For years, Toyota's luxury arm sells more crossovers and SUVs than it does cars, in the United States. And for years, the strategy works. In June 2004, Lexus sold its 2 millionth car in the United States. As many remember, and as the rest have been told, it had all seemed so unlikely just 15 years beforehand.

Not only were the odds stacked against Lexus at its launch, but the company endured a difficult period - known internally as "the dark years" - during the early-to-mid-90s (The Lexus Story, Jonathan Mahler, Melcher Media, 2004).

The shift in exchange rates, and the Clinton administration's threats of import luxury taxes, claimed Mazda's nascent Amati division, and sobered both Acura and Infiniti - and potential ideas of a V12 Lexus.

These days, Lexus' focus has returned, somewhat. The arrival of the 2005 GS; 2006 IS, and 2007 LS sedans have redressed the car-truck balance.

In 2007, Lexus launched its most expensive car ever: a variant of the Lexus LS, adding hybrid technology to create the LS600h. It is the third hybrid Lexus, after the RX400h and GS450h.

Lexus' advertisements, implying that high performance can now be guilt free, are frowned upon in the United Kingdom, and indeed several suggestions that the company is duping buyers surface in U.S. media.

A Lexus LS460L is rated at 16/ 24 mpg, cty/ hwy. It costs $71,000.

A Lexus LS 600hL hybrid is rated at 20/ 22 mpg, cty/ hwy. It costs $104,000.

Lexus in America is run by Jim Farley, who first ran Scion, then Toyota.


In October 2008, Lexus' European chief Tadashi Arashima confirms that the Japanese brand will field a compact competitor to BMW's 1 series and Audi's A3. The car, which will be available only in Europe, is to help Lexus meet European CO₂ emissions standards, while edging the label toward its goal of selling 150,000 cars in Europe by 2015.


Lexus spends several years showing concepts and prototypes of an upcoming LF-A supercar. In mid-2008, the news breaks that a production model might cost $225,000, but would still be unprofitable. It's too much for Toyota, who reportedly tables the project. As former Nissan racer; NSX development driver, and Nurburging legend Motoharu "Gan-san" Kurosawa reckons, "Toyota are good at making money, but they're no good at making sports cars."


"My Maserati pen disintegrated while I was making notes at a fuel stop," recounts 4Car contributor Colin Overland of one road test experience.

"Rooting around in my bag unearthed a Lexus pen which, of course, worked impeccably."

New at Lexus for 2008 is the IS-F, Toyota's answer to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and named for Japan's Fuji raceway. The shape of the stylized letter recalls the track's first corner. Other F models will follow, Lexus says.