The Lexus LS470 makes its strongest bid yet for the luxury crown, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor, but can it prompt an abdication?
'It's a spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black . . . and all the people of the lulled and dumbfound town are sleeping now.
"Only your eyes are unclosed to see the black and folded town fast, and slow, asleep . . . and you alone can hear the invisible starfall."
With apologies to Dylan Thomas - and to Volkswagen's new Golf advert - these lines from Under Milk Woodand VW's new ad capture the allure of driving through empty streets in the wee hours.
With Thomas's lines read by Richard Burton, the ad asks one question: when was the last time you just went for a drive?
Sometimes in our hectic lifestyles we fall into the monotony of routine. Up, out, sit in traffic, work. Back in the car, sit in traffic, home. Same road, same route, same living hell.
In this regimented environment, it's hard to appreciate the incredible freedom offered by the car when unshackled from the constraints of commuter life.
Just once in a while it's worth breaking free. Admittedly the appeal may well be diluted by the quality of the car. Four wheels and an engine are all that's needed to appreciate the freedom, but it offers so much more attraction when your excursion on to streets washed with yellow lights is done in the motoring equivalent of a penthouse sitting room.
The Lexus flagship LS460 was the perfect consort to our late night excursions last week, when we fell under the spell of this TV ad and attempted to remind ourselves just why we love to drive.
There is something mildly adventurous about the empty streets and the contrast of the dark laneways, against the warmly backlit cabin of a car that costs €130,000.
In the LS, the soundtrack is provided by the gentle gurgle of the 4.6-litre engine up front and, if you so desire, the 19-speaker Mark Levinson stereo system that offers concert quality sound.
Along the litter-strewn streets, you cruise in a cabin lined with walnut and leather, pristine white carpet underfoot. Inches away is the grim reality of the city streets. In some ways the car's windows take on a cinematic quality. You are free to roam, while all the time cocooned in your luxury metal bubble.
And it doesn't have to be late night to appreciate the contrast. In the world of luxury cars it can occur even during the monotony of daily motoring. In the stop-start shuffle of morning rush hour there's comfort to be had in the opulence of these luxury cars.
Take the LS, for example. The steering requires little effort to turn its 19" wheels while there's a brake hold system so you don't have to bother taking the transmission out of drive or keeping your foot on the brake pedal when sitting in traffic. Simply apply the brake while the car is stopped and it will hold there until you push the accelerator.
Arrive at your destination and pull up alongside a parking spot. Then simply engage the advanced park assist system and a suggested yellow box comes up over the colour rearview camera shot, outlining where the car suggests you park. Adjust as you wish and then approve. Suddenly the steering wheel turns of its own volition and the car starts to reverse into the spot. Your only task is to sit there and apply the brakes when necessary. A self-parking car.
These are just two of the high-tech features in a car awash with technology. For some, that may spell concern, particularly when they remember the issues they had with BMW's initial foray into the world of iDrive controls.
However, Lexus has opted to keep the LS as intuitive as possible, blending high-tech features with luddite-pleasing controls. While behind the scenes there's a myriad of sensors to do justice to a space probe, from the driver's perspective, the controls are where you want them and the touchscreen system keeps everything simplistic.
At Lexus, the engineering pedigree of parent Toyota is matched with an earnest determination to create cars that match any rivals in their class. When the brand was founded, the first model it produced was the LS. The brief was to create a car to challenge the German dominance of the luxury market.
Simply put: the LS had to be as good as the S-Class. The ground rules have not changed. Engine specialists sign off on each engine block, every panel is water polished on the line, the finish of every car is scanned and compared to original templates. It's the attention to detail that impresses the most.
That said, when it came to previous LS models, the company mantra to match the Germans created a car that mimicked them and little more. It brought little extra to the luxury party.
Lexus also lacked personality when it came to design. The previous version looked like an older generation S-Class. Quality was there: individuality was not. Thankfully, after perfecting production, Lexus has finally got round to adding personality.
A family image was established - albeit one that bears some styling cues from BMW - and with the new LS there is now a distinct Lexus look to all three saloon models from IS up.
It may simply be replicating the principles of the German brands again in terms of a family look, but the cars have more aesthetic appeal than ever before. The allure to potential buyers isn't based solely on the head any more, and Lexus can claim some appeal to the heart as well.
So is this the equal or or better than the German contendors? Appearance is a personal choice, but the new LS is a world apart from its predecessor, and offers all the opulence you expect in this class.
The fit and finish is excellent, right down to the shutlines on the bonnet. The brand is also now respected in all the right circles, no longer seen by the image-conscious classes as a jumped-up Toyota. The cabin is spacious with enough legroom in the back for even the tallest executive while it can probably take four golf bags complete with several Big Berthas in its cavernous boot.
There may be some who suggest that Lexus has included some features on the LS that act more as bragging rights than useful additions. For example, the new eight-speed automatic gearbox may seem a waste of engineering effort to some, but it does mean the LS gets the most out of the 4.6-litre's rev range. From a comfort point of view, the most important point of this transmission is not the number of gears, however, but the smooth changes. If they got this even slightly wrong then it would be eight lurches to top speed and eight on the way down again. Thankfully they've managed to make the changes silky smooth.
All this praise is not to suggest the LS is perfect. Where it does let us down is in handling and ride. In its efforts to make everything so easy for the driver, the steering is just a little too light and indirect for our taste.
Similarly, of the three suspension settings on offer - comfort/normal/sport - the comfort setting creates far too much wallowing on Irish roads to be anything but annoying, while the sports setting is too jarring. For all the cost and effort of installing such an option, the normal setting is the only one you'll ever get to use. A waste of time, money and effort? Certainly for Irish buyers.
It's easy to get hypnotised by the luxury of these flagship models and to seem spoilt or cantankerous when you criticise them. Yet, like every car, they should be compared to their peers and not some counterpart in the supermini segment. This car vies for the attention of buyers well used to a life of luxury. They expect nothing less.
In that regard, you'd have to say that the LS has more opulence than the likes of Audi's A8, more modern appeal than the Jaguar XJ and is better proportioned than the BMW 7-Series.
The LS can rightly claim its spot in the top three now. Yet, for all that it offers, there is one rival that would appeal more: the latest Mercedes S-Class.
It matches the LS in terms of technology, excels in terms of driving pleasure and carries with it a heritage that Lexus just can't match. The S-Class remains king, but the Lexus has taken on the mantle of crown prince.
The ambition of Lexus is evident in every facet of the LS and the determination to take the luxury crown is inspiring. If you're in any doubt, just cruise along the night streets in one and, to steal from Dylan Thomas again: " From where you are, you can hear their dreams . . ."
Factfile
ENGINE:A 4,608cc petrol engine putting out 380bhp and 502Nm of torque. Transmission is a new eight-speed automatic.
SPECIFICATION:As with most cars in this class, there is a very long list of standard features including airbags, passive and active safety features, air suspension and an optional 19-speaker Mark Levinson Stereo system. A 10-speaker system is standard. Options include a moonroof for €1,885, a grand touring pack for €3,010 and a presidential pack that includes electrically adjustable and heated rear seats for €14,300.
L/100km (MPG)
Urban: 16.5 (17.1)
Extra-urban: 7.9 (35.8)
Combined: 11.1 (25.8)
CO2 emissions:254g/km
Road tax:€1,343
Price:€127,500