Old School Sunday: The Success Story Of The Original Lexus LS

Lexus is a brand that has been on for 30 years now and they had quite a history. And the vehicle that put them on the map was the original Lexus LS which made its debut in 1989. It was their first-ever vehicle and was a huge success due to its modern looks and affordable price. What made the original Lexus LS a success? Let’s find out…

The Lexus LS was made for America by Toyota to compete with the likes of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. And it stood out among the crowd. The looks of the LS made it a fan favourite. It was simple and not too imposing like its German rivals. It was big, fuel-efficient and handles well. For the record, the original Lexus was also the Toyota Celsior in Japan.

Power comes from a 4.0 V8, the first Toyota V8 engine at that time and it was pushing out 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of peak torque paired to an also new four-speed automatic transmission with ECT-i electronically controlled shifts driving the rear wheels exclusively. Lexus communicated a 0–62mph time of 8.5 seconds, and a top speed of 155 mph.

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The interior was just as simple as the exterior as it comes fitted with 24 different varieties of quality wood trims. All the fit and finish were top-notch and the layout was modern and smooth. The good thing about the Lexus LS is that most of its fit and finish didn’t break and lasted long before wearing out in comparison to rivals. Well, it’s not surprising because Toyota spent billions of dollars on the development of the vehicle and expectations were high.

All that paid off as the Lexus LS was a success and brought the brand to the luxury spot. Although that can’t be said about its latest models as the competition has heated up but the original is a classic that shouldn’t be ignored.

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