Autoblog

Close your eyes, sit back and imagine you're being chauffeured around town. Now open your eyes, and say what luxury conveyance you pictured your ride to be. The editors of The Chauffeur magazine – who we'd all imagine are named Jeeves or Somethingsworth – have made their selections, naming the Jaguar XJ long wheelbase and Lexus LS600hL as their top picks for Chauffeur Car of the Year 2008.

The Jaguar beat out the Volvo S80, Mercedes E, Chrysler 300C and VW Phaeton, which were nominated alongside it in the £25-£50k category. Up one class in the £50-100k segment, the Lexus beat out a selection of Europe's finest in the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8. No word yet on the final choice for the top category, but with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Maybach 62 all nominated, we'd be hard pressed to pick one ourselves (hint: it wouldn't be the Maybach). Chauffeur mag was quick to point out that the dedicated chauffeur programs offered by both Jaguar and Lexus scored both the long-wheelbase luxury sedans extra points in their deliberations. Follow the jump to read the press releases from Jaguar and Lexus.

[Sources: Jaguar and Lexus]

In trying to establish a Japanese-market foothold for Lexus, Toyota has seemingly fallen prey to the same tactic that made the Cadillac Cimmaron such a maroon. When trying to launch a brand, especially an upscale brand, it's not advisable to rebadge existing models and crank up the price. It doesn't seem to matter how good the car is, or how swanky the new $10-million-a-pop showroom is, once an Altezza, always an Altezza, and paying 20 percent more for the same car with a different logo is rightfully galling.

Japanese luxury car buyers also have quite a taste for European iron, specifically German cars from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Enthusiasts in Toyota's own backyard echo the universal car-guy complaint that Lexus vehicles lack personality. There's no denying that Lexus cars are well-made and capable, and the IS-F may finally infuse the brand with enough attitude to woo buyers of storied marques. Currently, most Lexus buyers in Japan are stepping up from Toyota ownership. Less than 5 percent of sales are conquests, and actual sales have lagged behind projections. Lexus offerings have been expanded from the initial IS, GS, and SC models to include the LS, and the RX will be coming in 2009. While it may appear less than successful so far, Toyota can afford to be patient. American buyers have fully embraced Toyota and Lexus nameplates to the point where they're both smashing successes. In another two to three years, we're betting Lexus will have a cheery song to sing in Japan.

[Source: Businessweek]

Remember when the Lexus LS 600h was on the way, and there was head-scratching aplenty about the $100K+ price and the delay? At the time, Lexus said it only planned to sell 2,000 of the hybrid cruisers per year, and that they already had orders for 1,650 of them. Then the car came out, and in spite of being treated rather unkindly by the motoring press and boasting a less-than-stellar MPG improvement, it has sold 6,093 worldwide through October. The car only went on sale in July.

Lexus calls the car the "progressive person's alternative." The New York Times called the car the "new standard for automotive hyperbole." After only a few months of sales, it is far too early to call -- but it would be interesting to see if Lexus has done the same thing with the LS that Toyota did with the Prius: no matter what you might think of it, it allows people to make a statement.

While Mercedes and Audi are busy working on... something, and hydrogen BMWs shuttle celebs hither, Lexus has a car on lots that lets luxury buyers make the claim, "I care." (Remember, this isn't about what you think of the statement, so keep the comments civil.) Whichever one the buyers are going for -- progressive, hyperbole, statement, or something else -- it appears to be working.

[Source: AutoblogGreen]

That "Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" thing isn't just a slogan at Lexus apparently. According to this Automotive News piece, Lexus really means it. Nowhere is it more evident than at the plant where Toyota builds its flagship Lexus LS600h L. Seeing themselves in an arms race of perfection, Lexus has taken perfection to an obsession. The workers are trained and retrained and re-retrained to focus on perfection. And we're not talking about the way a Formula 1 team might rehearse pitstops. We are talking about stuff like building finger strength with special plastic webbing trainers, arranging lip-gloss containers "to develop an eye for tints and color," developing a feel for five instead of six bolts in the hand, learning the sound of a properly torqued bolt. Amazing.

Workers have to go through extensive training, including lectures and computer simulations, in addition to the physical dexterity training. And that training gets tougher and tougher to identify different skill levels. Only 300 current workers at the plant have the highest Level 1 certification. But that doesn't guarantee anything. Every four months the workers have to go through the skills tests all over again. And no matter how good the worker's skills are, there's still that old saying about cleanliness being next to godliness to contend with. Follow the jump to hear more about the whole perfection equation at Lexus.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req.]