Lexus Owners Club

Color exerts considerable influence on the world. It conveys messages, signals actions, and shapes moods. And if you’ve ever loved an automobile, then chances are you understand this chromatic power: the body color you chose is, after all, an extension of you For these reasons and many more, a vehicle’s color—specifically its agent, paint—is of enormous importance to Lexus. It’s so important, in fact, that Lexus has dedicated decades of research to making its exterior paint options unique, lasting, and visually intriguing. Consider: 1. Lexus has a dedicated group of color designers who develop new paint hues and color-layering techniques for visual effects. Devising a new Lexus color can take more than a year, with detailed input coming not just from in-house color specialists but also from Lexus drivers. As a maker of premium automobiles, Lexus doesn’t use off-the-shelf colors, and there are no shortcuts: the team’s color decisions are made only after honing hundreds of experimental samples. 2. A key aspect of Lexus paint is how it looks in the real world. Lexus has a special facility with floor-to-ceiling windows so designers can look outside to an asphalt display area. Embedded in the asphalt are remote-controlled turntables for viewing vehicles from many angles. This is where Lexus designers get a feel for a potential new color’s appearance on a car’s body, as well as evaluate its ability to look amazing under natural light at different times of day. 3. Chances are a Lexus driver’s vehicle color has a story: Lexus paint designers often achieve unique paint colors through personal experiences. As just one example, when the first-generation Lexus NXwas under development in the mid 2010s, it came with a carefully honed Eminent White Pearl*color for its global debut. The color’s origins stemmed from a young Lexus paint designer who sought to capture the wintry landscape at her childhood home on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. 4. Many Lexus exterior paint colors come from carefully chosen layers: To achieve unique effects under different lights and angles, Lexus paint developers often think in layers. Certain Lexus “sonic” colors, for example, use five ultra-thin layers of paint with compressed pigments, which may also be—depending on the color—hand-polished to achieve striking light and shade contrasts. The first two coats are protective base layers to guard against rust and wear, with the actual color effect derived from meticulous combinations of differently colored layers, sometimes including microscopic metal chips designed to catch light. 5. Lexuspaint technologies include scratch-resistance paint, which is designed to restore itself after being deformed due to light damage, such as a ring scratch. Available via select models’ paint options, Lexus scratch-resistant paint is designed to resist luster degradation caused by surface scratches, and it helps preserve the vehicle’s original color over time. It works via a molecular bonding technique that helps increase the top coating’s flexibility and elasticity, which helps the paint be more resilient to scratches and light damage. 6. Lexus also has extreme training and skill requirements for it paint-application craftspeople. Lexus production-facility paint technicians must learn specific body movements to apply paint layers. To master the techniques, they’re trained in precise body stances—their stances are even photographed and evaluated to help maintain their skills. And then there are the inspections: during a new Lexus model’s initial production run, Lexus color evaluators carefully inspect how its new colors appear—and it’s not uncommon for some cars to be pulled off the assembly line and manually resprayed by paint takumi (master artisans). 7. Premium paint-application quality applies to collision repair as well. Lexus Certified or Authorized Collision Centers are, of course, the best places to repair a damaged Lexus. Just one reason (of many): when painting a repaired body component, these facilities’ paint specialists are trained to achieve factory standards for color appearance and visual complexity. This is often achieved through technologies such as a spectrophotometer, a special camera that captures precise paint-effect readings from a Lexus vehicle’s non-damaged sections, so technicians can accurately match a new part’s color. Originally posted on Drivers.Lexus.com. Originally published July 5, 2022

The future is electrified, and Lexus is committed to making it a reality. With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality, Lexus revealed its first global battery EV (BEV), the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e, this year as a part of its ‘Lexus Electrified’ future Discover five of the most important things to know about the first-ever RZ 450e. The ‘Lexus Electrified’ Vision Comes to Life At the heart of the ‘Lexus Electrified’ vision is the need to offer existing Lexus models with electrified powertrains — something Lexus is committed to offering across lines by 2035. But Lexus also recognizes the need to create entirely new vehicles that push the boundaries of what Battery EVs look and feel like. In just a glance, the RZ 450e speaks volumes about its innovative design, inside and out. By replacing the traditional spindle grille with a BEV Spindle Body, the exterior design of the RZ expresses an aesthetic that ushers in a new generation of Lexus style. A unique roof spoiler tops the vehicle and reduces aerodynamic force, and, because there’s no engine to cool, the hood sits lower for an especially sleek silhouette. Lexus Driving Signature in an All-Electric Powertrain By far, the biggest challenge Lexus faced in designing an entirely new BEV was delivering on the Lexus Driving Signature experience with an entirely electric drivetrain. The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e accomplishes just that. With optimal placement of battery and motor, the RZ achieves the best weight distribution for responsiveness. The DIRECT4 all-wheel drive controls the front and rear drive force according to driving conditions for a serene sensation known as “The Natural.” Additionally, the new eAxle (electronic axle) system also adds to the Lexus Driving Signature by integrating the motor, transaxle and inverter for more cruise range and interior space. An Elegant, Human-Centered Interior A luxury vehicle is never complete without a tasteful interior. In the 2023 RZ 450e, minimalism is the defining characteristic, removing clutter to maximize spaciousness and tranquility. There’s a feeling of openness as natural light shines through the panoramic roof. Through intelligent design, the cockpit draws the driver’s eyes forward and reduces eye movement for a more relaxed driving experience. Finally, thoughtfully sourced interior materials amplify the message of sustainability that is core to ‘Lexus Electrified.’ Next Generation of Vehicle, Next Generation of Safety Luxury calls for added peace of mind which, in turn, requires safety features. That’s why Lexus took a human-centered approach to enhancing already advanced safety technology for the RZ 450e. Along with the standard LSS+ 3.0 safety system, the available driver monitor capabilities include a compelling array of features, like a Pre-Collision System that is designed to alert drivers if the system determines the driver may be distracted or drowsy based on how often they look away from the road. The driver monitor system also updates the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (with full-speed follow function) designed to check the driver’s attentiveness and automatically adjust the distance between the RZ and the preceding vehicle. Also, as part of the driver monitor system, Lane Departure Alert uses two techniques to help prevent the vehicle from drifting out of its lane — either alerting the driver or assisting with steering. And, thanks to driver monitoring, in the event of an emergency, the Emergency Driving Stop System* is designed to determine if the driver can no longer drive the vehicle when Lane Trace Assist is active and can bring the car to a gentle stop. Additionally, the vehicle has an available Advanced Park system that assists with hands-free parking, including forward-facing parking, parallel and back-up parking. The Sound of a New Era What does the future sound like? Without a combustion engine, BEVs are naturally very quiet, but aural feedback is an important part of a positive vehicle experience. To maintain the excitement of driving, Lexus engineers developed and produced an original sound. By matching frequencies with the vehicle’s speed, the car-driver dialogue is preserved, and the driver remains informed of their acceleration. Front and rear seat acoustic glass also helps suppress undesirable outside noises so drivers can remain focused on the vehicle’s acoustics — unless, of course, the time is right for music. The RZ 450e features the North American-developed Lexus Interface multimedia system recently launched on the NX and LX. And, with voice commands, drivers can control the standard 14-inch touchscreen and easily navigate the music collection in their favorite devices. Get ready for the new experiences ahead. * Emergency Driving Stop System will not detect all emergency situations & only operates when Dynamic Radar Cruise Control & Lane Tracing Assist are active. See Owner’s Manual for additional limitations. * Do not overly rely on Advanced Park and use only in accordance with applicable laws. When parking using the hands-free feature, always pay attention to the vehicle’s surroundings. Before operating, refer to Owner’s Manual for additional instructions and limitations.