All you need to know about Lexus
Born: 1987
Nationality: Japanese
The youngest established luxury brand in the world, Lexus was set up when Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda decided to create a luxury car to challenge the very best. In January of 1988 the Lexus nameplate and logo were introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show with the 'F1' concept that was later to become the LS400.
Seventy dealerhips were set up across the US and, after the LS400 was launched at Detroit's 1989 Motor Show, they very quickly found that something strange was happening. So too did dealers of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as the upstart brand suddenly began taking away customers.
When the LS400 was brought to Britain a year later, British drivers were also very impressed.
In the US, more Lexus models were introduced through the early 1990s, including the SC400 coupé. Just three years after the first Lexus cars went on sale, the marque became the best-selling luxury car in the US.
In 1993, the GS300, designed by Giugiaro, was launched in the US and Europe, adding a 3-litre engine and sportier styling to the European market for Lexus.
By 1995, the LS flagship went into its second generation. The nameplate had been honed to provide even more refinement, reflected in aerodynamics that proved to be the best of any production car then sold in the US. A Future Luxury Vehicle (FLV) concept shown in 1996 hinted at the monobox construction which other makers have since tried for this segment. Two years later, the Harrier concept was shown - it quickly became the RX300, destined to be the world's best-selling luxury SUV. It's interesting to note that the latest generation of the RX300 most closely resembles the original Harrier drawings.
The onward march of Lexus continued, with the brand further extending its reach by introducing the "small" IS200 saloon in 1999, which was to expand to 3-litre versions and a SportCross wagon.
In 2000, the LS400 was promoted to LS430, a new generation of the flagship with an all-new evolutionary styling as well as a new and larger engine. A year later, the 2-seater hardtop convertible rolled out, using the 4.3-litre V8 and a lot of luxury for the type. It did, however, represent some mistakes on the engineering side, with problems involving suspension and run-flat tyres that necessitated an expensive-for-the-company retro refit for most customers' cars.
Best Car: This writer's choice is the IS200, but performance dictates the original LS400 for toppling the long-standing kings.
Worst Car: The SC430 - with it, Lexus dropped the ball.
Weirdest Car: It wouldn't suit the image, so they never did.