Now this is something you don’t see every day:
Don’t know exactly what would cause a car to catch fire like this, but I’m sure it’s a special sort of circumstance, especially with no other cars involved.
I can’t believe people are driving right up near it, that’s just crazy.
As a companion to the commercial I posted on the weekend, the message in this LS 460 advert is certainly much clearer:
Something about this pair of commercials fails to impress me, the cabin isolation and ultra-quiet engine are definitely features to promote, but I found the sound in both to be incredibly abrasive. It’s too bad, as the imagery/lighting/filography really stand out.
(Thanks Dan!)
I’ll admit, the first time I watched this commercial I actually felt confused:
I understood the concept, the LS 460 being so quiet while running that you could hear a pin drop, but the commercial is muddled enough that I had to watch it a couple times to really get it. I blame it on the acceleration needle.
In their November issue, Consumer Reports has compared the Lexus LS 460L and Mercedes S550, which the LS 460L handily won, scoring 99/100 versus 86/100 for the S550.
While I certainly wouldn’t argue with the outcome of their comparison, I think Consumer Reports has gone off the deep-end, listen to this logic:
The Lexus LS 460h easily outscored the Mercedes S550 in CR’s tests of the ultra-luxury cruisers. Both cars provide the highest levels of comfort, quietness, roominess, and luxury features. The Mercedes had more agile handling, better steering feel, and a slight edge in ride comfort and acceleration. But its score was hurt by its much lower fuel economy (21 mpg in the Lexus vs. 17 mpg in the Mercedes) and complicated controls that can be frustrating to use.
Think about this, the S550, according to CR, has better handling, steering, ride comfort and acceleration, yet the LS 460L scored 99/100, which is essentially perfect. I’m as big a Lexus enthusiast as anyone, but that’s just not right.
(I’m sure that price (the base S550 is $26,000 more expensive) and reliability came into play, but it went unmentioned in the press release.)
[Source: Yahoo!]
Now five months into their long-term test, Motor Trend continues to appreciate what the Lexus LS 460 brings to the table:
[Truck Trend art director] Voehringer, a guitar-playing rock aficionado, adores the 19-speaker Mark Levinson reference surround-sound system, observing that it “supplies a lush spectrum of highs, mids, and especially bass” — the ideal setup for listening to “Driver’s Seat,” by Sniff ‘n’ the Tears. Speaking of driver’s seat, [Online Editor] Floyd loves the LS’s, exclaiming that “after a long day of sitting in my uncomfortable office chair, I poured myself into the LS and my whole body went, ‘aaaaahhhhhh.’”
Used the LS for a quick up and back trip to Carson City for my 10 year high school reunion. Mounted the radar detector in the window and proceeded to gobble Eastern Sierra blacktop at an impressive rate. It might be big, but it’s far from slow, and it does it all with incredible composure, comfort, and silence. Can’t remember ever going that fast up and through the Sierras — the scenery blurring buy all the while sitting in a drama-free pilot seat with little noise interference from the road, engine, or wind.
While I might never forgive Motor Trend for their awful RX vs Veracruz comparison, they were also responsible for one of my favorite LS articles, and I really love these ongoing test reports. I’m looking forward to the year-end results (but not to their eventual LS vs Genesis comparo).
Ridiculously dropped suspensions can be a great look, but not without a huge sacrifice of ride quality and the potential for some serious body damage.
However, for every problem there is a (expensive) solution, as evidenced by this video of an LS 460 with an Air Runner suspension system, which allows for variable ride height at the touch of a button:
I have to admit, the four monitors in the trunk showing a live feed of the suspension made me laugh out loud.
When released next month, the Lexus LS 600hL will be equipped with a group of technologies, collectively dubbed the Driver Monitoring System, that takes automotive safety to an entirely new level.
From the Lexus press release:
The system uses an algorithm to map the position of the driver’s facial features and monitors movement of the driver’s head. A CCD (charge-coupled device) camera is mounted on top of the steering column with six built-in near-infrared LED’s which allow the system to work accurately both day and night.
When the vehicle is started up, the system automatically plots the position of the driver’s facial features – eyes, nose and mouth – and measures the width and centre line of the face. If the driver’s head is turned away from the road at an angle of more than 15 degrees when the vehicle is moving and an obstacle is detected ahead, the system automatically activates the Pre- Crash warning buzzer and briefly applies the brakes to warn of the danger.
If this still fails to prompt action from the driver, the PCS engages emergency braking preparation and pre-tensioning of the front seatbelts.
These systems will be fitted as standard on the LS 600h and LS 600h L (long wheel base) as well as the LS 460, launched earlier this year.
Also included is a rear pre-crash sensor which, should a collision come from behind, activates a safety system built into the front headrests, extending outward to cushion and prevent whiplash injuries (graphic above displays the system in action).
The CCD camera, also pictured above, is a minute sensor, hardly noticeable in fact, but could potentially have a very large impact on LS 600hL drivers. This technology vaults the hybrid flagship into rather controversial territory, where a car’s computers can affect real, unexpected change in areas which had, until now, been the sole responsibility of the driver.
It has to be supposed that the system is failproof, that the computer’s decisions will be 100% correct, that at no point could this system actually cause a crash itself. The technology, “tested with more than 100 drivers, covering a total of more than 60,000 miles” surely showed no signs of failure, otherwise it would have never been put into production.
All in all, it’s an amazing feature, and will without doubt save lives and prevent injuries, but it raises an important question, just how far will car companies go to protect us from ourselves?
[Source: AutoblogGreen]
The first vehicle to be featured in my new Body Kit series is the Lexus LS 460/460L/600hL.
If anything can be said about the majority of the available body kits for Lexus’ latest flagship model, it would be that they exhibit a very strong subtlety. None of the kits change the vehicle’s look substantially, and for the most part, it would take a highly trained eye to notice much of a difference from the standard look.
There are a few that stand out, though, and my favorite has to be the Junction Produce Sports:
It adds a certain aggressiveness to the LS, without crossing the line into gaudiness, and brings a more masculine look to the vehicle.
If after viewing the body kit list, you notice any omission or mistake, please contact me or leave a comment.
Twelve LS 460’s will be filling in for a symphony orchestra this August for two very special performances in Britain:
The twelve vehicles will be arranged onstage to emulate a typical orchestral layout of individual instruments, with strings, brass, woodwind, basses and percussion being performed by each section. In essence each LS 460 will be carefully positioned with their doors open so that the full effect and quality of the Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound audio system can be fully appreciated by the audience.
That was certainly enough to capture my attention, cars as musical instruments? Why not?
Commissioned by Lexus, the LS 460’s will perform two pieces written by Chesney Hawkes, Chris Nicolaides and Alaister King. The shows will take place August 18-19 at Castle Howard and August 25-16 at Pops in the Park in South London.
[Via: Dexigner]
The Motorist Choice Awards is an annual ranking of vehicles that deliver both the highest customer satisfication and lowest cost of ownership, held by Intellichoice and AutoPacific. For 2007, Lexus came first in a number of categories:
The LS 460 was also declared the overall winner in the awards, with the GS and RX scoring high but losing out to higher scoring competitors.
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