2008 Lexus LS 600h L First Drive Kansas

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Introduction

Lexus LS 600h L - First Drive: When vehicles cost more than $100,000, practical considerations are generally low on the list. The cars epitomize conspicuous consumption; the Mercedes-Benz S600 isn't very much faster or quicker than an S550, has only a few more gadgets, is just as big, etc, but for some people, just having the biggest available number on their car's trunk is the whole point, other considerations be damned. "Look," their cars say, "I bought this because I can."

Maybe it sounds silly to those of us who take out second mortgages to buy an Accord, but a luxury car maker must play in this desire-driven category to get real luxury street cred. Which brings us to the 2008 Lexus LS 600h L. This most expensive Lexus ever powers the brand into the biggest of the big leagues with a $104,000 price tag and a hybrid powertrain that brings a curious, maybe even hypocritical, environmentally positive message to the segment. Even though sales are projected at a modest 2,000 vehicles per year in the U.S., how well it does will speak volumes about Lexus's acceptance in the luxury segment, and about the kind of statement the richest of the rich want to make about themselves.

Origins

The LS series is the Lexus flagship sedan, its most expensive and technologically advanced vehicle. As the flagship of flagships, the LS 600h L is packed with everything that Lexus knows how to do, including a complicated all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain. It also builds on the inherent luxuriousness of the LS itself. The 600 is available only in the long-wheelbase version, and it has been specially trimmed for its $104,000 price tag with touches such as a hand-sewn leather dash and wood inserts on the grab handles, and is the only LS in any form available in all-wheel drive. There are exclusive colors and trim combinations, including the inelegantly named "Launch Edition," which combines the Smokey Granite Mica paint with an alabaster and black interior.