When I read the words “Lexus flagship,” two cars raced directly to the forefront of my crowded mind: the RX and the LS. And they’re still kind of racing.

This is a V8 swap, but there is no Chevy small block to be found. Rather, this particular machine has swapped the 1UZ from an LS400.

Matt Farah recently bought a 1996 Lexus LS400 with nearly a million miles on her. Now fellow gearhead and Jalopnik contributor Tavarish has the car in New Jersey, and he’s prepping it to trek across the States to reach Los Angeles.

Shortly after Toyota started the Lexus brand in 1989, Mark Templin started his long career at Toyota. He’s now a managing officer of Toyota Motor Corporation and executive vice president of Lexus International, responsible for leading the luxury brand’s global operations. We got the chance to ask him a few questions at the preliminary press kickoff for the 2015 New York International Auto Show.

Real Car Reviews really wants you to know that this is not Matt Farah’s Million Mile Lexus LS400, but it is now officially a classic.

Back in 1990, Lexus only sold the ES250, which was based on the then-current Toyota Camry, and the LS400, its rival to the big four-doors from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac. Had that latter car been a dud, I probably wouldn’t be writing this on this site right now.

Matt Farah from the Smoking Tire is determined to take his LS 400 to over a million miles, and he’s enlisted help from around the country to make it happen. And while pitching in might be fun, it won’t always be easy.