How did the 30-year-old Lexus LS grow up to compete with the 7 Series and S Class?

Brother K is from Zhejiang, and the word "Houshengzai" may be one of the earliest Cantonese words I learned.

Actually, it means "young people".

For Lexus born in 1989, it is not an exaggeration to call it "afterlife".

Especially compared with those century-old brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Lexus is only 365,438+0 years old today, which may be younger than many people here.

As the "pioneering work" of Lexus, the LS series was originally in its prime, but if you understand its reputation and good reputation, you will find that even the S-class Mercedes-Benz has to bow its head.

How did it do it?

In the 1980s, a series of arrogant behaviors occurred inside Mercedes-Benz, which made it suffer a wave of recession in the luxury car market.

At the same time, Toyota, which accounted for only 8. 1% of the global market at that time, made a bold decision. Produce top luxury cars and touch Mercedes-Benz!

As a result, the "flagship-1" project was officially launched. . .

The goal is simple, surpassing all luxury brands in the world. Moreover, it does not count as R&D cost and does not limit the R&D cycle.

Prior to this, Toyota had a relatively successful large luxury car-the first generation century, but this car hasn't changed much since 1967. If the old century is beautifully decorated, Americans may be cheated, but the Japanese themselves may never get through it.

Therefore, Toyota decided to "start from scratch" and strive for perfection.

The R&D work of the first generation of LS involves 60 designers, 24 engineering teams, 65,438+0,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians and 200 auxiliary workers. It took six years to design 1000 prototype vehicles, and the R&D investment exceeded 654.38 billion US dollars.

Such an epic project can't be separated from the belief held by Toyota Yingzhi, the head of the company, and all Toyota employees. Either build the best or don't spend money.

Finally, the first large luxury car LS 400 from Japanese luxury brand Lexus was born at 1989 north american auto show.

The first generation of LS is a veritable "debut is the peak".

The newly developed 1UZ-FE 4.0L V8 naturally aspirated engine has both ride comfort, quietness and durability. Coupled with the use of a large number of cast aluminum materials, the weight of the car has been greatly reduced, and the fuel luxury tax in the American market has been successfully avoided, making it more competitive in price.

The famous "Champagne Tower" experiment has long been talked about. Not long ago, Akio Toyoda successfully copied the shocking scene of that year on the latest LS 500.

In addition, in order to obtain better quietness than S-class, Toyota applied for nearly 300 new patents, including aerodynamic hatch cover, rubber vibration isolation bracket, sandwich body steel plate and so on.

Configuration, including electromagnetic damping system, electric memory leather seat, seat heating, full projection instrument panel, walnut decoration, etc. It not only further improved the comfort and grade sense of LS, but also eclipsed the competitors at that time.

The original LS was officially introduced to China with the name of Lexus.

Today, although it has been more than 20 years, the failure rate of LS 400 may not be higher than that of new cars.

Whether you have feelings or not, the original LS can drive for a lifetime.

After the launch of the first generation LS, the product team began to continuously collect user feedback as the focus of the second generation LS upgrade.

Perhaps it is the reason why the first generation LS is too dazzling, and the second generation LS is more like its modified model.

The appearance has not changed much, and the wheelbase has increased slightly by 36mm, which is quite cautious compared with the current BBA.

The power system continues to use the 4.0L V8 engine on the original LS, and the horsepower is slightly improved.

In addition, the sound insulation components, body structure, braking system and suspension system have been optimized, and the driving experience has been further improved.

In terms of configuration, the second-generation LS is equipped with the world's first car multi-disc system, the first car audio hard disk, optional GPS navigation system and brand-new leather chair cushions to provide better comfort.

The second-generation LS after the mid-term change is called "Millennium LS" in China, with a more "tiger-headed running" appearance and further upgraded configuration, including more advanced 5AT gearbox, driving computer display screen, retractable headrest, anti-ultraviolet glass and dual-zone automatic air conditioning.

The Millennium version of LS 400 may be the most sought-after "Emotional Lexus" in China. No one, there are not many sources of used cars, and even if there are, it is not acceptable to ordinary players.

If you really want to play, the third generation LS may be more suitable.

At the end of the second generation LS, it just happened to catch up with the appearance of Mercedes-Benz W220. Although the online evaluation of "Butterfly Run" is not good, it is indeed the beginning of leading Mercedes-Benz back to the peak.

LS 430 was born under such pressure.

The redesigned appearance became much rounder, and the drag coefficient was as low as 0.25, which was the lowest among all sedan cars at that time.

Low wind resistance can not only reduce the noise of road surface and wind cutting, but also make this car "as quiet as a medieval chapel" (Comments from professional magazines)

The LS 430 is equipped with a brand-new 4.3L V8 naturally aspirated engine, with a maximum output of 293 HP, 434 Nm and an acceleration time of 6.7 seconds. In addition, the car is equipped with "torque activation" technology, which makes the shift of 6AT gearbox smoother through electronic control.

In the interior part, the third-generation LS uses a lot of walnut and semi-benzene dyed leather, covering almost all the places within reach.

In addition, Mark Levinson has become a new audio supplier of LS, with electric luggage compartment cover, heated/ventilated seat, electric sunshade, electric tilting/massaging back seat and ACC adaptive battery life.

In the mid-term, except for the appearance adjustment, the original 5AT was changed to 6AT.

But as far as I know, the ride comfort has declined. But I have no choice. It's all 6AT in China.

Previous generations of LS provided only one model without exception, which was very unfavorable in the face of BBA with different configurations and prices.

Therefore, the fourth generation LS provides two different powers, LS 460 and LS 600. On this basis, you can also choose more subdivided models such as long-axis version and four-wheel drive version.

In terms of power, the LS 460 equipped with 4.6L V8 accelerates for 5.7 seconds, which is equivalent to that of Mercedes-Benz S 450(W2 1 1)/ BMW 750i(E65) in the same period.

LS 600h is a hybrid vehicle, which consists of an all-aluminum 5.0-liter V8 multi-cylinder direct injection engine and motor. With the help of VVT-i variable valve timing and ETCS-i electronic throttle, the comprehensive maximum power of the system reaches 445 HP, and the average fuel consumption can be controlled at 9.3L/ 100km.

In terms of configuration, the fourth generation LS has added many technologies such as adaptive variable suspension system, variable steering ratio electronic power steering system, lane departure warning system, automatic parking system, driver fatigue warning system, pedestrian monitoring system, pre-collision system and so on.

In addition, 16 driver's electrically adjustable seat, area automatic air conditioner with infrared temperature sensor and ceiling air outlet, DVD audio-visual entertainment system with rear seat display screen, rear massage seat with folding workbench, etc. , are not inferior to S-class.

In 20 12, the fourth generation of LS ushered in a big change, changed into a family-style spindle-shaped mesh, and joined the F SPORT version for the first time.

The interior has also changed greatly, such as three-spoke steering wheel, overhead instrument panel, brand-new gear handle, brand-new remote control human-computer interaction system interface, brand-new GPS positioning automatic timing aluminum quartz clock and so on.

The theme of the interior is walnut, light brown and even bamboo, which is very oriental.

The very "real" materials used in the fourth generation ls caused an inevitable problem? The price is too high, far less attractive than BBA in the same period.

Especially the fourth generation LS in the later period, it is said that the domestic sales volume is only single digits. . .

This is the only generation of LS that Brother K has ever driven. Interested parties can review the test drive article. (You can pay attention to the kilometers per hour)

The appearance of the fifth generation LS has undergone earth-shaking changes. It may be unprecedented for such a flamboyant and avant-garde design technique to appear on large luxury cars.

Not only that, the "oriental art" integrated into this generation of LS interiors is like a clean stream. That feeling is not only superficial luxury, but also inner satisfaction.

In terms of driving, the fifth-generation LS subverts the image of the first four generations of cars, no longer has the exclusive social group setting of the back seat buyers, and also dilutes the family connotation inherited by LS all the way, becoming a "driving-centered" luxury car.

It may be the best LS ever opened, and the internal configuration may also be the highest.

The newly designed front seat has the functions of cold and hot ventilation, massage and 28-way electric adjustment, and is equipped with the back seat of footrest which integrates cold and hot ventilation, electric pitch adjustment, shiatsu massage and other functions. It provides a more comfortable ride texture than the previous LS.

But looking back, the German luxury car headed by Mercedes-Benz S-Class not only made rapid progress, but more importantly, it "isolated" LS to some extent.

However, it is those people who will choose LS.

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This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.