Lexus is a brand owned by Toyota Motor Corporation for its line of luxury vehicles.
Lexus branded vehicles are sold in North America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and Oceania; in the US, Lexus is the highest-selling brand of luxury cars. Until 2005, Lexus vehicles were sold under the Toyota marque in Japan.
Lexus was inspired by the success of Toyota Supra sports car and the luxury Toyota Cressida models. Both the Supra and Cressida were rear wheel drive cars with a powerful 7M-GE/7M-GTE engine. The first Lexus-badged models, the V-8 powered LS 400 and the smaller, Toyota Camry-based ES 250, appeared in 1989.
The Lexus marque was launched in the US in 1989, prompted by the successful launch of the Acura marque three years prior. Lexus launched in Great Britain, Canada and Australia, in 1990.
An image consulting firm presented a list of 219 names, from which
Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Calibre and Alexis were candidates. While
Alexis quickly became the front runner and later morphed to Lexus, the
name has been attributed to the combination of the words "luxury"
and "elegance." According to Toyota, the name had no meaning
and was meant to be pleasing and easy to remember. Prior to the release
of the first vehicles, the database service LexisNexis obtained temporary
injunctions forbidding the name Lexus from being use as they stated
it might cause confusion. Upon reflection, the court lifted the injunction,
deciding there was a low likelihood of confusion between the two products.
In the US, Lexus Financial Savings Bank, in conjunction with US Bank,
has launched a Lexus Pursuits Visa Card.
Lexus was requested by Steven Spielberg, an ardent fan of Lexus and
himself an owner of LX 470, to design a vehicle which would fit the
requirements of year 2054 for Minority Report. Lexus came up with an
advanced vehicle which would run on fuel cells and have many advanced
safety features including a crash proof structure. (Lexus' cinematic
concept car also appears in The Island, though it's colored blue, not
red).
The ES series is roughly based on the Toyota Camry.
The IS (Toyota Altezza in Japan) series is roughly based on the Toyota
Cressida luxury sedan, which was discontinued in 1992 in the US partially
because of dropping sales due to the launch and success of the Lexus
brand.
After being discontinued in 1992, the X chassis code for Cressidas was
still in use in Japan under the Mark II, Chaser, and Cresta names until
the early 2000s.
After falling on hard times, fictional television/radio personality
Alan Partridge drove a Lexus, believing it to be a luxury car.
The car has appeared in Minority Report, Guess Who, Hide and Seek, The Dukes of Hazzard
Lexus LX200 was regarded on the Top Gear website as an uncool car.
Lexus has had a hard time making it in the UK, despite its overwhelming popularity in the US, where its image as a foreign luxury model has become well established since its initial launch in 1989.
Lexus sponsor many sport and racing tournaments. The Lexus Chase has been a race in Ireland.
In 2005 Annika Sorenstam captained the International Team to a convincing 16 - 8 win over Asia at the Lexus Cup in Singapore.
The new Conservative leader Mr Cameron found himself embroiled in a row over his choice of official car. Instead of opting for a dual fuel Toyota Prius, he's decided to get a luxury Lexus, which is more expensive and uses more fuel.
Similiar names to the car company
texas exes is an alumni society of Texas University
exus is the name of a punk group
Lexes Associates, Inc. is a company in the USA. Lexes Associates, Inc. can assist with Aircraft Configuration, Logistical Systems, Program Management, Modification Planning, and Tooling Information.
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