Lexus ES: 5th Generation

I noticed earlier this week that Lexus was featuring the ES 350 heavily on their US site, and it seems to have extended to TV as well:

Two pieces of Lexus Pebble Beach news today, first off, the much searched-for Pebble Beach commercial has surfaced on Youtube:

Not much to the commercial, it's strictly an announcement-style advertisement, but the Pebble Beach edition color really catches my attention. It's nice to see it on more than just the SC 430.

The other news has to do with pricing. The PBE RX 350 has been on the Lexus site since the middle of February, and costs a premium of $3,880 over the regular RX. However, the pricing for the ES 350 PBE was announced today, which will be a $4,170 option. (Remember, there's only to be 6,000 of each model made.)

Once solely reserved for the SC 430, Lexus announced today at the Chicago Auto Show that three more models will be available in the Pebble Beach Edition. It starts with the release of a PBE RX 350 in mid-February, followed by an ES 350 in March and a LS 600hL sometime in the fall.

Here's a breakdown of the RX 350 & ES 350 changes (the LS 600hL was only announced, no details were given):

RX 350

The RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition comes in three colors, an exclusive Truffle Mica (pictured above), Classic Silver Metallic, and Obsidian Black. There's also a color-coded rear wing, new 18" wheels, a chrome grille, a special interior trim, and a bunch of PBE badges.

ES 350

The ES 350 Pebble Beach Edition is also available in the Truffle Mica, Tungsten Pearl Silver and Obsidian Black exterior colors, but rather than a chrome grille and a rear wing, it gets 7-spoke 17-inch wheels with a liquid graphite finish and a decked out interior, with semi-aniline leather and a wood & leather steering wheel.

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These special editions, limited to 6,000 per model, are in partnership with the Pebble Beach Company, and aren't just limited to the vehicle's appearance; buyers will also be able to select an item from the Lexus Personalization Program, which ranges from golf clubs to cookware. Details are in the

Luxury utility vehicle and luxury sedan receive exclusive package for the first time

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 6 -- Lexus today introduced the Lexus Pebble Beach Collection of vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show. The RX 350 luxury utility vehicle and ES 350 luxury sedan will receive Pebble Beach Edition packages for the first time, extending a relationship with Pebble Beach Company that began in 2003 and has since produced an SC 430 Pebble Beach special edition luxury hardtop convertible every year.

The goal of the Pebble Beach Collection is to evoke the feeling of exclusivity that comes with an excursion to the Pebble Beach Resorts. Both the RX and ES Pebble Beach Editions will feature signature colors, popular options and unique badging. Additionally, Pebble Beach Edition owners will have the opportunity to customize their ownership experience by selecting from one of three distinctive merchandise packages: Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Package or Epicurean Encounter.

Production of the Pebble Beach Collection RX and ES is limited to 6,000 vehicles each and will be available beginning in mid-February for the RX and mid-March for the ES models. In addition, a sixth version of the successful SC 430 Pebble Beach Edition model will be introduced this summer. To culminate the collection, an LS 600h L Pebble Beach Edition will debut this fall and will include a luxury travel experience to the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts.

RX 350 Pebble Beach(R) Edition

The RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition will be available in three colors: Classic Silver Metallic, Obsidian Black and Truffle Mica. Truffle Mica is available on the RX only with this special edition package. The RX will feature new and unique design 18-inch wheels and chrome grille, a color-keyed rear spoiler and a special interior trim combination. Customized floormats, featuring Pebble Beach Company's signature The Lone Cypress(TM) logo, are included. On the exterior of the RX, Pebble Beach Edition badging will be on the front fenders. The RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition is offered in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive and marks the first Lexus special edition model built in North America at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the RX Pebble Beach Edition package is $3,880. The base MSRP of the front-wheel drive RX 350 is $37,500 and $38,900 for the all-wheel drive model.

ES Pebble Beach(R) Edition

The sleek ES 350 Pebble Beach Edition is available in the exclusive Truffle Mica color, as well as Tungsten Pearl Silver and Obsidian Black. The 7-spoke 17-inch wheels come with an exclusive liquid graphite finish while the interior of the ES features semi-aniline leather and a wood and leather steering wheel. The ES Pebble Beach Edition also features The Lone Cypress(TM) logoed floormats and special Pebble Beach Edition badging on the front fenders.

Lexus Personalization Program

Owners of an RX or ES Pebble Beach Edition can customize their ownership experience with the Lexus Personalization Program. Three distinct categories of packages are designed to invoke the unparalleled feel of the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts: The Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Sets, and Epicurean Encounter. Owners can select from item(s) in one of the packages.

The Callaway Golf(R) Experience

Four exclusive packages are designed to improve the look and performance of one's golf game. One dozen personalized Callaway Golf Tour ix Golf Balls can be combined with a Callaway Golf Ft-I driver or Callaway Golf Hyper X driver and one X Hybrid. Three Callaway Golf X-Forged wedges and one Odyssey White Hot XG 2-Ball putter are matched to one dozen personalized Callaway Golf Tour ix Golf Balls. One case (12 dozen) of personalized Callaway Golf Tour ix Golf Balls is also available.

Travel Package

Pebble Beach Edition owners can carry style and refinement from their vehicle into a luxury hotel with one of three luxury luggage packages. A cafe- colored three-piece leather luggage set includes two cabin duffels, one carriage duffel, and personalized embossed luggage tags. Two pairs of Callaway Golf Eyewear complement the café-colored leather briefcase or the cafe-colored leather tote bag.

Epicurean Encounter

Those owners interested in improving their culinary skills can choose the Epicurean Encounter. They can select a six-piece Viking(R) Santoku Cutlery Set including 10-slot maple knife block or a four-piece Viking Cookware set. Both come with a Viking Cooking School $200 gift card redeemable for cooking classes or merchandise online at vikingrange.com. The package also offers the option of a cafe-colored leather wine tote and a diverse selection of wines from member wineries of the highly regarded Napa Valley Vintners.

In a short interview with Bloomberg, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin reiterated what he told the Free Press a couple days ago, though with a little more detail:

"There is a whole section of the population that wants something different, and that's high-efficiency," Lexus general manager Mark Templin said in an interview at the Detroit auto show. "It's a supplemental strategy to what we've done before."

Lexus now sells hybrids that focus on performance and offer only a small fuel-economy gain from its gasoline-only models. The division wants to take advantage of the spending power of many who purchase vehicles such as the Prius, the best-selling hybrid in the U.S. More than a third of the 181,221 Prius buyers last year had annual income of more than $100,000, Templin said.

"Half of those people made over $150,000 a year and 24 percent of those people have a luxury car in their household fleet," Templin said at the North American International Auto Show yesterday. "We think there is part of the market that everybody is missing."

I wonder just what kind of direction this is going to take, where this hybrid's going to fit into the lineup. I can't see Lexus introducing a Prius size vehicle to their lineup. The rumors last year mentioned that this new car would be slotted in between the IS and GS, which makes sense, considering that the ES is limited to North America and some select markets overseas, and the dedicated hybrid is seemingly meant for the world market.

What I don't understand is, if this vehicle is basically going to be the same size of the ES, why not just release an ES hybrid? There has to be more to it, with all this hype.

On the face of it, this Lexus commercial is a statement of the obvious, highlighting an undoubtedly common number of sensors as though it was unique. Yet, at the same time, it manages to accurately sum up what I find so appealing about Lexus itself:

"Behind every detail, there's a detail" will now be my default answer to the question, Why do you love Lexus so much?

This Lexus ES 350 commercial highlights my favorite feature of the car, and perhaps one of my favorite optional features of all time, the panoramic glass roof:

The glass roof is perfectly suited to the overall design of the ES, and really the only Lexus I could picture with it. Perhaps it's only because I've seen the same feature on the new Mercedes S600, but the idea just seems so luxurious.

Love it.