Since many of you are very interested in other model lines that are currently in development by our Lexus division and I would be more than honor to offer some information on some these sedans. However since this is a message board for the LS sedan, I would first going concentrate most of my time in discussing the LS sedan at this time.

Many of you in this forum seem to be confused as to whether or not the LS600h sedan would produce either 460 horsepower as CarMode magazine stated or 500 horsepower as some other magazine claimed. What I can tell you that CarMode’s predictions are very close to the engine ratings that Nobutaka and his engineers have being reported in our engine test lab. Although this might disappoint many of you whom want the LS600h in achieving 500 horsepower because the technology that is currently available to us can easily tune this engine to achieve 500 horsepower.

However please remember by doing so, it would sacrifice a lot of it’s stability and smoothness of the engine itself and this would prevent a lot of buyers to purchase the LS sedan if they find out their sedan are not as smooth and stable as the original Celsoir processes. Furthermore you must also remember a sedan with 460 or 470 horsepower was not a slow sedan either and with the engine’s powerful torque curve plus a new 7-speed transmission, I don’t see there’s a reason why this sedan would not outrun the Mercedes S 600 or BMW 760 LI on the road.

As pointed earlier, Ken has made a bad mistake by putting a web link that shows the picture of a V8 IS sedan testing on the racetrack and provides some irrelevant information about the source of the place and where the photographs are taken. However one of the things that Ken correctly state was the fact that I recently invite two photographers from two different Japanese auto magazines press into our lab to take a short look and take some instant exterior photographs on the prototype LS sedan itself.

Unfortunately what Ken did not pick up from our phone conversation yesterday was the fact the two photographers are only allow to use these photos to draw up a sketch drawing of the sedan and after they are finished and exit the lab, we have destroy these photographs to prevent them from release it to public sources. Therefore it’s impossible that somebody would ever be able acquire such photographs and release it to public.

However I do believe that when the sedan would begin it’s extensive outdoor testing within the end of this year, there would be already a possibility that someone whom are brave enough and risk everything in getting a photographs on the LS sedan (as long as he/she was not caught by us) especially this sedan was highly anticipated in our homeland.

So what is the difference between the picture that Mr. oac has seen from Carmode magazine and the recent sketches from these two photographers? I can tell you what Mr. oac has seen in Carmode magazine was actually a copy from one of the sketches drawn from our chief designer from the Lexus LS project. Therefore, there would be some exterior features from the Carmode sketch were missing from the actual prototype vehicle itself. But nevertheless, these sketches are good enough to show how the exterior of the LS sedan should look like

For the past two months, I have viewed a number of suggestions and advices that many of you have provide for us and I have privately discuses this matter to Hiroyuki, the chief engineer for the LS project on whether or not these suggestions are viable enough to be implanted on the new LS sedan. The good news is that some of these suggestions are accepted by and guarantees that they would be definitely implanted on the new LS sedan. But the bad news is while some of these suggestions are viable, they would unfortunately not be implanted on the new LS sedan due to either these suggestions might compromise the overall performance of the sedan or it’s simply too expensive at this time to be implanted on the new LS sedan.

I am also aware that some of you were very concerned with the pricing on the new LS sedan and I fully understand your worries since the new pricing would be much higher than the current Celsoir sedan. Unfortunately since I don’t have much time to explain you the details, I would be more than honor to discuss this issue in more detail on next week.

To finish off my comments on the new LS sedan, I would now list some of the technical highlights that you might be expecting when the new Lexus LS arrives. The reason why I say these equipment “Might” be implanted on the new LS sedan is because the project itself have not yet being extensively viewed and approve by neither our management nor the research directing board. It’s possible that some of the equipment might not be implanted on the LS sedan when they arrive at the showrooms and I hope you would understand this issue.
1: Intelligent Active Suspension System (IASS)
This technology was developed under the existing active suspension system currently employed by the Celsoir sedan. The system works through a central computer which would constantly monitor each suspension in the car. Whenever sedan turns into sharp corners, the central computer would issue commands to adjust each suspension appropriately to enhance the sedan’s cornering ability.
2. New, lightweight sound deadening system
In order to maintain the weight of the new LS sedan to weight less than two tons, our engineers have successfully invent a new lightweight sound deadening system for both Century and the LS sedan. Unlike Honda’s noise canceling system, our sound deadening system was designed to not only absorb noises on the road, it would also tries to contain these noises from intruding into the cabin.
3. Intelligent Night-vision System with “Active Safe”
Unlike most night-vision systems you have seen in some American brand sedans or in the Legend sedan, this system works by not only identify any moving object (ie. animals or children) that emitted heat energy. When the object was detected by the computer and is likely to cause the impact. The computer would initiate a signal, warning to the driver to the upcoming object and would immediately apply brake pressure that would try to avoid a direct impact to the object.
4. Advanced Lane Departure Warning System
Unlike the current lane departure warning system that has employed in some sedans, our advanced version of the system includes a more sensitive radar that are more sensitive and accurately in picking up the lane markers during any weather condition. It also have an automatic control that can either set on and off by the driver where if your car is beginning to steer off lane, the computer would send a warning signal to the driver and would automatically steer you back gently into the correct direction.
-Please remember this is only a small portion of the many equipment that would employ on the LS sedan and it’s unlikely I would release more information any time soon about the . This is because not only I would get trouble from the management by releasing too many information on the sedan. But more importantly it would lose all the surprises and public anticipation of the sedan, which is not a marketing strategy at all.
-In addition, although you might not be able to see the real pictures Lexus LS prototype very soon, it would definitely be shown in the upcoming Tokyo auto show as we are trying to organize some of the final arrangements with the organizers for this event. Furthermore you can also have a first glimpse of my Century project that I have busily working for 1.5 years and other concepts coming from our Lexus division in the Tokyo auto show as well.
I would try to finish up the third and final section of my message within two days since I have to head out for lunch with my family. If you find any problems from the message that I just posted, please do not hesitate to contact me and I would try to address them if I have time available.
Sincerely yours
Kevin Yamamura