, with a 1968 SC600-F fastback scrambler recently fetching a cool 1.5million at Barrett Jackson.
The 1980s were a period of decline for the Lexus brand, the Germans has finally caught up and American cars were a joke. Gone were the flashy wild and even controversial lexus designs of the 1950s, and the super car F-types of the late 1960s and early 70s and were producing cushy econoboxes with automatic transmissions that would make any enthusiast cry in sorrow, the SC was de-tuned and turned into a front wheel drive 4 cylinder box on wheels. The GS was dropped all together and the LS was nothing more than a glorified cressida. Toyota was about to retire the lexus brand completely in 1988, but as a last ditch effort, they released the RC400T, a low wide full size coupe, with a turbocharged 4 liter v8, that was a instant hit, much like the original Ls400, as well as the the SC600F Fastback Scrambler that stole the hearts of so many drivers in the 1960s.
The RC400 was indeed the car that saved Lexus. Soon after the guys in Japan unveiled an entire lineup of revamped cars, including an all new flagship car, the LS-650LTF, which features a 1,000hp twin turbo V12, a ES-500SW wagon, a MV460 (v8 turbo mini van) and the LF-A5 supercar with a v16 gas turbine supercharged engine that can go from 0-100 in 3 seconds with a top speed of 285mph! (Fastest production car in the world)
WWII never happened in Japan, instead of being enemies they were allies. Instead of being nuked out of existence in 1945, Japan enjoyed postwar economic boom times much like America
, with great technology and a booming economy at the end of the 1940s, Toyota motor company began to toy with the idea of a full size true luxury car, based on the American market of the day,
In 1951 a secret team of Toyota researchers traveled to the United States to research daily life of postwar upper middle class folks in there early mid 40s, what they discovered was that America was all about bigger, flashier, and "hey look at what I have" keeping up with the joneses gung HO were America and the rest of the world can kiss our *** attitude after the victory over the ***** with dropping the atomic bomb on Berlin and Hamburg.
They said it couldn't be done. At that time american cars were the best in the world, highest horsepower, best build quality, smoothest ride, cutting edge technology and styling that looked like flashy casinos on wheels. Toyota decided they would beat Americans at there own game, with Nissans 1946 Maxima, and 1949 Altima, although with beautiful swooping fenders and plenty of torque in there inline 8 cylinder motors, they missed the mark on horsepower, comfort and technology, and flopped almost at launch. Lesson learned. Toyota didn't not want to make the same mistake with there car, that was dubbed the "circle F" project in 1952. From 1951 to 1953, they got ideas based on Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard, and Buick, which were at the time considered the best cars in the world. After 3 years of research, prototypes, and over 1 million test miles, in 1954 the final design was chosen. In the spring of 1954 someone spotted a prototype, a debaged version with an Asian driver, filling up at a gas station near Texarkana, TX. The man said, "gee wiz!" "What kind of car is that!!?!" "Oh it's a new studebaker" the driver said, before pulling away from the filling station.
That same year a brand name was chosen, "Lexus" meaning Luxury Export to the United States. The car was called the LS400, meaning Luxury Sedan, and debuted at the 1954 Motorama auto show in Detroit.
It was an immediate success and a smash hit, and absolutley stole the show. Most people thought it was some kind of futuristic concept car, but infact, it was a production model. The specs were virtually unheard of for its time, at 23 feet long and 6 feet wide, it was a true full size luxury car, 2 feet longer and a wider lower stance then a cadillac fleetwood sixty-special. Low wide profile with swooping chrome lines, wraparound windshield, panoramic full moonroof, fully automatic power windows as well as power disc brakes, power steering, 4 speaker, twin tube 50 watt nakimichi amplifiers, with a hideaway record changer in the dash board and a open reel tape player mounted in the trunk, which was power opening and closing, with dual rear power antennas for the radio. The chrome plated and brushed aluminum dashboard featured a staggering array of features such as black and white 6" TV monitor gas-gyroscope navigation system, nixie-tube electronic digital clock, the nakimichi stereo controls which were as large and flashy as a home stereo receiver of the day, as well as full dual zone air conditioning and full electroluminecent gauges for instrumentation. Under the hood was lexus 250 hp "kamikaze fire power V8" (1uz-Fe) which featured mechanical direct port fuel injection and quad exaust that could rocket the massive two ton sedan to 60 seconds in a unheard of 6.5 seconds from a standing stop, with a top speed of 165mph. Inside the cabin there's 4 bucket swivel seats, as well as a electronic power tilt chrome and wood steering wheel center console with a chrome shifter, that comes in 3 versions, the Lex-O-Matic 4 speed automatic transmission, a traditional 5 speed manual, as well as a "kaizentronic" semi-auto tiptronic. The car also featured the "LexoGlide" air suspension system that with a simple twist of a chrome **** (three of them), can stiffen and lower the car the ride for a sporty feel, or normal mode for comfort. As well as a "power" mode for quicker takeoff in kick down mode, and in passing gear. But what really peaked the interest of folks at the show, even over the rear massage and power reclining seats, was the wireless telephone system and the keyless entry system
By 1956, Lexus has become a household name, what couldn't be done was done, they brought the American Luxury car makers to there knees in the 1950s and 60s, and again crushing the Germans in the 1970s and 80s.
Toyota also knew they needed a few cars as stablemates to be sold with the LS 400. They introduced the Lexus ES "economy sedan" (later known as executive sedan) 250, which was a direct rebadge of the toyo-pet and didn't sell in large numbers, but was replaced in 1957 with the Lexus ES300 sports cruiser, that sold in large numbers. Lexus revamped the line around 1964 with the LS460-LT (long wheelbase version of the original, with a hybrid gasoline/jet turbine engine) and in 1967 with a two door sports car, based loosely on the mustang Mach one and the Dodge Charger, the SC600F, with a massive 6 liter 450 hp V8 with a top speed of 215mph. In the early 1970s lexus introduced the GS "grand sport" F-type sedan with a 600 hp v8, as well as the IS-F, built version of the Corolla, that made most Lamborghini and Farrari tremble with fear. Unfortunately in wake of the oil crisis midway in the 1970s, these high performance muscle cars were de-tuned, and were never really the same again. Today classic F-type lexus cars are very rare and sought after today, with a 1968 SC600-F fastback scrambler recently fetching a cool 1.5million at Barrett Jackson.
The 1980s were a period of decline for the Lexus brand, the Germans has finally caught up and American cars were a joke. Gone were the flashy wild and even controversial lexus designs of the 1950s, and the super car F-types of the late 1960s and early 70s and were producing cushy econoboxes with automatic transmissions that would make any enthusiast cry in sorrow, the SC was de-tuned and turned into a front wheel drive 4 cylinder box on wheels. The GS was dropped all together and the LS was nothing more than a glorified cressida. Toyota was about to retire the lexus brand completely in 1988, but as a last ditch effort, they released the RC400T, a low wide full size coupe, with a turbocharged 4 liter v8, that was a instant hit, much like the original Ls400, as well as the the SC600F Fastback Scrambler that stole the hearts of so many drivers in the 1960s.
The RC400 was indeed the car that saved Lexus. Soon after the guys in Japan unveiled an entire lineup of revamped cars, including an all new flagship car, the LS-650LTF, which features a 1,000hp twin turbo V12, a ES-500SW wagon, a MV460 (v8 turbo mini van) and the LF-A5 supercar with a v16 gas turbine supercharged engine that can go from 0-100 in 3 seconds with a top speed of 285mph! (Fastest production car in the world)
06-12-15, 07:28 AM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
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06-14-15, 10:48 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
You dream in that detail about Lexus? We gotta get you a life 
03-27-21, 12:29 PM
#9
Lexus Test Driver
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03-27-21, 01:08 PM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
Thats really cool!
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