Lexus LS400
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Lexus LS400, the first Lexus

Lexus is a very young company, although its image and capabilities are beyond doubt. However, the brand's first car, the Lexus LS400, launched in the early 90s, hardly resembles anything sold today.

Lexus, Luxury EXport United State, basically "luxury export to the United States." Toyota was not very complicated when it named its premium label, although things did become very complicated when it began with the development of its first model, for which, they used 450 prototypes that traveled more than 4,3 million kilometers. A real outrage, which resulted in the Lexus LS400, the Japanese Mercedes S-Class, as many called it at the time

A moment that happened just over 30 years ago; Lexus is a very young manufacturer, although it is currently one of the benchmarks in terms of manufacturing quality or hybrid powertrain. Not for nothing, it has the world's largest automaker: Toyota. But, even if it is over 30 years old, can we consider it a “classic car”? We are at a time when classic cars will cease to be as we have always known them and will begin to be like this Lexus LS400, a full-fledged "car" that even today continues to surprise by its manufacturing quality, by the reliability of its engines or the way it runs. 

Lexus LS400

The history of this model began back in 1983, when the American subsidiary of the Japanese firm, during one of the meetings of the top management, requested a product of the highest quality to be able to face the maximum European and American premium exponents with guarantees. Toyota has always offered quality cars, but they are not cars capable of taking on the traditional high-end firms and Toyota, as a brand, did not have the image to create a car that could stand up to them, no matter how good it was. 

However the 50th anniversary of the Japanese company was approaching and it was a good way to celebrate it. So, therefore, Eiji Toyoda himself, the then director of Toyota, made a decision and said that it was time to build a car "that is the best in the world." It was the first stone for the “Cicle F” project. 

"It's time we build a car that is the best in the world" - Eiji Toyoda, CEO of Toyota in 1983

No expense spared

Today there are brands that have an image of indisputable quality and reliability, or almost, won by hand for many decades. Mercedes, for example, was a manufacturer that did not pay much attention to production costs when designing its cars, making them rock hard. There is the W124, although in this case, we are facing a clear sign of "overengineering", it is too good, more than necessary. And yes, it sometimes happens that the brand, in order to do something out of the ordinary, exceeds certain limits. 

It is also curious to see how those same brands no longer use that maxim of doing something really good and production costs mark the way forward on many occasions. Be careful, let's not criticize anyone ahead of time, because currently the competitiveness that exists in the automotive industry is hardly replicated in any other field and it forces manufacturers to adjust as much as possible in order to be competitive. And although it may seem the opposite, this is the fault of the users, who want everything at the lowest possible price and that, in the end, has its consequences. 

But going back, to that of "not repairing expenses", we find the recipe that Toyota followed to create "the best car in the world". It was clear, from the first moment, that the rivals of that moment had to be overcome at all costs. That is, the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7 Series were the main targets. Audi was also on the prowl, but had not yet managed to achieve the image it currently has, despite having in its catalog of the sensational Audi V8, the latest evolution of the Audi 200 presented in 1988 (this car, the Audi V8 in armored version, was the one who saved José María Aznar's life when ETA attacked him in 1995). Then the Audi A8 came after the V8 stopped production in 1993, but this part belongs to a different story. 

During the development process of the Lexus LS400, which would be sold in Japan as Toyota Celsior Lexus being reserved for exports, the Japanese had a team of up to 60 designers, 1.400 engineers divided into 24 teams, 2.300 technicians and more than 200 support workers. About 450 test prototypes were built, covering more than 4,5 million kilometers (100 of these prototypes were used for crash tests), 14 models were used to outline the body shapes, six of which were them to life size and the madness of 973 engines were built for tests, until they managed to meet all the objectives. 

A spectacular level of refinement

The first Lexus in history

Thanks to such a display, Toyota achieved an engine with refinement, performance and reliability, which is the basis of the current image of Lexus. Specifically, a 8 V4.0 block was developed that produced 260 hp, a figure that may not surprise today and more with that displacement, but at that time it was a respectable cavalry and having so much displacement, allowed to offer a comfortable engine, whose materials were exposed to little stress and thus good reliability and smooth and refined operation are guaranteed.

But it was not the only thing that guaranteed good qualities, one of the most important sections has to do with friction losses and the tolerances between components, which were reduced by 50% compared to what was considered acceptable in those years. In addition, aluminum was used for the cylinder heads and cylinder blocks, which in turn were fitted with cast iron liners to ensure maximum strength. The four overhead camshafts that the engine had were also made of aluminum to reduce inertia, the crankshaft had five supports and the engine had innovative hydraulic supports that completely eliminated vibrations. 

The transmission, taking into account the objectives of the car, had to be automatic yes or yes. Thus, therefore, a change of four ratios and a torque converter was chosen, which today seems to have very, very few ratios, but which at that time was very advanced (today, there are automatic changes with up to 10 ratios). He had his own electronic brain, which in constant communication with the engine management, could achieve a smooth and refined response, but without lacking character or strength. 

One of the curiosities of this powertrain was the position of the transmission shaft, which formed a straight line with the differential, for which the engine had to be slightly tilted back (and therefore, the gearbox as well). Being in a straight line, possible adverse effects are reduced when accelerating or releasing the accelerator, avoiding harshness in the delivery of power to the differential, a set that had sprockets with more teeth than normal to achieve up to 30% less play (tolerances were reduced by 33%). With less backlash, wear is less and smooth running is improved by eliminating “rattling” between the sprockets. 

The first mass-produced car with automated welding

Lexus LS400 body

The modern automobile industry is one of the most automated in the world, having specialized robots for a large number of tasks, especially those that are repetitive and require very high precision. For example, the painting of cars is done by robots, as is welding, to give a few examples. But before, this did not happen until the Lexus LS400 arrived, the first car produced in series with automated welding. Automating the welds resulted in 1,5 times stronger joints, allowing a stiffer chassis, with less flex, and therefore more comfortable, safe and refined. 

In addition, this way of working the solder also allowed the creation of insulating areas by means of "sandwich" type panels that were filled with resin and metallic powder, both in the firewall and in the trunk bulkhead. Obviously, this reduced the noise in the cabin and multiplied the comfort and the feeling of quality and luxury. 

The entire construction of the car was taken care of to the maximum, analyzing the adjustments of the body panels by means of a computer on the assembly line itself, applying tremendously curious solutions. For example, the hood and trunk lid featured gaskets that weren't totally parallel, so that when you looked at the car, everything would look perfect. In addition, each Lexus LS400 underwent an additional 300 quality inspections, compared to any other Toyota manufactured at the time. 

An example of quality and attention to detail are the windshield wipers. Toyota designed a system that It allowed to adjust the angle of the brushes so that their performance was always optimal regardless of the speed to which it will circulate. It took two years of study and analysis to choose the materials that would shape the cabin and the wood trim was the work of Yamaha, drawing on its experience in working with wood in its pianos. And if that wasn't enough, the Lexus LS400 was the first car in the world to combine an airbag steering wheel and an electrically adjustable height and depth steering column. 

It was such a good car it couldn't be a Toyota

Lexus LS400, the first Lexus

It can be seen that Toyota had spared nothing in the development, achieving, as it turned out, a sensational car. It was so good, that despite being a new brand, it earned everyone's respect and he got to annoy a lot, the cockerels, read, Mercedes and BMW. But part of that good recognition had to do with a decision that was made thanks to the different market studies that were carried out in those years. 

The North American division of Toyota found that customers of this type of car would not be willing to pay the price that car cost for a Toyota. The segment of representation and very high-end cars is very traditional and very “brand”, the logo on the front is worth more than many other things and if not that they tell Volkswagen, which manufactured one of the best cars in the world but it was a commercial failure to have its logo on the front (the VW Phaeton was one of the best cars in its class and many things learned and developed with that model were used for the Audi A8 and Bentley Continental GT). Toyota had to find a solution and happened, directly, to create a specific label to sell that car. 

The fact is that they could not err in the name of the brand, it would not be the first time that a great car has ended up ostracized for a bad name, so they turned to a specialized company, Lippincott & Margulies, to work on a possible name for the new brand, a high-end and luxury brand. Up to 219 possible names were presented, such as Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Caliber or Alexis, name the latter selected as the most appropriate. However, John French, one of the people in charge of the project, removed the letter A leaving "Lexis", which quickly changed to Lexus with the meaning that we all know. 

However, there are more things behind this name, because Lexis was a legal investigation system that had developed the company Mead Data General, a company that sued Toyota for the similarity between the names and the possible consequences of this. The lawsuit was accepted and everything was turned upside down, because the logo, created by Molly Designs and Hunter Communications (a rendered L “with a very precise mathematical formula”), was already chosen. The illusion of the launch became panic, it was necessary to find an immediate solution that began with the letter L because in 1988, Toyota was ordered not to use the Lexus name in the United States. 

With a week to go until the Detroit Auto Show, the Court of Appeals began easing restrictions by allowing Toyota to use the Lexus name at the event, but not in advertising campaigns. But luckily and after several meetings, the Court of Appeals rejected the lawsuit and gave the green light to use the Lexus brand

Can we consider the Lexus LS400 a classic? 

Second generation Lexus LS400, launched in 1995

The Lexus LS400 is, by all accounts, one of the most special cars ever made, and not just because of its quality or because of Toyota's work, It is the first car of a brand that today is considered one of the best in the world.. Nobody doubts that Lexus is premium and that they are a benchmark in terms of quality and design, but could the Lexus LS400 be considered a classic car?

Its presentation took place in 1989 and its commercialization began in 1990, that is, by age it is legally a classic car, or at least, as some purists will say, it can be registered as historic. Aesthetically, you can see the age of the car, but it does not end up looking like a classic car, like the feeling that its cabin or its equipment offers. But nevertheless, there are cars that launched at the same time, are considered classics without discussion, what does a car need to be a classic? 

The Lexus LS400 has, to say the least, the historical significance of being the brand's first car.Ay also counts on the fact of having managed, at the first time, to put the maximum dominators of their category against the ropes. Enough to be considered a collectible car at best, right?

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Written by Javi Martin

If you ask me where my love for motoring comes from, I wouldn't know how to answer. It has always been there, although I am the only one in the family who likes this world. My father worked as a draftsman in a metallurgical company with a lot of auto parts production, but there was never a passion like I can have.

I really like automobile history and I am currently creating a personal library dedicated exclusively to motor history in Spain. I also have a huge collection of scanned material and have written the book "The 600, a dream on wheels" (Larousse publishing house).

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