The Family Car review of the ‘93 LS 400 was one of the articles I used to convince the girlfriend to buy our car, so I took a special interest in their fresh new review of the LS 600hL, knowing full well it was going to be all quality.

I wasn’t disappointed, this is an incredibly detailed road test, expertly researched and full of interesting insight:

My first impression of this new luxury sedan is that Lexus has succeeded in building a technological marvel. The quality and craftsmanship is apparent at first glance by the depth of its meticulous paint job, the one-piece chrome trim around the side windows and the close fit of all the body panels.

My first experience driving this car was surreal. Sitting behind the wheel, with the exception of the power gauge, it looked like I was in a well equipped LS460. That is until I tapped the start button to bring the engine to life. No sound. Nothing. I do feel a cool breeze coming from the AC outlet, but the tach is right on zero.

Whenever the LS600h L is coasting or slowing down, the gasoline engine will shut off, which also saves fuel. When accelerating from a stop, MG2 is capable of propelling the car at light throttle and low speeds without having to restart the engine. When engine power is needed, MG1 will bring the engine to life almost imperceptibly. The CVT transmission has no reverse gear, backing up is handled completely by the electric motor (MG2). You rarely have any sensation of when the gasoline engine starts or stops. This is the smoothest hybrid I have ever experienced.

Recommended reading to anyone in the market for this car, which is becoming more and more exceptional with every detail I get. Can’t wait to see one in real life.

[Via: Autospies]

Wald International has been busy this week, releasing a new LS 460 body kit and now this, some behind-the scenes photos of the new IS 250/350 Sports Line body kit development:

Interesting to see the process behind the making of one of these kits, I especially like all the tape protecting the IS paintjob.

To get a better idea of the final product, a digital rendition is featured on their site:

I especially like the rear spoiler, thought it seems derivative of BMW 3-Series. The front bumper is different, but not necessarily better than the original, and I certainly don’t care for the modified fenders or side-skirting, which seem overly complicated and out of place, even on a body kit like this.

[Source: Club Lexus]

Click Read More to see more IS 250/350 production shots.
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Warning: This is not for the faint of heart.

In a bid for first place in the “Stupidest thing you can do with a Lexus” contest, an absolutely insane Saudi Arabian teenager decided to drive 150/mph in an LS 430 LX 470 at night…all while sitting in the backseat. Don’t believe me? Turn down your speakers and watch:

I had to fight myself to watch the whole thing, and instead focused on the little details, the plastic wrap on the seats, the brightness of the interior light, just anything not concentrate on the actual events transpiring. How could this even be possible, wouldn’t the car eventually veer to one side?

Beyond comprehension.

Rounding out this week of surveys and studies is a rather strange birdie — Lexus, as the first ever automotive partner of the United States Golfing Association (USGA), conducted a survey of golfers and found themselves looking in a mirror. It seems like Lexus and golfers have that very same relentless pursuit of perfection:

• Four out of ten golfers (43%) would readily give up sex for a month in order to have the perfect golf swing! (And more than one in five — 22% — would give up their hair!)
• Another 21% would be willing to sacrifice their next raise for the perfect swing.
• Three out of ten golfers say if they had to choose, they’d rather have a perfect golf swing than a perfect marriage.
• Two out of three golfers have skipped work in order to play golf (66%). More than four out of ten have skipped church or religious services (43%), and a similar percentage have bailed out on a family gathering (41%).
• Nearly one out of every two golfers (49%) says when buying a car they check to see how many bags of clubs can fit into the trunk.

The phrasing of the results is a little misleading: Is it so hard to believe that people would sacrifice their hair or their next raise to be actually be “perfect” at something?

[Source: PR Newswire]

Seems like there’s no end to the awards and studies this week, next up: Ward’s 8th annual Interior of the Year Awards.

The only Lexus up for nomination was the LS 460, and it took third place in the Premium Priced Car category, behind the Infiniti G35 and the Jaguar XK. However, the LS 460 did walk away with the Best Overall Comfort speciality award.

Still, it’s too bad the Chrysler Sebring won the Best Cup Holder Award, that would have been one to hang up in the Lexus head office foyer.

Toyota announced that they have now sold 1 million hybrid vehicles worldwide, ten years after the introduction of the Prius. Here’s a breakdown of the individual vehicle sales:

As expected, the Prius was the biggest seller, making up 75% of the total. The entire Lexus lineup, which includes GS 450h, the RX 400h and the LS 600h, only accounted for 9.1%, with the remainder of the sales spread out among the Camry, the Alphard, and the Highlander.

Amazing totals, and with Toyota commanding 66% of the hybrid marketshare in America, that number can only be expected to grow faster and faster.

[Source: Yahoo!]
[Via: Carscoop]