Lexus has long offered comfortable, dependable luxury vehicles, but outside of a small handful of surprisingly engaging performance models, its catalog hasn’t generated the same driving satisfaction as European rivals’. The automaker spent years benchmarking Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche on handling, body rigidity, and more.
Engineers homed in on body rigidity as a way to gain ground on the Euro brands. They identified several areas where support braces could bring significant advantages, including in the front and rear, as well as in the body’s midsection. The updates are intended to reach every model in the Lexus catalog.
Lexus has been working on this project since 2018 and views it as a way to differentiate its vehicles from those of its competitors. That said, the move could become a risk. Automotive News pointed out that focusing on “on-old school performance” could become a liability as other automakers push forward with more tech and safety features. The publication also noted that high-performing driver’s cars face an uncertain future as the world moves closer to mainstream fully autonomous vehicles.
On the other hand, Lexus could use what it learned from this effort to inform future EV designs. Many new electric models have stunning acceleration, but some lack a solid driving experience to back it up. Though it’s behind most rivals on new EV development, the brand will hopefully employ the lessons from this project to shape electric models going forward.
[Images: Lexus]
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