British International Motor Show Marks Important Expansion Of Lexus’ UK Line-Up
This year at the British International Motor Show, just 10 years after it first shook up the luxury car market, Lexus showcases its largest selection ever of new models. On sale from the start of the show are the new RX300 SUV and the V8 powered GS430. Just weeks later deliveries of the all new LS430 flagship will begin.
Also on display will be the new SC430 convertible coupe. This stunning car goes on sale next year, marking a remarkable growth in sales and models for Lexus in just 10 years.
LS430 – Redefining Automotive Perfection
The LS430 takes over from the current Lexus flagship, the LS400. As the LS400 did when it was first launched, the LS430 sets out to re-write rulebooks on performance, refinement and quality for luxury cars.
Now powered by a 4.3-litre V8 engine, equipped with the award winning VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), the new LS430 produces 282hp (DIN) at 5,600rpm, and delivers the massive torque of 417Nm at 3,500rpm to ensure smoothness and heightened performance.
In true Lexus fashion, the car offers an array of innovative performance and comfort features, ranging from rear seats that massage to a state of the art Mark Levinson sound system. The air-suspension equipped version of LS430 boasts the lowest Cd figure (0.25) of any car in the segment, further improving quietness, efficiency and stability.
The new Lexus LS430 will be available in the UK from November at around £50,000.
RX300 – Adding a new Dimension
With the RX300, Lexus enters a new segment. The car is already an outstanding success in the USA, and has now been developed to meet the requirements of European drivers and road conditions.
Handling, brakes and specifications have been completely revised to deal with the higher average speeds that distinguish European traffic. Attention to detail is the key, for example even the door seals have been redesigned to ensure the cabin stays quiet at the higher motorway speeds possible in Europe.
However, the concept remains the same. With the RX300, Lexus brings a car to its customers that combines 4×4 image and practicality with luxury car handling and refinement.
The RX300 comes with a 3.0-litre V6 that develops 201HP (DIN) at 5,600rpm and 283Nm of torque at 4,400rpm.
The new RX300 will go on sale from the first day of the show, 17 October, from £29,000.
GS300 and GS430 – Aero Quick
Joining the GS300, with its in-line 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine producing 219hp (DIN) at 5,800rpm and 294Nm of torque at 3,800rpm, is the new GS430 V8.
The addition of the 4.3-litre V8 engine from the LS430 creates a performance flagship within the Lexus line. In a sector where the most discerning driver goes shopping for performance and uncompromised luxury, the GS430’s 283hp and 417Nm of torque take the car from 0-62mph in just 6.3 seconds.
The GS300 also features many detail-improvements to suspension and brakes as well as some refinements of the car’s exterior and interior styling.
The new GS300 and GS430 will be available from the show, 17 October. Prices start at £28,450. The GS430 is £36,995, less than the slower GS300 Sport previously available.
SC430 – The Ultimate in Convertible Elegance
A combination of European avant-garde styling and state of the art automotive technology have created the SC430 sports coupe, sure to be a dream car for boys, young and old.
Thanks to its unique design and two-seater convertible body, it is indeed a car that stimulates the imagination. The retractable hard-top allows the driver to change the SC430 from a convertible to a coupe in a matter of seconds.
But true to the Lexus philosophy, there is also a very rational side to the SC430 – nothing has been left to chance. For example, the air-conditioning has been designed to compensate for open top driving and the design guarantees that noise and wind-turbulence when driving with the top down are kept to a strict minimum.
The SC430 will make its way to UK Lexus Centres in the summer of 2001.
“Lexus is very committed to building on our first decade of growth in the UK,” said Stuart McCullough, Director of Lexus for the UK. “Today, we are the fastest growing premium brand, but we still have more to come. The addition of these new models gives us a wider base to attract yet more new customers.
“All the new models featured on the stand at the NEC have undergone an important part of their development in Europe, because it is here that both drivers and conditions are most demanding on a car.”
Virtual Press Kit
Full details of these new developments plus all other Lexus models are available on the Lexus Press website. This is reached via the Lexus dedicated section at www.newspress.co.uk.
Please note there will be no press kits or photographs available from the stand. A very wide selection of material is already on the website, so not only can you get hold of it now, but you don’t have to carry it around.
Development of virtual PR staff continues, but for now the real flesh and blood type will be on hand on Press Day to help in any way they can.
ENDS
