Lexus debuts dimpled LS 460 L for U.S. Open

Now that Tiger Woods is no longer shilling for Buick, the opportunity for another automaker to enter the golf world and attract some eyeballs is wide open. Lexus is a sponsor of the U.S. Open that just teed off this week, and to make sure its participation is remembered, the Japanese automaker commissioned the production of an LS 460 L with a dimpled body just like a golf ball.

The creation of this oddity is actually an interesting story. At the PGA Golf Show in Orlando, FL last January, Lexus approached Brad Smith of Lima, OH who earns a living making those mailboxes shaped liked giant golf balls. After being asked by Lexus if he could put the same surface on a car, Smith approached his friend Rick Davis and together they found a composite polymer that would work. The two buddies built the car in Davis' two-car garage, though Lexus likes to refer to their operation as the "firm" responsible for the car's creation. Lexus took delivery of the dimpled LS last week right before it made its debut at the U.S. Open in New York on Tuesday.

Dimples help you drive a golf ball farther, faster and with more control. Do you they do the same for the Lexus? Perhaps Tiger Woods should get behind the wheel and find out.

Photos courtesy of Gavin Jackson and The Lima News

[Source: LimaOhio.com via Kicking Tires]