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finger at the receding hairline of aging models, I have no unchanged for two more years. But Lexus has no intention much more than $50,000 for one of their luxury cars. Japan‘s hero was Toyota‘s all new luxury marquee ‘Lexus‘, the flagship LS400 leading the way with unparalleled luxâ€" ury and refinement for an unspeakably low price at that time. The marketing effort was massive and brilliant but it didn‘t matter because as soon as the market got a taste of Lexus, word of mouth was their best marketing campaign, and almost overnight the brand became a symbol of status and an accepted alternative to BMW and Mercedes. â€" harsh words for the LS400, which could easily carry on Look up, look way up and you‘ll see Audi;/ BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes as the only players in the high end luxury car market, They all have the key to the execuâ€" tive washroom and they‘re not interested in sharing it with anyone. Price of entry is around $80,000 and all the memâ€" bers are at the pinnacle of gutomotive engineering with the exception of a few European products reserved for the mega rich and famous. The Europeans had this market to themselves up until five years ago when the Japanese entered the fray and the by Ian Macpherson New Lexus LS$400 needs a little soul Five years have passed and as much as I love pointing the x tA outside mirrors dual memory presets, you can put it all in rescent gauges and liquidâ€"crystal displays providing increased resolution for the climate and stereo controls. The feel of the controls is excellent and the simplified ergonomics spared my passengers from the operation tutofial that I usuâ€" ally offer in high end cars. The seats provide absolute comâ€" fort and when you get everything set just right, including Back with changes is the silky smooth 4.0 litre, Vâ€"8 engine that now boasts an additional 10 hp and 10 lbâ€"ft of torque, now at 260 hp and 270 Ibâ€"ft. Lexus engineers have also manâ€" aged to shed 91 kg off the LS400‘s curb weight but even with this and the extra power, it still doesn‘t feel quick on its feet. No matter how you drive it though, the fourâ€"speed automatic of falling behind so the first allâ€"new LS400 stands ready to do business in the new order. Mercedes is about to launch a new Eâ€"class, Audi its new AB and every other mantifacturer has introduced an allâ€"new model within the past year. Although there is no mistaking it, subtle body changes abound with purposeful changes including a raised beltline, a new front grille and headlights that conspire to improve driver visibility and drop the drag coefficient to 0.28, the lowest of any car sold in North America. As expected, the styling continues to be conservative with its large Mercedesâ€" The instrument panel continues to be a delight with fluoâ€" ission is imperceptibly smooth. Nothing enhances the euphorla of cruizing along in a Saab 900 Convertible like a ltle extra money in your pocket. and some financial peace of mind. Which is precisely why your Saab dealer is now offening (Wlesbson q di inal on ind old eA reigveinily ty (higs cliy un $599/m0.* Lease a Saab 900 HOW CAN. YOU ENJOY A CONVERTIBLE IF YOU‘RE IN IT WAY OVER YOUR HEAD? R i i 1. L 2E NE R ISA“RN SAAB lSUZUl WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1995 â€" PAGE 31 effortlessly! For those who care, performance is mildly improved but apart from excellent brakes the LS400 is devoid of any true sporting nature. Lexus‘ pursuit of perfection is admirable but it is not a complete vision. Toyota has proven that it can build the world‘s highest quality and most refined luxury cars but it has put it in a plain wrapper and left out the soul. This is not necessarily bad when you consider what the market is (ie. not poor young guys under 40 like me). For the overâ€"50 set who aren‘t familiar with Lexus, the LS400 can best be described as an equivalent to a Lincoln Continental but as the Lincoln will be in the model year 2010. you it has a doubleâ€"wishbone, independent suspension but there are hundreds of design improvements that are key to its function but not worth mentioning because you would never notice them. What you don‘t}abtice is the essence of Lexus, that being despite wind, pollution, bad roads etc. you‘re simply left to relax and watch the miles pass away memory so your partner can‘t screw it up. I never thought I‘d hear myself saying this but I think the use of wood trim could have been to a larger extent and my complaint of two years ago abut the industrial feel of the leather has gone unheeded. New features include dualâ€"zone climate controls and a keyless entry system with an impresâ€" sive range that can release the trunk and even roll up the 450 Belmont Ave. W. _ 744â€"5811 Words can‘t do justice to the ride of the LS400! I can tell K IT C HE NE R 1995 LEXUS h. Doun paymers o« irade vaiue af $8000