The lexus ls400 is a luxury sedan that has been lexus s flagship car model from its debut in january 1989 to its effective termination in 2000. So, is it even possible for a pragmatic, coldly efficient and mostly derivative car to become a legend. And to baby boomers, who grew up with corollas, camrys, civics and accords, it may be the ultimate of all luxury cars. Initial reaction to the lexus ls400 was generally positive. Three decades later, we look back on how the lexus ls 400 put the entire luxury segment on notice. Both brands laid the foundation with teaser ads, which, in infinitis case, didnt even always show the car. Extensive group of 94 lexus ls400 driver at unbelievable asking prices. In 1991, it revolutionized the luxury car market, simultaneously proving. This is really more of an overview and driving impressions of the ls400. Even better, the lexus ls400 offered all this at a fraction of what the german brands cost. Building on the strong foundation of the original ls 400, lexus sought to make the new model more of a driver s car without sacrificing the allimportant virtue. The ls is my wifes car, it isnt driven hard, and no one has every serviced the car but the lexus dealer and its received all recommended service, on schedule.
This is a garage build from jake caldwell one of our teammates of yankiizoku. Its a 1997 coach edition lexus ls400 in nice shape, 120,000 miles. At its launch, the lexus ls 400 was outfitted with a 4. The first lexus ls400 of 1989 was known internally as the f1 or flagship. How the lexus ls400 conquered the world and why were glad it did. We idolize it, but ultimately, the firstgeneration lexus ls 400 is pretty much just a sedan that debuted in 1989. The lexus ls is a fullsize luxury sedan that was first introduced in january of 1989 at the north american international auto show before going on sale as a 1990 model later that year. Last year, we said that selecting the car and driver ten best cars had become fraught with difficulty. How the lexus ls400 conquered the world car throttle. Like the other models in lexus s ls series, its a fourdoor luxury sedan that has maintained consistently strong sales throughout its different generations of production.
The original lexus ls400 was a luxury car gamechanger. With all the fuss about the lexus ls400 and the infiniti. The lexus ls is a fullsize luxury sedan fsegment in europe serving as the flagship model of. The ls 400 introduced the lexus nameplate to the u. July 1999 the air suspension frozeup and the car was not safe to drive. Crossing seven digits in the luxury car that changed everything. I was scared at first, but started using quaker state synthetic oil do not use a blend, spend the extra and get full synthetic and with lucas oil stabilizer at 10,000 mile intervals. I have had 7 lexus cars 1996 ls400, 1993 es300, 1998 ls400, 2006 is350 two of them, and a 2007 gs350.
Both rows of seats are inviting, and there are plenty of standard and available tech features, as well as a large trunk. When the first lexus, called ls400, was introduced in 1989, it. I was scared at first, but started using quaker state synthetic oil do not use a blend, spend the extra and get full synthetic and. No results for lexus ls400 unit 204k similar to lexus ls400 unit 204k on ebay.
My first encounter with real abused luxury car suspension. The 1990 lexus ls400 looked almost like an sclass, drove almost like an sclass, and. The driver side front shock was all the way down to the ground, and the passenger side rear was all the way up. Like the telluride, those cars reshaped the landscape, elevated their brands, and led to. The 2020 lexus es is a midsize luxury sedan that delivers many of the things those shopping in this. We bag most individual magazines in plastic as soon as we get them to keep them in the best possible shape for you. Ive been using a 950,000mile lexus as a daily driver. We choose the best sedan in the world regardless of price. I have some family members that purchased one of the first lexus ls400 models dropped off in ohio. Among its peers in the subcompact class, the 2020 lexus nx is among the larger and most suvlike. I think its marvelous that an 8 cyclinder car gets 28 mpg on. Its arrival reminds us of when the lexus ls400 and the acura nsx were introduced.
However, once the ls400 was released, sales figures were very positive, as the vehicle was nearly. Feast your orbs upon the lexus s subjectiveevaluation scores. Rear seat passengers enjoy the spacious legroom afforded the driver and front seat passenger. Lexus ls400 although the acura legend was the first japanese luxury car in space, the lexus ls400. The king of subbrands started life with just one car and as you might expect, it was a bit of a corker. Me, i wasnt as impressed because ive been cruising around in a 1996 lexus ls400 with half again as many miles as that old excursion. The shredsled garage built 51 chevy body swapped lexus ls400. Shop lexus ls400 unit 204k in stock right now online. A more advanced semiautonomous drivingmode feature is an optional extra.
Epic lexus ls400 drift car is the 750hp sleeper of your dreams christopher smith. The cabin is comfortable and has plenty of panache. Slipping into the plush drivers seat today, its boggling how far ahead of its time this cabin was. And the stylized fs on the 2008 is f are drawn, its said, to mimic a few hairpin turns of toyotas higashifuji test. Epic lexus ls400 drift car is the 750hp sleeper of your. The ls400 ls430 are the quietest car on the road, but only from the standpoint of very low engine and drivetrain noise. Moreover, this nakamichi system boasts the best frequency response, and the ls400s cockpit. I bought my 1997 lexus ls400 at a car auction in 2000. The driver took the car right over two of the curbing collections and i could hardly feel a thing from the back seat. Lexus ls400 although the acura legend was the first japanese luxury car in space, the lexus ls400 was the moon shot.
In 1989, lexus unveiled the ls 400, a luxury car aimed squarely at the. We did not have to replace the mounts on her previous 92. For a car thats only been in existence for seven years, its amazing how much history lurks beneath the lexus ls400s skin. Back in september, i wrote about my search for a 1990s japanese luxury car as a daily driver, with the infiniti q45, lexus ls400, and acura rl as the main contenders. How lexus defeated the best car in the world motoring research. Car and driver reports that, while the ls400 was a rival for the sclass, it was priced more like mercedes midlevel eclass. Most legendary cars achieved their status thanks to unique ideas, original design, character whatever may that be or joy they bring to their owners and drivers. The lexus ls400 and infiniti q45 became media darlings, eclipsing even hondas ambitious new nsx sports car.
Wheels magazine named the ls 400 its car of the year and car and driver magazine named it to its ten best list for 1990. Thanks for the link that will do rightly until i find a decent one somewhere i would suppose finding a decent seat might be an issue given the age of the car and it seems to be a common enough problem i had the same issue with my s class and it was one of the reasons i sold it on that and a gearbox issue that cost over a grand to fix so far i have to say the lexus is a better car. Its available with a gasonly or hybrid powertrain, and its potent and composed in either setup. Read more and see the ls we drove at car and driver.