The history of the Lexus car dates back to 1983 in a country where people value comfort - in Japan. At that time, brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar were in demand. The Japanese manufacturer Toyota was not at all afraid of the appearance of these car brands. On the contrary, I decided to take a competitive path. Those who managed to develop the world-famous Toyota cars also worked on the creation of Lexus. At that time, the team included about 1450 workers, among them were progressive engineers and talented designers. The development and production of the car took more than five years. The developers managed to compete with their rivals in 1988 thanks to the appearance of the chic, luxurious and prestigious car Lexus LS400. Moreover, he attracted the attention of society not only with his appearance, but also with the ideal characteristics of the motor. Since its introduction, it has managed to win the hearts of many luxury car enthusiasts.
Lexus in America
However, Japan was not the only Lexus manufacturing country. After a rapid increase in demand for cars of this brand in the United States, a plant was built, which also began to produce Lexus. True, it differs in many ways from the Japanese version. Lexus production in Japan was aimed at maintaining ergonomics and at the lowest cost, while in the US the main emphasis was on power, size and comfort.
First successful car
The country of origin of the Lexus LS400 is Japan. He was the absolute opposite of Japanese cars. Designers created it on the basis of American production. They believed in a bright future, that one day the brand should conquer not only Europe and the countries adjacent to it, but also all world markets.
The development of the Lexus LS400 was the most daring step in the history of the Japanese automobile industry since the release of the Toyota brand. He was recognized in 1990 as the best selling and best car brought to America. The Lexus SC400 has an eight-cylinder engine that includes 32 valves. Its volume is 4 liters, and the power is 294 horsepower. It also has a five-speed gearbox.
Further development
The manufacturer's next move was the Lexus GS-300 - its beautiful streamlined body and stylish design immediately attracted a lot of interested buyers. The American theme in the production of powerful cars pushed Toyota to develop the GS 300 3T sports sedan with a forced engine from Motosport.
Lexus GS-300 manufacturing countries - Japan, USA. It was introduced to America in 1991 along with the Toyota Camry, and the world premiere took place in 1993. It was a car of the sedan type, the engine of which has a capacity of 221 hp. With. with a volume of 3 liters, which corresponded to the American standard. It was followed by the all-wheel drive SUV Lexus LX 450, which entered the American market in 1996. Its production was based on Toyota Land Cruiser 200 models. Both models were similar and differed little.
Also in 1991, the Lexus SC 400 was introduced, which borrowed the design from the export version of the Toyota Soarer. And in 1998, the first show of a car from Toyota Motor took place, which included a preview of the IS model. And so the first improved and modified Lexus appeared in 1999 - IS 200, which was widely supplied to European and American markets.
New Generation
Then, in 2000, other new items were added to this range: LS430, IS300. They replaced the outdated SC 300 and 400 coupes. In 2001, the first Lexus SC430 convertible was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. It has a beautiful, sporty, unsurpassed design that attracts all pedestrians and motorists who meet it on its way. It has a wide and low shape. Gives the driver a perfect sense of comfort in motion. The car looks chic with both open and closed views of the roof.
The Lexus SC430 is rear-wheel drive and is equipped with a 4.3-liter V-8 engine that develops up to 282 hp. with., and a five-speed automatic adaptive transmission. To "hundreds" the car accelerates in just 6.4 seconds.
Perfect car
The next car that is popular to this day is the Lexus RX 300. This brand new SUV was introduced in 2001 at the North American Auto Show in Detroit. The car has impressive dimensions. After a successful release, the manufacturers decided to update it and dubbed the updated version of the release of the Lexus RX 330. The changes consisted in increasing the length and width of the car, as well as equipping the model with a 3.3 liter v-shaped six-cylinder engine with 230 horsepower.
Later, in 2009, a Lexus RX 350 brand car model appeared. This SUV has a capacity of 271 horsepower with a volume of 3.7 liters, as well as 188 hp. With. at 2.4 liters. Soon this model was transformed into the RX 450 h, adding a sporty look to it and equipping it with an engine with a power of 300 hp. With. Crossover fans were impressed by its creative design and powerful engine, and the six-speed gearbox did not go unnoticed.
Types of models
The country of origin of this prestigious brand has produced four generations of the car. They include the following range of models:
- compact - IS HS;
- medium size - GS;
- crossovers - LX, SUV, LX:
- coupe - LFA, SC
In 2018, LEXUS presented a new generation sedan class car - LEXUS ES 2019, Lexus UX -2018 crossover, Lexus LF-1 Limitless Concept. Japan is the country of manufacture of Lexus. Its headquarters is in Toyota.
Lexus is the luxury car division of Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1989 in the US, Lexus is now available in more than 70 countries around the world and the brand has become the best-selling premium brand in Japan. Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. The entire range of Lexus.
Story
According to the creators, the sound and spelling of the brand doesn't make much sense and just stands for a luxury car.
Lexus originated from a secret project of the Toyota Corporation, which appeared six years before the introduction of the Lexus LS. Subsequently, the Lexus line was expanded with a sedan, coupe, convertible and SUV. At the beginning, Lexus cars were made in Japan. The release of the first Lexus RX 330, built outside the country, at a plant in Ontario (Canada), began in 2003.
The 2000s were marked by the expansion of the brand into markets other than the traditional Japanese and North American markets. It will debut in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and other export regions. The Lexus model range has been expanded taking into account regional characteristics.
launch
It took a team of hundreds of specialists six years and about a billion dollars to successfully launch the brand. On its debut, the LS 400 generated a lot of positive feedback. Buyers appreciated the quietness in the cabin, the ergonomic interior, the performance of the new four-liter V8 petrol engine, the aerodynamics, the economy and the affordable price of $38,000 in the US. Despite the fact that the Lexus brand appeared out of nowhere, it almost immediately gained a lot of devoted admirers.
Production growth
In the first year of the next decade, Lexus sold 63,594 units of the LS 400 and ES 250 sedans in the US. In the same year, the company began exporting its products to the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. 1991 - Lexus began selling its first SC 400 sports coupe, and at the end of the same year became the top-selling imported premium car in the US.
Three years later, production of the GS 300 midsize sports sedan began, based on the Toyota "S" platform. Already in 1994, the next generation of the flagship LS 400 was introduced.
1996 saw the debut of the first LX 450 SUV, followed by the third-generation ES 300 sedan. Two years later, Lexus added the first RX 300 luxury crossover and the second generation of the GS 300 and GS 400 sedans to its line. country of South America when sales were launched in Brazil.
Reorganization
Since 2000, the company has delighted consumers with new products every year: this year, the IS line is introduced, a new entry-level series of sports sedans. And later, with an interval of a year, the first convertible was shown - the SC 430, the redesigned ES 300 and the third generation LS 430.
The following year brought with it the GX 470 midsize SUV and a year later the second generation RX 330. The following year, Lexus recorded its two millionth car sold and launched the first 400h RX luxury hybrid SUV.
In 2005, the organizational separation with the parent company Toyota was completed, Lexus received independent design, design departments and production centers. This work coincided with the launch of Lexus in the Japanese domestic market and the expansion of the brand's global sales in the world's largest markets, such as China.
F models and hybrids
The second half of the 2000s began with sales of the 450h GS hybrid sedan. And since the beginning of 2007, Lexus has announced a new line of F models, which will consist of powerful cars, stylized as sports cars. The first of this line was the IS F, which debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.
In connection with the economic crisis of 2008, the company's sales dropped noticeably. Despite this, 2009 saw the launch of the HS 250h, a hybrid sedan destined for North America and Japan, and the 450h RX, the second generation of the hybrid SUV, and the exotic coupe launched the same year.
Manufacturer country: Japan
Lexus(Lexus) is a Japanese automobile company specializing in the production of passenger cars. It is a division of Toyota Motors Corporation Headquartered in Toyota.
The company specializes in the production of high-end vehicles, mainly for the US market. Lexus cars combine style, comfort and quality in equal measure. Lexus models have excellent handling and a smooth ride thanks to the quality of the engine and transmission and the improved suspension mechanism.
In July 1985, the first Lexus LS 400 came off the slipway. In May 1986, he underwent extensive test drives in Germany and only in January 1989 was presented at auto shows in Detroit and Los Angeles. Since September 1989, sales of this car began in the United States.
Externally, the "Lexus LS400" - the very first Lexus - had nothing to do with Japanese cars. It was immediately made, focusing on the Americans. This suggested that one of the famous Italian car designers had a hand in the bodywork. And over time, this was confirmed - the later Lexus GS300 with a streamlined body was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro. One of the company's most prestigious models is the GS 300 3T sports sedan with a boosted engine developed by Toyota's Cologne Motosport division.
In February 1990, the American press named the Lexus LS 400 luxury sedan, distinguished by its power and economy due to its successful aerodynamics, as the best car imported into the United States.
In May 1991, the second Lexus with the SC 400 (coupe) index, an export version of the Toyota Soarer for the North American market, went into production. After restyling in 1998, external differences with the Toyota Soarer almost disappeared.
The five-seater Lexus ES 300 sedan was first shown in the summer of 1991, a special version of the Toyota Camry for the US market.
In January 1993, the premiere of the Lexus GS 300 took place.
The Lexus family of cars also has its own chic all-wheel drive jeep Lexus LX 450, which combines the style of a luxury executive car with the advantages of the Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ 80 SUV. 450.
In the fall of 1998, the first show of the IS model produced by the Japanese company Toyota Motor took place. In the spring of 1999, the first compact Lexus model, the IS 200, appeared on the European and American markets.
In 2000, a fairly extensive range of Lexus was supplemented by two new products: IS300 and LS430. Other models have undergone minor changes. On the Lexus GS, LS and LX, the Brake Assist Safety System (BASS) has become standard, more accurately and evenly distributing braking forces to the wheels depending on the state of the brakes and braking conditions.
An updated version of its RX 300 SUV was introduced by Lexus at the recently concluded North American Auto Show in Detroit. The updated model is called the Lexus RX 330, and has large dimensions both in length and width of the body. Now the appearance of this SUV has become more dynamic and modern. The updated RX 330 is equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 engine producing 230 hp.
Under this brand, luxury cars are produced by the company Toyota Motor Corporation. Initially, they focused on the US market, which to this day is the main focus. The idea of expanding the “luxury” market share originated with the management Toyota back in the early 80s. Work began in 1983. However, the Japanese were well aware that their cars are perceived in the West as exceptionally practical and reliable, but not at all as the most prestigious. So the creation of a new brand was the most optimal solution.
In an atmosphere of the deepest secrecy, the so-called "Project F1" (from the abbreviation "Flagship No. 1" – "Flagship No. 1"). Under it, an exceptionally prestigious rear-wheel drive car was developed, capable of competing in its class with American and European models.
The most original thing is that at that time other Japanese companies began to act in the same direction: Honda in 1986 launches Acura , Nissan born in 1989 Infiniti. Tried to keep up with them Mazda working on brands Amati for USA and Xedos for Europe, which were supposed to be launched in 1993 (for a number of reasons this never happened).
The result of the efforts of engineers Toyota in July 1985, the Lexus LS 400 appeared. For several years, it was “running in” on the roads of Europe and America. Mistakes were an unacceptable luxury and the model passed the most severe tests, being finalized and improved. It was presented to the general public only a few years later - on January 2, 1988. At the same time, the new brand itself was introduced with its own logo. The famous agency was involved in the promotion and development of it Saatchi & Saatchi. According to popular legend, the word Lexus is a modified Latin word luxury ("luxury, splendor"). According to another, equally reliable information, the brand name was born from the combination of the words luxury And elegance. Total, from the side Toyota several thousand people were involved and about a billion dollars were spent.
Sales of the Lexus LS 400 began in September 1989. Outwardly, this car looked much more like its European or American counterparts than a “Japanese”. It was originally developed this way, for obvious reasons. Initially, sales brought only disappointment. They walked rather sluggishly, and technical problems could not be avoided - about 8 thousand already sold cars had to be recalled due to defects in the electrical wiring. But the bad start did not ruin the new brand. In 1989, 16 thousand cars were sold. This model "did not reach" in terms of level to the same Mercedes, but it was more affordable and had excellent handling.
Subsequently, other models followed, more or less successful. Some of them have received quite prestigious awards. But the most important thing is that the brand has become respected and has achieved recognition. To date, the company's lineup is already represented by several models, including an SUV. Many half-jokingly-half-seriously call Lexus"Japanese Mercedes". These cars are sold almost everywhere. And since 2005, they are also available in the domestic Japanese market.
