Lexus
Lexus (レクサス, Rekusasu) is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide[3][6] and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese global brands in market value.[7] Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium, and Plano, Texas, United States.
Company type
Created at around the same time as Japanese rivals Honda and Nissan created their Acura and Infiniti luxury divisions respectively, Lexus originated from a corporate project to develop a new premium sedan, code-named F1, which began in 1983 and culminated in the launch of the Lexus LS in 1989.[8] Subsequently, the division added sedan, coupé, convertible and SUV models. Lexus did not exist as a brand in its home market until 2005, and all vehicles marketed internationally as Lexus from 1989 to 2005 were released in Japan under the Toyota marque and an equivalent model name. In 2005, a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted and additional hybrid models later joined the division's lineup. Lexus launched its own F marque performance division in 2007 with the debut of the IS F sport sedan, followed by the LFA supercar in 2009.
Lexus vehicles are largely produced in Japan, with manufacturing centered in the Chūbu and Kyūshū regions, and in particular at Toyota's Tahara, Aichi, Chūbu and Miyata, Fukuoka, Kyūshū plants. Assembly of the first Lexus produced outside the country, the Canadian-built RX 330, began in 2003. Following a corporate reorganization from 2001 to 2005, Lexus began operating its own design, engineering and manufacturing centers.
Since the 2000s, Lexus has increased sales outside its largest market, the United States. The division inaugurated dealerships in the Japanese domestic market in 2005, becoming the first Japanese premium car marque to launch in its country of origin.[9] The brand has since debuted in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and other regions, and has introduced hybrid vehicles in many markets.
History[edit]
1980s: The F1 project[edit]
The Lexus brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Nissan and Honda developed their Infiniti and Acura premium brands. The Japanese government imposed voluntary export restraints for the U.S. market, so it was more profitable for Japanese automakers to export more expensive cars to the U.S.
In 1983, Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda issued a challenge to build the world's best car.[10] The project, code-named F1 ("Flagship One")[11] developed the Lexus LS 400 to expand Toyota's product line in the premium segment.[12] The F1 project followed the Toyota Supra sports car and the premium Toyota Mark II models.[13] Both the Supra and Mark II were rear-wheel drive cars with a powerful 7M-GE or 7M-GTE inline-six engine. The largest sedan Toyota built at the time was the limited-production, 1960s-vintage Toyota Century, a domestic, hand-built limousine, and V8-powered model,[14] followed by the inline-six-engined Toyota Crown premium sedan.[14][15] The Century was conservatively styled for the Japanese market and along with the Crown not slated for export after a restyle in 1982.[15] The F1 designers targeted their new sedan at international markets and began development on a new V8 engine.[14][15]
Japanese manufacturers exported more expensive models in the 1980s due to voluntary export restraints negotiated by the Japanese government and U.S. trade representatives that restricted mainstream car sales.[16] In 1986, Honda launched its Acura marque in the U.S., influencing Toyota's plans for a luxury division.[17] The initial Acura model was an export version of the Honda Legend, itself launched in Japan in 1985 as a rival to the Toyota Crown, Nissan Cedric/Gloria and Mazda Luce.[18] In 1987, Nissan unveiled its plans for a premium brand, Infiniti,[19] and revised its Nissan President sedan in standard wheelbase form for export as the Infiniti Q45, which it launched in 1990.[20] Mazda began selling the Luce as the Mazda 929 in North America in 1988 and later began plans to develop an upscale marque to be called Amati, but its plans did not come to fruition.[19]
Toyota researchers visited the U.S. in May 1985 to conduct focus groups and market research on luxury consumers.[21] During that time, several F1 designers rented a home in Laguna Beach, California, to observe the lifestyles and tastes of American upper class consumers.[21] Meanwhile, F1 engineering teams conducted prototype testing on locations ranging from the German autobahn to U.S. roads.[22] Toyota's market research concluded that a separate brand and sales channel were needed to present its new sedan, and plans were made to develop a new network of dealerships in the U.S. market.[23]
