In Toyota lore the LS 400 grew from the work of 1,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians and 60 designers. They built 450 prototypes and spent five years bringing the first Lexus to market at a total cost of one billion dollars.

The goal was to top the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Car and Driver agreed after comparing the LS 400 with the 420SEL and the BMW 735i. The program began as Circle F with F for flagship. Toyota sent planners to California to study luxury buyers because the home-market Century was too traditional for worldwide tastes.

Focus groups showed Americans valued prestige over outright performance. That insight shaped a car that matched European engineering while offering clear luxury appeal.

The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection

Ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi created the slogan The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. One commercial showed an LS 400 on a dynamometer reaching 145 mph with a pyramid of filled Champagne glasses on the hood and none spilled.

Engineers heard a drivetrain whine traced to a driveshaft harmonic that grew louder at speed. Rather than swap parts they rebuilt the entire drivetrain in stronger high-tensile steel.

Lexus also turned a tail-light recall into positive publicity. Technicians collected cars from owners homes, repaired them, washed them and returned them. One Detroit dealer even flew specialists 150 miles to fix ten cars in Grand Rapids.

Performance and Posh

Lexus needed a V8 for the American market. The target was a 155 mph top speed and 10.5 liters per 100 kilometers or 22.4 mpg. A 0.29 drag coefficient and modest curb weight helped the car avoid the gas-guzzler tax.

The resulting four-liter quad-cam aluminum V8 made 241 horsepower. Engineers created 973 engine prototypes and logged 2.7 million test miles.

Research had shown that comfort and performance must work together. The LS 400 therefore delivered speed, efficiency and near silence inside a refined cabin. Lexus and Acura together opened a new luxury segment once dominated by European brands.