The first IS generation had 2.0 liter 160hp inline six and a 2.0 liter 200hp inline 4 cylinder engines and was available as a sedan and as a wagon. In the US the JCE10 version was available, also known as Lexus IS300. In Europe the car had a codename GXE10 and debuted as Lexus IS200 in 1999. In Japan the first-generation Lexus IS was sold as Toyota Altezza and had a codename XE10. Lexus IS design was filed under patent number 1030135 on Decemat the Japan Patent Office. The engineering team was led by Nobuaki Katayama. Toyota worked on creating the IS from 1994 to 1998. The abbreviation IS stands for Intelligent Sport. The IS was created as an entry-level luxury sports model. Even though all generations of Lexus LS were always made in Japan, from its inception the Lexus brand was intended for foreign markets.Īfter introducing the LS in 1989, Toyota rolled out Lexus GS in 1993 and Lexus IS in 1998. Toyota premiered Lexus LS in 1989 as a luxury car with a V8 engine at the North American Auto Show in Detroit as a 1990 year model. The prototypes were tested in Europe in winter and in deserts in Australia and Saudi Arabia. They've build over 450 prototypes of the car. LS abbreviation stands for "Luxury Sedan".ĭuring 5 years of development, 60 designers, 1400 engineers and 2300 were involved in the project. Toyota chief engineer Ichiro Suzuki developed an all-new car with all-new design that he thought would surpass luxury American and European cars in target areas such as aerodynamics, top speed, fuel efficiency and sound isolation of the cabin. The resulting vehicle didn't use any of existing Toyota's cars or parts. The development process lasted for over five years and cost Toyota over a billion dollars. The project didn't have a deadline or a specific budget. The history of the brand began in 1983 when Toyota decided to develop a new premium sedan codenamed F1. Here is how it happened: Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota.
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