Lexus Claims “Best Car in the World”
The luxury carmaker claims to have the world’s best car with an all-new flagship featuring a unique eight-speed automatic transmission.
That was just one of the facts that sent a ripple of excitement around the packed press conference. It says a lot for this car that it so visibly impressed a bunch of hard-hearted journalists, people used to cutting nonchalantly through an unending stream of spin and hyperbole.
That astonishing transmission is coupled in the new LS460 with a 4.6-liter V8 engine with a dual fuel-induction system that delivers 380 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough to power the LS 460 from 0-60 mph in less than 5.5 seconds, yet can still provide economy in the mid-20s – remarkable figures for a car of this size.
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The rear of the car has two sculpted seats and there’s an optional ottoman package in which, rather like in a private jet, the right hand seat reclines by up to 45 degrees with an adjustable footrest and built-in massager. For barons of industry who need to work in transit, there’s a fold-away table matched to the interior wood grain.
If you want to be entertained, the LS 460’s Mark Levinson audio system promises theatre-level quality from its 19 (yes, 19) speakers, while a hard drive can store no fewer than 4,000 songs. “It’ll take you three years to listen to them all”, commented Jim Press, president and COO of Toyota Motor Sales, introducing the car.
It has climate control system measures not only the interior air temperature, but through sensors in the seats, the body temperature for the occupants to create the optimum environment.
The LS was the first car Lexus produced and from the time it was unveiled at 1989’s Detroit autoshow, it’s been a benchmark for excellence. So while some other Lexus models may now sell in higher numbers, none is more important.
“This car achieves extraordinary new levels of accuracy and refinement, along with impeccable fit and finish. [It’s] a masterpiece of passion, precision and personality; the perfect successor to one of the most coveted cars on the road today,” said Mr Press. “Customers will definitely say it is the world’s best car.”
The car on display here is a production model that will be in showrooms this fall, but full information was not provided. Lexus promised to say more about the car’s technology at the Geneva auto show this spring, with final details not offered until the New York auto show in April.
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