Understated styling
This big Lexus looks understated and stripped-down of any bling. Based on a variant of the long-wheelbase platform of the LS 460 L, the car boasts a sleek, aerodynamic profile, as its 0.27 drag coefficient will attest.
To create a green luxury flagship, the automaker rejected all large-displacement engines. Rather, they combined a direct-injected, 5.0L V8 with two high-output electric motors. The resulting powertrain is capable of producing upwards of 430 horsepower, or as much as a 6.0L V12, hence the "600h L" designation: 600 stands for 6 liters, h stands for hybrid and L refers to the long wheelbase.
Richness and thriftiness
This 2.5-ton sedan burns barely more fuel than a modest, V6-powered Toyota Camry: only one liter more per 100 kilometers. That's little. Very little. Incidentally, that's 35 percent less fuel than what the Mercedes-Benz S600 requires. Yet, the LS 600h L can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 5.7 short seconds.
Power is sent to all four wheels through an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT) with Sequential Shiftmatic System that puts eight "gears" at the driver's disposal. What a treat! Toyota engineers also incorporated a switch allowing the driver to select the following driving modes: Normal, Power or Snow.
Like other Toyota hybrids, the electric motor of the LS 600h L is fed by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack located beneath the trunk. The battery is continuously recharged while driving (by the gasoline engine) as well as by the energy captured through regenerative braking. It occupies limited space, so all the luggage of an opera diva can fit inside the trunk.
Music lovers will rave about the Mark Levinson 19-speaker, 450-watt Premium Surround Sound audio system delivering high resolution and harmonic richness. Once you've revelled in the incredible sound quality of this unit through miles and miles of road, it's pretty hard to go back to "ordinary" stereos. Oh well...
This big Lexus looks understated and stripped-down of any bling. Based on a variant of the long-wheelbase platform of the LS 460 L, the car boasts a sleek, aerodynamic profile, as its 0.27 drag coefficient will attest.
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| Lexus developed the first hybrid V8 powertrain in the world. |
To create a green luxury flagship, the automaker rejected all large-displacement engines. Rather, they combined a direct-injected, 5.0L V8 with two high-output electric motors. The resulting powertrain is capable of producing upwards of 430 horsepower, or as much as a 6.0L V12, hence the "600h L" designation: 600 stands for 6 liters, h stands for hybrid and L refers to the long wheelbase.
Richness and thriftiness
This 2.5-ton sedan burns barely more fuel than a modest, V6-powered Toyota Camry: only one liter more per 100 kilometers. That's little. Very little. Incidentally, that's 35 percent less fuel than what the Mercedes-Benz S600 requires. Yet, the LS 600h L can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 5.7 short seconds.
Power is sent to all four wheels through an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT) with Sequential Shiftmatic System that puts eight "gears" at the driver's disposal. What a treat! Toyota engineers also incorporated a switch allowing the driver to select the following driving modes: Normal, Power or Snow.
Like other Toyota hybrids, the electric motor of the LS 600h L is fed by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack located beneath the trunk. The battery is continuously recharged while driving (by the gasoline engine) as well as by the energy captured through regenerative braking. It occupies limited space, so all the luggage of an opera diva can fit inside the trunk.
Music lovers will rave about the Mark Levinson 19-speaker, 450-watt Premium Surround Sound audio system delivering high resolution and harmonic richness. Once you've revelled in the incredible sound quality of this unit through miles and miles of road, it's pretty hard to go back to "ordinary" stereos. Oh well...
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| The lines were carefully studied to optimize aerodynamics. |