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Lexus LS 400 - when Japan lured the German luxury class out of its reserve

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Created on December 30, 2020

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

43

Lexus

7

Bruno von Rotz

43

Lexus

7

Lexus LS 400 (1990) - the design was based on the top German products of the time

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - five-meter sedan

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - good aerodynamics - cw value 0.29

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - the exhaust pipe is double routed to the engine

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - classic three-volume sedan

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - the wheelbase of over 2.8 meters guaranteed luxurious interior space

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - understated design that doesn't offend

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Space for five, comfort for four

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - when it arrived, the warning lights went on at Audi, BMW and Mercedes

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - just over 1.8 meters wide

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - bulky rear end with large rear lights

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - not everyone liked the somewhat crudely designed front end at the time

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - when halogen lights were still used in the luxury class segment

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - imposing stature

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - looks much more modern than one would give it credit for at 30 years old

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - around 240 km/h fast

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - was around 3 dB quieter inside than the competition

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - the pop-top roof cost a significant surcharge at the time

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - many of the owners at the time praised the car to the skies

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - looks narrow-tyred today

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - with foot parking brake

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - lots of leather and some wood in the interior

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - the dashboards were dark when not in use

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - comfortable seats with good lateral support

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - easy access at the front and rear

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - better two than three in the back

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Heated rear seats, cupholders too

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - everything visible at a glance

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - sophisticated stereo system with CD changer in the trunk, automatic air conditioning as standard

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Four-speed automatic transmission with power mode

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Interior door panels with leather and carpet trim

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Seat memory - 2 positions

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - two storage positions will have to suffice

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - solid and well made

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - wide-opening hood

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - V8 with 90 degree angle between the cylinder banks, each of which has two camshafts

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - an engine you can still look at

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - a feast for the eyes

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - longitudinally mounted V8 engine with a displacement of almost four liters

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Chassis number

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - if it says Lexus on it, it's Lexus in it

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Lexus sign on the engine

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Lexus LS 400 (1988) - Presentation

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Lexus LS 400 (1989) - in search of perfection and customer satisfaction

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Lexus LS 400 (1989) - Presentation

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Lexus LS 400 (1989) - Advertising - in search of perfection

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - understated elegance

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Interior

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Lexus LS 400 (1990) - Engine components

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Summary

Today, the Lexus brand is well known, but when the LS 400 was shown for the first time, it had only just been founded. With the first model, the Japanese presented a convincing luxury sedan with modern drive technology and luxury equipment. The competition from Audi, BMW and Mercedes certainly had a tough time of it. This vehicle report is dedicated to the first Lexus LS 400, which received the coveted veteran status in Switzerland, and shows it in many pictures and in the original sales literature.

This article contains the following chapters

Arrival in installments
Modern and conservative at the same time
Advanced technology
Arrival in Europe
On a par with the competition?
Durable?
Timeless?
Vintage car suitable for everyday use

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When it is parked in front of a well-off hotel, it is just as unobtrusive as when it is parked in front of the opera, but at a classic car rally, all eyes are on the supposed foreign body. But the Lexus LS 400 is a "veteran" or H license plate holder, because the first examples are already over 30 years old, just like the bordeaux-red sedan photographed. In April 1988, Toyota showed a foretaste in the form of a Lexus prototype at the New York Auto Show. This was probably intended to test the interest of American car buyers. The Japanese car manufacturers were in attack mode. New luxury vehicles for export were intended to counter the currency-related rise in the cost of Japanese cars. Acura (Honda), Infinity (Nissan) and Lexus (Toyota) were deliberately positioned as luxury brands and primarily aimed at the American car market. However, large saloons were not new to Toyota, as the company had already produced luxury vehicles in the past, albeit primarily for the domestic market.

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