The relevance in 2024 is that Lexus once had a product that was head and shoulders above the competition in price, refinement and luxury.

I.e it was the benchmark. Mercedes benchmarked it as concluded they couldn’t build it.

And they now don’t have any product that comes close to that in relative terms as their strategy is nothing more than slapping a different skin, thicker paint and a different interior on top of commodity Toyota products. Zero originality.

 

This thing is absolutely hideous. A weird-shaped blob. The LC500 is a far more beautiful car.

 

Changing belts is a thing of the past. There is no reason to go backwards. I have a vehicle with a belt, ripping apart the front engine is just not something that is needed in 2024

 

Yeah no way the SC is better looking than the LC lol. I never hated them, especially the refresh one, but the LC is one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

 

I am not sure what engines Mercedes where benchmarking from Lexus but I think 1992 Mercedes was offering not just one but two different V8 S class models in 1992. An inline 6 and let’s not forget a V12 . All chain driven I am pretty sure.

Even LS430 was far behind with no awd offered. Single wheelbase.

Lexus swung for the fences with the LS460 and the 600 was probably the most significant product Lexus ever offfered, but sad thing for Lexus was that a V12 was never offered. And to date Lexus never ever built a V8 twin turbo which is shameful as Lexus has never been on par with the Germans

 

Yea bring back the ugliest Lexus of all time. Pair it with the disastrous TTV6 and it'd be a match made in car hell.


Why come out with this embarrassing press release now? Lexus engineers just realized this? Keep it an internal memo that no one sees.

 

I always liked it. Especially in dark burgundy red. And the interior was great. Maybe the best ever or tied with the LX470

I don’t get it

 

The BMW engines that actually passed all Toyota metrics to the point they were used unmodified in the halo cars? The BMW engines that have proven far superior to their own turbo 6 cyl and 4 cyl?

 

Let’s stop getting obsessed about chain driven for the moment. And I’m not introducing anything new here. Just history.

When Mercedes-Benz benchmarked the Lexus LS400, they found it was a game-changer. The LS400’s V8 engine was incredibly smooth and quiet, rivaling anything Mercedes had at the time. Lexus upped the build quality with tight panel gaps, laser-welded construction, and a high-quality interior that screamed luxury. The car was packed with advanced tech for the era, like electronic climate control, a premium Nakamichi sound system, and safety features such as anti-lock brakes.

What really caught Mercedes off guard was how Lexus delivered all this at a significantly lower price point. The LS400 was not just a luxury car—it was a statement that top-tier engineering and customer service could be offered without the traditional luxury price tag. This forced Mercedes to rethink their approach and raise their standards across the board.

In the development of the W140 S-Class, which was launched in 1991 and improved half way during its development because of the LS.

 

No BMW engine is ever used in a Lexus. The Toyota Supra/Z4 is a collab and don’t see the relevance here for any mainstream Lexus products. But yes, the Lexus turbos are mainly disastrous.

 

I am certainly obsessed. I still have a timing belt 2UZ.

Mercedes never bench marketed Lexus for ^^. Mercedes had electronic climate control in late 1980s. Same with anti lock brakes.

 

And the W140 is on an entirely different level than the first Gen LS, doesn't matter if it's more expensive as being the best doesn't care about that. The reason the LS was cheap was the Japanese economy, look at times when price parity is more similar and you will see the LS is more like a half step up from an E-class in all regards.

 

The LS was a MUCH nicer car than an E Class. Half step up size wise maybe but not in the product.

 

Toyota is Lexus and have the same engine standards.

Belt vs chain doesn't matter much and I prefer belts since they normally last extremely long and are very easy to replace vs chains. Chains if maintained never really fail but that requires people to actually maintain it....issue is people don't and then you get problems.

Belt are always easy to replace and generally speaking never fail, I've seen more snapped chains than failed belts now by a 3/1 ratio. That said all my stuff is chain and all of it has 1.8*-3.3* adaption for stretch with the W12 being the best and Lexus the worst if that says anything. The Lexus also had an upper tensioner rattle when I bought it plus everything leaking oil as is typical for LSs used

 

Max out an E class with full euro spec and get back to me. The LS barely contends with it and there are no same tier suspension or engine options like AMG offers

The LS is helpless against the S/7/A8 once you get past base models. Even non car people can instantly tell my German stuff is on an entirely different level to the point they ask if the LS is FWD or not and how much it costs