Lexus revs the fun driving needle

Massaging seats await inside the Lexues LS and with harsh braking, the flat seat will lift automatically. 

 SELLING for just under and over R2 million, the two Lexus LS sedans can boast of being at the same time the most expensive Japanese cars in SA, as well as the cheapest luxury sports cars.

The LS F Sport — aimed at go-faster drivers — sells for R1 975 900 while the luxury-focused LS 500 retails for R2 151 100.

The extra money buys massaging seats with hot or cold air ventilation, among others, as befits the luxury brand of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota sells one in four new vehicles in South Africa and one in 10 new cars in the world, while dominating used markets, all of which helps to endow Lexus with built-in street cred that Nissan’s rival luxury brand, Infinity, can only dream of.

The facelifted LS models both use a new 3.5-litre V6 engine coupled to a torque converter, 10-speed automatic. The long-stroke V6 is mapped to make 310 kW, with peak torque of 600 Nm at 6 000 rpm.

In keeping with Toyota president Akio Toyoda’s stated intent to stop making boring cars, the Lexus is anything but boring to drive.

Twin turbos help the LS post a claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration in about five seconds, while those long pistons and an optimised stroke-to-bore ratio will deliver a constant build-up of torque to the big 20-inch wheels.

The ''F'' in the ''Lexus LS F Sport'' stands for ''fast'', actually,

Top speed for the LS is electronically govenered to 250 km/h. Fuel consumption is listed as 9,5 l/100 km.

As in other luxury cars, the LS driver can tailor powertrain response and feel by selecting Normal, Eco, Sport and Sport S+ drive modes, while the exhausts will burble or howl just loudly enough to add a suitable soundtrack to the drive.

Adaptive Variable Suspension (activated when in Sport S+ mode) that provides continuous adjustment of damping control for all four wheels.

For those more sedate commutes in dense traffic, the Lexus LS F Sport (same safety spec as the LS 500) has semi-automated driving technologies which the company’s test drivers have honed on one of the most complex highway systems in the world, the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway.

This tech ranges from pre-crash system with pedestrian detection to passenger seats that automatically return to an upright position if an imminent collision is detected.

As the cherry on top, the LS has the best-in-class seven-year/105 000 km warranty and full maintenance plan.

The vehicle’s service intervals are at every 15 000 km, alternatively once a year.