If you're a high-level executive and an environmentalist at heart who just can't give up the leather, wood, and most importantly, big-car power for a Spartan-interior, gas-sipping Prius, the Lexus LS 600h L is the solution to your quandry. Toyota's luxury arm combines a 5.0 liter V8 with an electric motor and a CVT to produce 430 hp. Lexus says the car's sticker price will start at $104,750. On top of all the geeky hybrid bits, that money gets you the world's first production-car LED headlights, full-time all-wheel-drive, 19-speaker Mark Levinson sound system with an 8GB hard drive, Intuitive Parking Assist, and loads of luxury. Options include 4-zone climate control, a power-reclining rear seat with massage, and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
Lexus doesn't give fuel economy estimates for the 600h, but expects the car to receive the Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle rating and says the car will have the best-in-class V8 fuel efficiency that's roughly equal to the numbers achieved by other V6 AWD luxury sedans.
Click through to the jump for Lexus' press release and be sure to check out our high-res gallery.
[Source: Lexus]
Lexus Announces Pricing for All-New LS 600h L Luxury Hybrid Sedan
TORRANCE, Calif., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexus today announced the
manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the all-new 2008 LS 600h L
luxury hybrid sedan. The LS 600h L will be the ultimate Lexus statement,
providing the highest level of luxury, technology, performance, safety and
efficiency.
With an extensive list of standard luxury equipment and technological
features, including the world's first full hybrid V8 powertrain, the LS
600h L will carry a base MSRP of $104,000 when it reaches Lexus dealers in
June.
The full-time all-wheel-drive LS 600h L will be the world's first
vehicle powered by a full hybrid V8 powertrain and will be mated to a newly
developed dual-stage electronically controlled, continuously variable
transmission. It will deliver power and performance on par with modern
12-cylinder engines, producing more than 430 horsepower while still
delivering fuel efficiency equal to or better than the combined
fuel-economy ratings of V6 all-wheel-drive mid-sized luxury sedans. The LS
600h L will also carry a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) rating,
emitting nearly 70 percent fewer emissions than the "cleanest" of its
competitors.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
stefan @ Apr 7th 2007 6:13PM
I rather have that lexus than a mercedes S-class or bmw 7-serie.
fraser @ Apr 7th 2007 6:25PM
correct me if im wrong, but isnt it the audi r8 the worlds first production car with LED headlights?
Viv @ Apr 7th 2007 6:37PM
Are u kidding me? 105K for THIS?????
Gale @ Apr 7th 2007 6:37PM
It will be a flop - and here's why. Lexus/Toyota buyers are inherently risk averse. They want the best car for the money, and to the risk averse that means the most dependable.
Risk averse people seldom buy a car anywhere near this expensive, because people who pull down $250K/yr+ are entrepreneurial by nature, and that is the opposite of risk averse.
This will be a low volume, low sales model for Lexus that will bow out in 3-4 years tops. Another bad move by a company that has been slipping a lot lately.
brian @ Oct 1st 2007 7:41AM
Do you actually believe yourself? You have no idea of how the auto industry works. This car is not going to be mass produced, in fact there is a long wait period just to buy this car. People have bought 250,000 merdedez for years that offer nothing but speed. This car does a whole lot more for half the price, but thats fine, you go ahead and live in la-la land.
jj @ Apr 7th 2007 6:40PM
6 figures for a Toyota?
Get a clue, clowns. People buy your cars because they're better deals than BMWs and Mercedes. Factor that out of the equation and you're left with an identity crisis.
Good luck selling these things, you'll need it.
Andy @ Jun 27th 2007 8:53PM
People buy theses cars because they are better cars. Dont believe me? Go to any benz dealership and hang around the service area for a while. You will meet some very irate folks who paid top dollar for their cars and have almost as many problems as Ford owners. People buy Toyotas because you can drive them for YEARS without making a repair. German car owners cant make that claim, no matter how much they spend. I would buy a high end Toyota or Nissan before I would own any German car. Havent you ever heard benz owners bragging about the "Relatioship that they have with their mechanic"? Well, buy a Lexus and never meet your service manager, let alone have a "relationship" with him. Cars shouldnt be finicky sewing machines, they should run without problems.
ruggels @ Apr 7th 2007 6:43PM
"It will deliver power and performance on par with modern 12-cylinder engines"
every time lexus uses this crap it urkes me, with audi and now bmw producing 420hp v8s, v10s up and above 500hp, equating 430hp to the power of a v12 is just annoying. yes the w12 a8 and pheaton are producing around that, who cares, who needs a v12 when a v10 is handily producing 500+, get real toyota.
Axel @ Apr 7th 2007 6:46PM
This car is a joke... the trunk for example is just half the size of an S-class or a BMW 7-series thanks to the genius hybrid technology. It's barely usable (280 Liters, the trunk space in the current VW jetta is nearly twice the size!) and the hybrid system isn't as effective as it should be...
I personally would rather drive an Audi A8 or the current S-Class...
The Penguin @ Apr 7th 2007 6:50PM
Who in their right mind would buy something like this? Anyways, if you had 105k to spend on a high end luxury car, would you buy somthing that resembled a Toyota Camary when you could buy the best of German enginering and styling in a Mercedes Benz S-class, BMW 7-serries, or an Audi A8L?
owen @ Apr 7th 2007 6:51PM
GALE,what planet are you on? This will be a low volume, low sales model for Lexus that will bow out in 3-4 years tops. Another bad move by a company that has been slipping a lot lately. i did not know sales increase ment slipping.no matter how much money i had .i would not spend that much money on any car but thats just me ,go to inside line.com and you will see people are realy exited about this car ,so haters dont bash it because you cannot offord it or your dislike for toyota
Crunkjuice @ Apr 7th 2007 6:52PM
@#5
I don't think that it will be a flop at all. I bet that "green" celebrities in Hollywood are already lined up & waiting for this.
I see a ton of Big Bimmers & Benzes on the road, that are driven by people who probably don't pull in $250k a year.
ruggels @ Apr 7th 2007 6:52PM
I've said it before and I'll say it again, 430hp is paltry now adays. Yes, I get that lexus is mentioning it in the same breath as v12 because their target demographic (people who don't want to drive but want to be driven, or people who are insanely rich and just want a big reliable toyota) but can we please stop paraphrasing it.
Audi and BMW's naturally aspirated v8s are putting out 420, Audi and BMW's naturally aspirated v10s are putting out 450 and 500 respectively, and here comes toyota mentioning 430 is on par with a v12? Maybe the VAG W12, but let's face it, Audi and BMW aren't focusing on their V12s all that much anymore (petrol that is) because there isn't a need with V10s and V8s producing what lexus seems to think is a healthy V12 number.
Yes it's marketing, but it's exactly the kind of marketing you don't want with a car like this, you don't want to be resorting to 1980s and 1990s level s where v12 is embossed on the side of a car and everyone who doesn't know jack about a car is excited simply because the whisper of v12 conjures up images of greatness regardless of the powerplant's specific output.
Extol the car for producing 400+hp with minimal emissions, but don't play the 'market our biggest disadvantage as an advantage' game simply because you're not shoehorning anything bigger then a v8 in there, there's no need,430hp is plenty enough to compete with the A8 et-al on pure hp numbers.
Or maybe i'm the only person that finds this grab for v12 attention out of sync with a high tech v8 hybrid.
Kowell @ Apr 7th 2007 6:53PM
Even if his V8 only has half the fuel consumption of a regular V8... can it really be called "eco friendly" considering it's still twice the fuel consumption of a 4 cylinder?
Roger Rodrigues @ Apr 7th 2007 6:56PM
Overpriced
ruggels @ Apr 7th 2007 6:56PM
i'm curious who honestly thinks someone who makes $250,000 will have no problems affording a car like this.
ruggels @ Apr 7th 2007 7:00PM
Am I the only person who's irked by the whole marketing propeganda of equatting 430hp to a v12 for nostalgic reasons? Toyota doesn't need to put a v12 in this car, they think a v8-hybrid combo is perfect for their top end ls, that's great, advertise it's lower emissions and 400+ hp but don't go advertising 430hp and v12 simply because toyota's marketing people think a v12 is needed to offer a top tear flagship car. it's 2007 for god sakes. Audi and BMW both have na v8's putting out 420hp, and v10's ranging from 450-500hp respectively, neither are producing huge hp v12s (sans the tdi effort) simply because there isn't a need with v8's eclipsing 400hp. Maybe i'm the only one who thinks this nostalgic throwback is a bit misplaced.
I'm sure this car will do well, simply because it does pass the 100,000$ price point and it is a lexus.
Bran @ Apr 7th 2007 7:01PM
Locally, the 460 has 60 on order and it's been out for months. They can't even keep one for the showroom floor. Considering a loaded LS 460 L can come close to the start price, I think the 600H will do fine.
It will see a relatively limited production and do well in that regard.
Jeff Banks @ Apr 7th 2007 7:07PM
"I don't think that it will be a flop at all. I bet that "green" celebrities in Hollywood are already lined up & waiting for this. "
Actually you would be wrong. Most celebrities ignored the Lexus Hybrid SUV. I attribute this to the lack of ostentatiousness (in terms of being green) that the Prius is saturated with (i.e. the goofy shape). I hope that made sense. Basically, image is everything and if it isn't stupidly obvious that the car is a hybrid, I don't think that most celebrities will care.
Anyway, the LS 600 is kind of an ugly car. Not blatantly, but the proportions look a tad bit off.
The whole concept kind of reminds me of the VW Phaeton...looks alright but its basically a SUPER-CAMRY. Eh, I suppose it will sell like mad anyway.
bob @ Apr 7th 2007 7:07PM
LS 450 World Car of the Year
Ls 600 World's most powerful hybrid
This car is just perfect. With this kind of products Toyota should be able to top their $13 billion dollar profit by next year.
You guys should quit hating cos Toyota doesn't expect you angry folks on autoblog to buy their products.