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Lexus
Hybrid Cars
Lexus hybrid cars are already in a showroom
near you. The new Lexus
450h GS Hybrid Sedan rolled out in the Spring of
2006. Other Lexus hybrid cars are in development slated to roll
out at a later date such as the Lexus
LS600h luxury car.
The Lexus 450h GS Hybrid Sedan was unveiled
at the New York Auto Show in March 2005 and was being touted
as the world's first luxury hybrid sedan. The Lexus 450h GS
is also the world's first rear wheel drive only hybrid car to
date.
The Lexus 450h GS Hybrid Sedan is a combination of improved
gas mileage (high 20's), luxury with features similar to the
GS 430 and performance with an expected horsepower rating exceeding
300 hp with 0-60 mph acceleration of under 6 seconds. Critics
are calling into question the choice of power over fuel economy
as the first Lexus hybrid car will be geared toward those who
desire power, performance and luxury first, with an eye towards
gas economy as an afterthought.
Lexus
LF-S Concept Vehicle |
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Lexus has stated though, that by introducing the world's
first luxury hybrid car they are opening up a whole new
market, introducing a super ultra-low emission vehicle (SULEV)
to help clean the environment and offering modest fuel economy
improvements as well.
Besides the Lexus 450h GS Hybrid Sedan currently slated to
roll out, Lexus has also unveiled some of its concept vehicles
as well. For more photos of the concept vehicles see Lexus
Hybrid SUV. The Lexus LF-S Concept Vehicle was first
shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2003. The LF-S luxury
sedan also features a V8 gasoline engine and high-output electric
motors for a hybrid 4WD. The LF-S also incorporates a concept
of L-Finesse where luxury is designed around driver and passengers.
The Lexus LF-A Concept Vehicle was unveiled at the 2005
North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The LF-A
is a 500-plus horsepower, 320 km/h 2-seater sports car that
blends the performance of an exotic sports car with the
luxury refinements of a Lexus. It is not known if this sports
car will feature hybrid technology.
The Lexus LF-C Concept Vehicle was first shown at the New York
International Auto Show August 2004. This 4-seater sports car
touts a V8 engine and 6-speed sequential automatic transmission.
After perusing the Lexus reviews it is
still unknown whether this coupe will also sport hybrid technology
as well.
Concept cars don't always make it into the showrooms of
the future. Sometimes when they do make it there have been
many modifications since first shown. With Toyota and Lexus'
commitment to the new line of hybrid vehicles and will the
added performance these vehicles employ it is likely that
the Lexus concept cars of the future will all be hybrid
or retrofitted to be hybrids.
The long waiting lists for hybrid cars speak for themselves.
With the current excitement over the Lexus 450h GS Hybrid
Sedan, Lexus will not be able to help but to continue to
design and roll out hybrid cars.
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