Actually now I thought of it more, what I said wasn't just my guess, that's really what Toyota did.

The Lexus badge really only existed in the U.S. since 1990, the rest of the world didn't get the Lexus brand until 2006 or so. The LS430/2GS/ES330/IS200/SC430 was a Toyota Celsior/Aristo/Windom/Altezza/Soarer in the rest of the world.

So for the OP that wonder what would the world be like without Lexus, just look at the rest of the world from 1990-2006.

 

Yep, it's fine we don't have Lexus since we would had the Toyota models of them, and better yet, all the JDM models and more engine choices like the old 2JZ-GTE for Aristo!

 

The 2JZ-GTE Aristo was the ultimate dream sports sedan until the Euros boosted up all their cars!

That was Japan's golden era, when a BPU Aristo makes 500 hp at the time when the AMG E55 only had 350 hp! That was why I loved Japanese cars so much, they had power, coolness and reliability. Now is the other way around

 

Sorry but thats incorrect. Lexus clearly was aimed at the USA but launched in Europe and in other countries as Lexus in1989. Only in Japan/Asia was no dealership network set up and they stayed as Toyotas. Even then there were differences, like the Aristo got a twin turbo I-6 but the GS got no turbos and a V-8. In 2006 the Dealership network was finally established in Japan.