As the title states, I noted the LS600hL is no longer on Lexus's main page. Only the LS460 and F-Sport version are offered this year. The LS600hL was a pinnacle of automotive engineering when it debuted 2007. Misunderstood and expensive, it never caught on, and year after year got pushed towards the back of the closet. So fairwell LSh, you'll probably be missed by a select few. Hopefully Lexus has a few tricks up it's sleeve on different variants of the next LS.

 

Should of just been a V12 from the get go.

 

GS-h will follow.

 

Pinnacle in the sense of AWD, Hybrid, V8. But I agree a V12 would have made it significantly more attractive. The 2UR-FSE 5.0 in the LSh despite the same bore and stroke as the 2UR-GSE found in the IS F, RC F, and GS F respectively only produced 394hp vs 416/467hp. Add the Lexus Hybrid Drive and a total system horsepower of 439hp is rather meager for $129,000 and the same 20mpg as the LS460.

Think so? With the 3.5L V6 and LHD in the LC500h, there's a possibility a GS hybrid could live

 

it's the pricing that is killing these sedans.

 

While I agree the price was staggering for the car, and the HP not impressive, the 20mpg in the city was better than I EVER got in my 460. Even with the lightest of foot, I was never really able to get anything above a 17 in the city. The fact that this monster which was 5 inches longer and loads of magnitude heavier than mine and could pull off 20mpg in the city is impressive to say the least.

 

This is the standard now.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/...rive-uk-review

 

3mpg more for what, $25k more? hardly worth it. love the LSh though for the achievement that it has been, but man is it a porky pig.

 

Well same thing will happen to the LCh. Even more expensive with less power with a V6 hybrid drive.

 

I think people miss the point about the high-end Lexus hybrids.

First and foremost, MPG is not the primary reason why it's offered.

If you go beyond that, you'll find that the vehicle has a whole lot more to offer.

 

Ok. So why was it offered?

 

Thought MPG is obviously at least some part of the reason, polls in the past have shown that the main issue with hybrid buyers is emissions. They are out to make an environmental statement, rather than conserve the last drop of gas.

 

AWD option, extra & instantaneous torque, quietness, smoother ride, a better option for the environment (compared to getting a bigger engine), EV mode, some environmentally conscious materials such as bamboo or plant fibers for trim & seat cushioning, exclusivity, refinement, attention to detail to please a Japanese aesthetic, to name a few.

Lexus, as a luxury branch, made hybrids as a lifestyle choice. Toyota, as a whole entity, uses hybrids for gas efficiency.

 

Lexus hybrids will only sell under the following conditions, MPG is close to Prius and Tesla like performance.
The second option is to slash prices of each model by $15K - $25K.

 

Seems like the ES300h and RX450h sell quite well, despite MPG that isn't close to the Prius and performance that is nothing like a Tesla, and both command a premium over the gas only versions.