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2008 Lexus LS / TMG 650

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#1 · (Edited)
2008 LS 600h L
Lexus unveiled the all-new 2008 LS 600h L hybrid luxury sedan at a press conference today at the 2006 New York International Automobile Show. Scheduled to arrive in Spring 2007, the all-wheel-drive LS 600h L will be the world
 
#28 ·
whatever floats ur boat
 
#30 ·
Lexus LS 600h L Launch Edition Debuts With Neiman Marcus

Luxury Retailer's InCircle(R) Members to Be Among the First to Own World's First Luxury Full Hybrid V8 Vehicle

In celebration of Neiman Marcus' 100th anniversary in October, Lexus is making available 100 specially equipped LS 600h L Launch Edition models to be offered through the retailer to its InCircle(R) members -- customers belonging to the luxury retailer's customer recognition program.

The InCircle program has a long history of established partnerships with select companies dedicated to excellence. To that end, Neiman Marcus this year offers this exclusively designed vehicle from Lexus directly to its InCircle members.

Offered to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman customers, the InCircle program provides members the opportunity to earn points on an annual basis. These points may be redeemed at any time throughout the year once the customer has accumulated enough for the gift of their choice. Additional program information can be obtained at http://www.InCircle.com.

"Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, InCircle has been known for serving individuals who demand the finest and are committed to luxury as a constant in their lives," said Jeffrey Netzer, vice president of Neiman Marcus Customer Programs. He continued, "InCircle is proud to announce Lexus as our newest automotive partner to participate in our renowned customer recognition program. We are pleased to extend this exclusive purchase offer with one of the most prestigious automotive brands to our members."

The LS 600h L is the world's first luxury full hybrid V8 vehicle, available to the public mid-2007. But for the fortunate few, 100 specially-equipped Limited Edition models of Lexus' most inspired and innovative vehicle will be available for purchase by InCircle members.

"Lexus is proud to offer this revolutionary car to Neiman Marcus' most loyal and discerning customers," said Deborah Meyer, vice president of marketing for Lexus. "They will not be disappointed -- the LS 600h L stands alone in its class as the world's foremost hybrid vehicle in performance, style, safety and luxury."

Each of the 100 LS 600h L Launch Edition models will feature a special exterior color, Truffle Mica, a sophisticated four-coat color with a lustrous clear coat highlighting the fluid, sculpted lines of the LS. The interior will feature a luxurious Alabaster color, with interior badging that marks the LS 600h L as a Launch Edition vehicle. Exclusive 19-inch chrome alloy wheels have been created for this edition LS. In addition, owners will receive a specially crafted Italian leather luggage set that will match the unique interior color scheme.

The hybrid-drive system in the LS 600h L combines an all-new five-liter V8 gasoline engine with large, high-output electric motors and a newly designed large-capacity battery pack. This advanced combination will provide the LS 600h L with an unmatched balance of environmental efficiency and a peak combined output rating of more than 430 horsepower.

Technology amenities will include voice-activated hard disk drive (HDD) Navigation with Bluetooth(R) technology and XM real-time traffic system, a first in the prestige luxury segment, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with power nine-inch drop-down screen, and the specially developed 19-speaker 450-watt Mark Levinson(R) Reference Surround Sound audio system, which creates a new standard for automotive sound systems. In addition, the LS 600h L will be the world's first vehicle to be equipped with LED headlights for nighttime and low-beam use.

The all-new LS 600h L will offer an Advanced Parking Guidance System. The driver simply selects a parking spot, lines up the vehicle and pushes a button and the system parks the car with just a little brake work by the driver.





Discuss. :eatpop:
 
#48 ·
Edmunds Full Test: 2008 Lexus LS600h L

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/d...leId=120486?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1
Lexus builds a hybrid luxury liner with more spark than bite

Lexus isn't after high-income buyers with the 2008 Lexus LS 600h L.

"These people don't have income," one Lexus official told us about the target buyer for the LS 600h. "They have wealth. Money isn't the concern. Instead they're concerned about prestige, appearance and the statement their car makes about them."

In other words, they don't buy a Lexus. In fact, Lexus says the company's V8-powered LS 460 isn't even considered. "These people have a very short shopping list and we're not on it" is the way one Lexus executive put it. "The sedans they buy are the 12-cylinder Mercedes S600, BMW 760Li and Audi A8."

To compete, Lexus needed a new flagship, one with a six-figure price tag and more power. So the company has created the LS 600h L, a V8-powered hybrid sedan that is first and foremost a luxury liner. It's built to provide the world's wealthiest citizens the same sort of serene, seamless and abundant thrust they would get in a 12-cylinder ultraluxury sedan, only without resorting to all those additional cylinders.

To accomplish this, Lexus has combined its largest ever V8 with a supplementary electric motor and battery pack. The result is the most expensive Lexus ever built and the only car in the ultraluxury class that qualifies as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV).

Dense-Pack Technology
At 202.8 inches, the LS 600h L is the same length as its near-twin LS 460 L, but it's not particularly vast compared to the Mercedes S600, which stretches out 205.0 inches. In addition to all the equipment that an LS 460 L carries, the hybrid adds all-wheel drive with a front differential and a Torsen center differential, an additional planetary gearset, two "motor generator" electric motors, a power inverter, a nickel-metal hydride battery, and a long tangle of wires and cables. All of which weighs a ton.

Well, not really a ton, but it all does add 887 pounds to the car, which crushed our scales to the tune of 5,219 pounds. That's 887 pounds more than an LS 460 L, and 344 pounds more than the curb weight Mercedes claims for the S600 V12. And all that weight mutes this jumbo hybrid's performance.

It also leaves this big sedan with very little trunk. Hey, all that stuff has to go somewhere, and accommodating the batteries and motors shrinks trunk space 35 percent from the LS 460's 18 cubic feet to just 11.7.

Bigger V8
To compensate for the weight increase, Lexus has added stroke to the all-aluminum 4.6-liter V8 it uses in the LS 460. It now displaces 5.0 liters, but the two engines are otherwise nearly identical, with double-overhead cams, 32 valves and variable valve-timing. Rated at 389 horsepower, nine more than the LS 460 V8, the engine feeds a continuously variable transmission that in turn is plumbed into the drivetrain, parallel with the electric motors.

With the V8 and the electric motors working together, there's a total (Lexus tells us) of 438 hp available to push around the LS 600h L. That's identical to BMW's claimed output for the 760Li's 6.0-liter V12, but behind the 510-hp Mercedes claims for the S600's 5.5-liter V12.

Fast, But Not Faster
The LS 600h L's hybrid system operates in three modes: "Hybrid," "Power" or "Snow." The default setting is "Hybrid," which is supposed to provide smooth operation. Meanwhile, "Power" sharpens accelerator response and "Snow" softens response to make acceleration on slippery surfaces more manageable.

Our best acceleration times in the preproduction test car came with the system set on "Power" and the transmission in Sport mode. The 0-to-60-mph sprint took 6.0 seconds and the quarter-mile went by in 14.3 seconds at 101 mph. For a big, heavy sedan, that's not bad, but the conventional LS 460 L is just as quick. It hits 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and rips through the quarter-mile in the same 14.3 seconds.

This isn't much of a surprise, since the LS 600h L and LS 460 L have similar power-to-weight ratios. Each of the hybrid's 438 ponies must lug 11.9 pounds, while each of the LS 460 L's carries 11.4, and the cheaper car doesn't have to overcome the parasitic drag inherent in an all-wheel-drive system.

Still Thirsty
Of course the compensating virtue of the hybrid drivetrain should be fuel economy. And since it will run solely on its battery at low speeds and shut off its V8 whenever the car comes to a stop, the LS 600h L does have an advantage in stop-and-go traffic. Lexus predicts that final EPA mileage ratings will have the hybrid LS rated at 20 mpg in the city compared to 18 mpg for the LS 460 L and 19 mpg for the shorter LS 460.

But on the highway, where the LS 600h L's larger V8 is always running
 
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