Lexus LS 400 sedan recast in second generation luxury design
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Mountains like Cone Peak in California's Coastal Range top out at more than a mile high before tumbling sharply into the Pacific Ocean. These steep slopes shape a driving course called Nacimiento Ferguson Road, warped in corkscrew contours over the Ventana Wilderness east of Big Sur.
I took Nacimiento Ferguson to test the agility of an extraordinary new Lexus flagship, the LS 400 luxury sedan.
When this seldom-traveled back road finally reaches the Pacific, you're still half a mile above sea level on a fir-coated crest. The route then takes ten miles to descend sheer cliffs through tight turns with no guard rails in serpentine series before connecting with the coast highway.
The challenge comes from keeping all four wheels on blacktop when forces of physical law try to pull that mass of metal and machinery off each curve and into thin air.
In confession, I zipped this route, flinging faster than prudent down the mountains, hanging through each turn, pushing G-force to maximum tolerance, slamming shifter down a notch or two when needed to check forward speed, then letting that rear-wheel thrust propel me into the next turn.
On and on, down and down, this Lexus and I came, one curve flowing into the next, suspension cocked from right to left to right, body swaying very little in a flat stance which spoke of sporty agility and tight-fisted control.
Most cars could not perform such feats at such speeds on such risky curves. For this Lexus, it's no big deal.
The fact that the LS 400 also surrounded me with every conceivable comfort became only a secondary consideration because it was power and control and agility that counted on this free-wheeling downhill romp to the coast.
A week later and a continent away, another LS 400 carried my party to an elegant affair. Each passenger, coddled by plush leather, conversed easily in a cabin so quiet it mimicked an acoustically pure audio booth.
As driver, I sat in a conforming bucket controlled by push buttons which also customize positions for the steering column and outside mirrors. A wood-trimmed console concealed the cellular telephone, while a glove box carried an in-dash compact disc player and still carved out enough extra room for a spare 6-pack CD cartridge.
The gear shift lever of the 4-speed electronic automatic transmission, rising from the center console, employed notchy stops to check stick movement from one gear to the next. Use these gates to run back and forth through gears manually as desired to restrain the car, and you'll always know where you are in sequence.
Regarding power, let me tell you: It's aggressive when you want action, with 260 horsepower flowing from an aluminum 4.0-liter V8 that features high-tech electronic controls. Torque comes up early in the power curve, enhancing the muscle in lower gear ranges.
You'll never hear that engine, though, because LS 400 exceeds its last edition for limiting mechanical vibrations and insulating the passenger compartment from external noise. No other car does a better job in creating a quiet, rattle-free zone for riders.
Park it, rev it to the red line, and you'll see: No noise, no vibration. It's that Lexus magic.
Sure, it cast a spell over me, luring with those luxury components, teasing with the power, shocking with that sporty personality expressed on dicey California curves.
Further, I predict that loyal Lexus owners -- those who have ranked this line at the top of every list measuring quality and satisfaction for each of the past five years -- will also appreciate this version as a subtle yet significant step forward into a second generation.
Its front end, comfortably similar to the original, on inspection presents a chiseled format that's more muscular in character, conveying strength and new styling drama.
New parts amount to 90 percent of content, while the sheetmetal is 100 percent new, with that crisp prow, bold rear treatment and angular C pillar in between.
Improvements appear in every area.
Horsepower, for instance, rises by 10, while overall weight of this car drops by 200 pound, facts which combine to make the Lexus faster by a second in 0-to-60 mph tests.
Despite the power increase, fuel economy also improves by two mile per gallon for highway driving and a mile per gallon in town, enough so that the V8 engine rivals some V6 midsize sedans for thriftiness at the pump.
It rides on a stiffer chassis with wheelbase stretched by 1.4 inches and wheels pushed outward by four inches to form a wider, longer platform. While the tractable double wishbone suspension design was retained, revisions were made in geometry and component alignment to increase agility and handling without sacrificing that Lexus-smooth ride quality.
The 4-wheel disc brakes, linking to an electronically-controlled anti-lock device, carry new aluminum front calipers in 4-piston design. They produce a 6-foot improvement in stopping distance for the new version -- and beat imported rivals by as much as ten feet.
A Cray supercomputer designed a new body structure to manage collision forces and preserve the passenger cabin. Add dual airbags, a new collapsible steering column, plus a host of other elements which even include a first aid kit housed beneath the driver's seat, and the total represents world-class active and passive safety systems.
The interior, built to carry five adults with two up front in buckets and as many as three in back, benefits from the chassis enlargement by providing more room for riders.
Dramatic spatial improvements occur in the rear seat, where legroom enlarges by 2.6 inches and shoulder space expands by more than half a foot. Also, tall drivers will find three more inches of air between hair and headliner.
For comfort, every interior aspect focuses on luxury.
Power buttons control windows and door locks. Plush bucket seats contain coil springs and stabilizer bars to maintain firm yet comfortable posture. Mirrors -- two outside and one centered inside -- employ electrochromic controls to dim automatically. The climate system has dual settings to satisfy driver and front passenger, then adds bi-directional solar sensors to differentiate and compensate for temperature variations in sunny and shady sections.
Options involve a power moonroof, the in-dash compact disc player, memory seat controls and cellular telephone.v
As for pricing, which holds at 1994's final figure, these improved LS 400 luxury machines begin at $51,200.
1995 LEXUS LS 400
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| 1995 LEXUS LS400 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Full-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
112.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
196.4 inches
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| Engine Size: |
QOHC 4.0-liter V8 32-v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
19/25 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 51,200 to $ 57,500 |
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