History of Lexus

Lexus is a division of the Japanese company Toyota, created to develop and manufacture luxury cars. Initially, the models of this brand were designed for sale in the United States, but its popularity allowed it to expand the sales market in other directions. Today Lexus cars can be bought in most countries of the world.

In 1983, the Lexus brand was founded, which had to withstand heavy competition from the best automakers in the world, such as BMW, Jaguar and others. The parent company “Toyota” brought together the most talented engineers, designers, and in 1984 painstaking work began on the “F1 project”. The name was deciphered quite simply: F – flagship – flagship, 1 – the first among its own kind. The leaders were Ichiro Suzuki and Shoiji Jimbo. First of all, they decided to personally visit the United States in order to personally find out the preferences of Americans by conducting a survey. In parallel with this, five designers were actively working on the creation of sketches and the concept of a new car. In May 1985, a large-scale study of driver preferences was conducted in the United States, which formed the basis of the Lexus design concepts, created in the California studio “Toyota”. The first one was ready in July.

The prototype was called the Lexus LS400, and throughout the next year it underwent many tests, the results of which made it possible to improve certain vehicle systems. In particular, constant tests on the autobahns of Germany, Canada and Sweden made it possible to determine the need to refine the control system and suspension design. In May 1987, 8 design options for the model were presented, from which the company’s management chose the final one, and already in January 1988, the first videos with the car were shown at the Los Angeles auto show, and then at other exhibitions. A few months later, in May, the project leaders also announced a list of car dealers honored to sell Lexus cars in the future. The list included 80 firms, and Lexus of Columbus from Ohio headed it. Live Lexus was presented to the public only a year later, in Detroit. The company at that time demonstrated 2 models – LS400 (a luxury sedan with a 4-liter engine) and ES250 (an executive sedan with a 2.5-liter engine). Literally a day later, all residents and guests of Los Angeles who visited the local salon could admire the new creation of the Japanese automobile industry. In September 1989, the first sales of cars began through a dealer network prepared in advance, the total number of cars purchased exceeded 4 thousand in the first month.

Among the reasons for the success of Lexus cars in the American market are the rich interior trim, numerous prestigious components that were installed in these cars, a powerful and reliable engine, as well as an appearance made in strict and clear lines that emphasized the elite brand. In 1990, the Lexus LS400 was named Best Imported Car of the Year by Car & Driver magazine and ranked #1 in the J.D. Power and Associates, one of the most respected companies in the field of automotive market research. At the same time, the first dealerships were opened in Canada and the UK, which allowed the Lexus brand to consolidate its success, achieving wide recognition.

In May 1991, a new model was introduced – the SC400, which was a sports coupe. A 4-liter engine with automatic transmission allowed to accelerate to 100 km / h in 6.9 seconds. By autumn, a budget version of the SC300 with a 3-liter engine was released, and the more powerful ES300 replaced the ES250. In addition, the company’s flagship model, the LS400, has undergone a number of improvements that were aimed at increasing driver and passenger safety, as well as increasing the comfort of the car. The model again took first place in the rankings of leading car market researchers, which was one of the reasons that in 1992 Lexus was ahead of BMW and Mercedes-Benz in terms of sales.

In early 1993, the company launched the GS300 sports sedan, which was designed by renowned auto designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. In 1994, the model was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to the results of 1993, a number of Lexus models again receive the highest ratings from expert organizations, and for the third time they are at the top of the J. D. Power and Associates.

The company achieved the same high success in the next year, 1994, and in 1995. However, the US Department, under pressure from domestic manufacturers, almost imposed a 100% duty on Japanese premium cars, which included the entire Lexus lineup. Only the intervention of the highest ranks of Japan made it possible to reach an agreement and avoid the start of a trade war.

In 1996, Lexus introduced the LX450, the first luxury SUV. This car combined the luxury and comfort of the cabin with high maneuverability and a smooth ride even on bumpy roads. Also, an updated ES300 was released, which became 6 cm longer than the previous generation.

1997 was a year full of updates. In January, the company showed the concept of the HPS model at the Detroit Auto Show, most of the ideas of which were implemented in the new generation of the GS300. In February, Lexus unveiled another concept that later became the RX300 sport utility vehicle. In September, the updated SC and GS models with 3 and 4 liters of displacement were released, which received restyling, and the LS400 acquired a number of new options. Also, this year the company set a sales record – almost 100 thousand cars of the brand found their owners, which exceeded last year’s mark by 20%.

In March 1998, two new company SUVs were released – having a 4.7-liter LX470 engine and RX300, equipped with a 3-liter power plant. The latter became a bestseller, providing an explosive growth in Lexus statistics and leaving behind all other luxury car manufacturers. And the expert organization “J.D. Power and Associates ranked the company’s vehicles #1 in customer satisfaction for the 7th year in a row.

In 1999, the company’s rear-wheel-drive model, the IS200, was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, which began sales in Europe that spring and nearly doubled Lexus’ performance from the previous year. And in the US, the brand was ranked fifth among the manufacturers of the most problem-free cars, thanks to the minimum number of calls from its customers to service centers after 5 years of operation. The total number of Lexuses sold exceeded 1 million copies.

In 2000, the company introduced the IS variant, equipped with a 3-liter engine, and the new flagship LS430 sedan, which developed 280 horsepower and had a displacement of 4.3 liters. The interior had a chic finish using natural leather and walnut, like previous models. A new model, the SC430, was also announced, and the firm decided to move the assembly of the RX300 to parent company Toyota’s Canadian plant. In August of the same year, the company set a sales record among luxury brands – more than 20 thousand cars per month.

In early 2001, Lexus moved more production to North America, opening a plant to assemble engines and suspensions for the RX300 in Buffalo. At the Detroit Auto Show, the SC430 and IS300 models were shown in 2 variations – SportCross, equipped with a steering wheel with gear shift, and Manual Transmission – with a manual transmission. Sales of these cars began in the same year, and in October they added the third generation ES300, which incorporated many of the latest achievements of the Japanese automobile industry.

In 2002, Lexus develops and releases a concept car that became the car of Tom Cruise’s character in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report. And also presents at the Paris Motor Show an updated IS200 equipped with a SportCross steering wheel and a VVT-i engine. November also saw the release of the GX470 luxury SUV with adjustable suspension.

In the spring of 2003, the company updated the RX line, enlarging the body and adding a number of prestigious options. The American version also received a new 3.3-liter engine, while European buyers decided to keep the old 3-liter engine. Just a month after the start of sales, the car became the bestseller in its class. Lexus also unveiled the HPX prototype in New York, which combines the features of both a sports car and an SUV. In September, a factory for the production of cars of the brand in the Canadian city of Cambridge began work, and at the Frankfurt Motor Show the company demonstrated an updated LS430 sedan.

The next few years were difficult for the company, due to falling sales in the United States. However, Lexus did not stop the development of new models, and even began to produce cars equipped with diesel and hybrid engines, which used a number of modern environmental technologies. In parallel, the company begins to prepare to conquer the super-luxury class, planning to compete on an equal footing with such “monsters” as “Bentley” and “Rolls-Royce”. The company’s first supercar came out in a limited edition in 2009 called the LF-A.

In 2009, the company introduces the next generation RX450 to the market, which received an additional h index, indicating that hybrid engines are installed on these cars, and a year later it introduces a more economical modification equipped with a 2.7-liter engine.

In 2011, Lexus unexpectedly introduced the CT200h, which targeted the luxury compact hatchback niche at a fairly low price. The ES350 sedan, which was first presented a year earlier at the Moscow Motor Show, also went on sale.

The 2011 earthquake, which destroyed part of Lexus’s production capacity, forced the company to adjust sales plans and consider moving some factories to China, following the example of parent company Toyota.

In the same year, there was a fairly significant decline in sales of Lexus cars in the United States. Immediately after summarizing the results, The New York Times wrote: “Eleven years of being the best-selling luxury brand has ended this year. The company gave the championship to BMW and Mercedes-Benz.” However, the trend improved somewhat thanks to Europe and Japan, where luxury car purchases increased by 40% and 27%, respectively. Subsequently, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda vowed to restore interest in the brand and further increase the company’s organizational independence, acknowledging that “… at that time we did not see Lexus as a brand, but only as a distribution channel.” As a result of organizational changes at the head office, Lexus’ senior managers, for the first time in the brand’s history, report directly to the chairman.

Wishing to rehabilitate itself after last year’s decline in ratings, the company’s management began to work at an accelerated pace. In January 2012, the brand launched sales of fourth-generation GS vehicles, including the GS 350 and GS 450h, as well as the GS 250 model for selected markets. In April of the same year, the sixth generation of the ES line is replenished with the ES 350 and ES 300h variants, which debuted at the New York International Auto Show.

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In August, Lexus introduced one of the prepared surprises – the flagship LS sedan. Technically, it was a modernized and improved line of the previous model. In particular, the appearance of the car has changed, the engines have become much more productive, and the optional potential has also increased. For the first time in the company’s history, a flagship sedan received the optional F Sport package.

At the same time, information appeared about the resumption by the Japanese of the project to create the IS-F model. Together with the Lexus IS, it was supposed to be one of the main novelties of 2014.

In October 2012, the Lexus LF-LC debuted in Sydney. The car did not become an absolute novelty for the audience, as it was already familiar from an exhibition in Australia. However, representatives of the company assured that there are significant differences. So, in particular, engineers have reduced the percentage of carbon fiber used in car construction. The SEMA show, which took place a week later in Las Vegas, was marked by the presentation of the GS 350 F Sport.

In late 2012, Lexus filed new vehicles with the US and Australian patent offices. In America, it became known about the alleged crossovers NX 200t and NX 300h, produced on the basis of the Toyota RAV4. For Australia, the company prepared the RC 350. The model was based on the LF-CC concept presented at the Paris Motor Show.

Since the first weeks of 2013, Lexus has been announcing time and time again about upcoming innovations and transformations, which indicated the company’s hope to regain its leadership position in the US market. The IS 300h full hybrid, the redesigned Lexus LF-LC and the updated Lexus F SPORT line were unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in February. Almost immediately it became known that Lexus cars again received the J. D. Power and Associates as the most trusted and top honors in the 2013 Kelley Blue Book rankings in the US for the cost of owning a five-year-old car among luxury brands.

To showcase the new all-wheel drive Lexus GS AWD, the Lexus Ice Event was held near Montreal in March. The company’s management personally selected the guests of the event, handing only 24 invitations. In the spring, the Lexus patent range was replenished with one more copy – the GS F brand was registered in the USA.

The Shanghai show in April was used by Lexus executives to premiere the Lexus GS 300h hybrid. The car, according to them, was intended for businessmen and corporate buyers. Koji Sato, deputy chief designer of the company, noted that the novelty is also much more environmentally friendly, as it significantly reduces the level of CO2 emissions into the air compared to other models. The company’s commitment to the “purity” of its products has once again secured its leadership position in the “Greenest” brand in the world rating. It was also named the best automaker in the 2013 Driver Power survey by the English automotive publication Auto Express.

At Made Fashion Week in New York City in the fall of 2013, Lexus presented the first ever holographic show starring Coco Rocha. The spectacle, which consisted of special effects, 3D modeling and many other technical achievements, was a breathtaking spectacle that depicted the history of the company’s development with all the obstacles and ups. At the last motor show in 2013, held in Tokyo, the latest version of the LF-NX TURBO concept crossover was presented.

The Geneva Motor Show in 2014 in all its glory presented the audience with a new line of RC F, whose cars were recognized as the most powerful in the history of Lexus. Four cars of this model were shown at the exhibition at once: the RC coupe, the new RC F sports car F SPORT and the RC F GT3 racing concept. No less discussed was the presentation in Detroit. There, finally, a worthy alternative to the BMW M4 and Audi RS5, which has been talked about for several years, was presented – the RC F Coupe. Lexus has unveiled the NX model in Beijing to conquer the premium mid-size crossover segment.

Despite the fact that in 2014 the company somewhat reduced the number of concepts being developed, the popularity of the brand did not decrease at all, rather the opposite. Lexus has continued to receive international awards, testifying to the consistent quality of vehicles. For the 12th time, Lexus topped the list of top manufacturers in the UK customer satisfaction rating from What Car?/JD Power. In addition, the company was ranked #1 carmaker in the UK in the 2014 Which Car Survey on reliability. As a result, sales growth rates remained consistently high.

The first novelty of 2015 was the 2016 Lexus GS F sedan. However, everyone was looking forward to the main bestseller – the new generation of RX models. This line has held a leading position in sales for many years. Even the fact that the third collection was not to the liking of critics who condemn the design of cars did not affect the love for this model. It is worth noting that the fourth collection fully justified the hopes of fans. The appearance has regained its former charm and appeal, combining the sophistication of the NX line and the smoothness of outlines.

Wanting to expand the boundaries of its influence, the company took up several abstract projects. First of all, together with Toyota engineers and technologists, Lexus specialists began to develop a new security system. Innovation promises to become not only the most effective, but also affordable. In 2015, Lexus cars confirmed their status as the most reliable in the world and do not intend to lose this title in the future.

Another news for the fans of the company was the appearance of a modern flying board, which was tested in the summer of 2015. The innovative technology is based on the use of magnetic levitation. To a large extent, the resulting effect was helped by the presence of superconductors cooled by liquid nitrogen and permanent magnets.