Lexus LSh: 1st Generation

Considering the furor it created, I had fully expected the LS 600hL gift that Lexus airfreighted to Paul McCartney would never see the light of day. However, Sir Paul was recently spotted being chauffeured around London in the dark maple red hybrid. Also of note:

Such is vegetarian Sir Paul's passion for issues surrounding animal rights and the environment that he took out the leather interior and had it replaced with cloth.

The singer demanded that no animal products were used in his new car and it has been fitted with a hand-stitched green woven fabric.

Lexus said of the decision to send the vehicle by plane: 'To ensure the car's quality and security, as well as to meet marketing deadlines, it was airshipped on a regularly-scheduled commercial flight to the UK.'

Ok, enough of about that. I feel like a gossip columnist.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

When the Lexus LS 600hL was released, the automotive press was quick to point out its "flaws", especially when it came to gas mileage. Being a hybrid, the flagship sedan was expected to have exceptional fuel economy, and at first glance, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

It's taken a few months for some journalists to look at the LS 600hL in a different light. We saw it first with the great review by Jonny Lieberman, and now Automobile Magazine has weighed in with a very positive take:

Unlike most hybrids, the LS isn't about outright fuel economy - this car's mission is quite clearly to give the V-8 the relaxed demeanor of a V-12 by eliminating the need to rev it quickly in normal driving. It does that...Twenty-seven mpg on the highway is nothing to be ashamed of - in fact, it's quite impressive - but the almost-as-quick LS460L is also much less expensive.

If you keep reminding yourself that Lexus doesn't want the LS to be a Japanese 7-series, you'll agree that it does a fantastic job at making its driver think he's driving on a cloud - with a million horsepower under his right foot. And there's no better reminder of that than feeling big surges of smooth, quiet torque while the tach needle rises lazily to 1300 rpm. Very V-12-like indeed.

Most mainstream reviews ignored the fact that the LSh was meant to go up against V-12 competition, no matter how well it actually performed. Quick fact: the LS 600hL, with its 5.2 second 0-60mph, is actually faster than the V12 Audi A8 (5.8) & BMW 750iL (5.4). What's more, it's only 0.1 seconds slower than a twin-turbo Mercedes S600. Very V-12-like indeed.

I may have found it a week late, but the time allowed this Lexus LS 600hL review by Jonny Lieberman to fill up with some of the best comments I've read regarding the hybrid limo's appeal. Here's a quote from the article itself:

I disagree with every review of the Lexus LS600hL ever written. Categorically. To a man, my colleagues misinterpret the most expensive Lexus as a misguided planet-saver that doesn't deliver enough mpg to justify its sky-high price tag. I view the ultimate hybrid as better driving through science. In fact, despite the dorky "hybrid" badges uglifying the LS600hL's flanks, Lexus didn't build this beast to sip fuel. They built it to go toe-to-toe with 12-cylinder Germans.

The LS600hL is no design statement, like the 760Li. It doesn't announce, "I have a huge wallet" like a Mercedes S600. The LS design is much more Audi A8 W12, only without the goatee. The restrained yet handsome lines strike the same chord as VW's Phaeton. Only this time they're brand correct.

This marks the second time Lieberman has reviewed the LS 600hL (the first time was for Jalopnik), and this second go-round is just as enjoyable as the first. In fact, it speaks volumes that the writer would think to revisit the car, convinced as he is that the flagship sedan is getting an unfair reputation.

This was a review I agreed with 100%, and it seemed to echo with the TTAC readership, as the article piled up pages of comments with almost no negativity.

Great read.

Motor Trend spent some time in the Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, a suite created at the San Francisco Fairmont hotel to showcase Lexus' commitment to environmental responsibility:

The San Francisco Fairmont is located on top of the Nob Hill area, the highest point in the entire city. As one might imagine, such a location makes for fantastic views -- in fact, the Lexus Suite provides a stunning look at many of San Francisco's chief points of interest, including Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Organic is a chief theme in the suite, with material for the bed mattress, sheets, towels, and robes all grown without pesticides. Much of the furniture in the suite, from the night stands, to the bed, dining table, and bathroom fixtures, was sourced from antique stores -- as opposed to buying new items -- and refinished, essentially recycling them for use in the suite.

Primarily I'm linking to the story because of the photo gallery, which shows the suite from a number of different angles, but it's also important to note that this might be the first time Motor Trend's passed on the chance to put down the hybrid sedan.

So, the big news of the day concerns an LS 600h that was sent by Lexus to Paul McCartney as a gift for his work promoting the company's hybrids. Pretty uneventful so far, right? Well, turns out the car was sent by plane rather than by boat, creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times larger:

A source is reported to have said: "Paul was offered a Lexus as a gift and ordered the hybrid limo because it helps to reduce emissions.

"He'll be horrified after learning it was delivered by plane. Paul has always campaigned for green issues and he can’t understand why anyone would send an enormous car from Japan to Britain on a plane."

Carbon offsetting firm CO2balance.com said the plane journey would have caused a carbon footprint of 38,050kg, compared to 397kg for a three-week boat journey.

A carbon footprint is the measure of the impact that human activity has on the environment and is measured in units of carbon dioxide.

Co2balance.com Director Mike Rigby said: "That is the equivalent of driving the car around the world six times."

I'm certainly not about to defend the decision to air freight the car, but I have my doubts that Mr. McCartney is in the habit of waiting weeks for things to arrive, and I'm sure that played into the decision.

What are the chances that McCartney will refuse the LS 600h? I'm sure there's people more than willing to take it in his place, considering the six-month waiting list currently in place.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]

The Lexus LS 600hL has been named the UK Chauffeur Car of the Year by The Chauffeur Magazine (no, really):

Key factors behind the judges’ decision included the Lexus hybrid system which allowed for lower emission and competitive fuel economy, build quality, and the reclining and massaging rear seats which can adapt for shiatsu back and shoulder massages with varying intensity.

Also contributing to the award was the Lexus Chauffeur programme which offers unique finance packages, designated staff within the Lexus Centre network for sales and service, plus access to the loan of a PCO (Public Carriage Office) licenced Lexus enabling chauffeurs to continue working in the event of their own vehicle being off the road for any reason.

Paul Gibson, Editor of The Chauffeur magazine commented: “I am delighted to present this prestigious award to Lexus for its excellent LS 600h L, which easily fought off its rivals in this sector of the competition. The vehicle represents true luxury and gives the chauffeur everything he needs to carry out his job successfully.”

The win was in the highly competitive £50,000 - £100,000 category, with competition provided by the Mercedes S-Class LWB, BMW 730d LWB and Audi A8 3.0 TDi LWB.

[Via: 4Wheels Car Blog]