Lexus LS460 2008 News

The right car and a bit of fear can do a great job of clearing a congested road, even in a city as crowded as Tokyo.There is an unwritten law about making space for big black or white limousines — usually a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a Lexus LS — when you see them pushing their way through traffic.If you see one of these cars blocking a driveway or parked on a corner, it's best to drive on by.That is what the locals do — because Mr Average really does not want to cross paths with whoever might be inside the luxury Lexus or blitzer Benz.It's the same for me. I like my life. One time, crawling along at 15km/h in heavy city traffic, I spot three black S-Class limos in my rear-view mirror and watch as they thread their way through the congestion.Their precision at maintaining single-file formation and their ability to block both lanes by straddling the centre white lines is as eye-popping as it is educational.Yet no one gets upset. No one honks a horn. No one thinks about calling the police.When members of Japanese criminal society yakuza are on the move, you let them go.But why do they choose the cars they do and what is their car culture?The best idea was to sit with someone from the yakuza and ask, but that is something a Japanese writer would never even consider.Why? Because Japanese think it's too direct or even rude to ask such a question.But a foreigner, even one with fluent Japanese after 20 years in the country, has more licence.There are still rules and you can plead ignorance, but you have to be aware that if you cross paths with this underworld society you had better know when you can ask questions and when to shut up and move on.After many weeks of tip-toeing around potential cross-cultural minefields and careful diplomacy to locate a possible candidate, one yakuza boss finally agreed because, as I understood it, he was intrigued with the foreign media.Fighting back the urge to ask him whether he'd seen Michael Douglas's yakuza movie Black Rain, or if he watched the TV series The Sopranos, we agreed to meet in a park in Tokyo.I could tell you the exact location, but then I'd have to kill you. Just kidding.We spoke about cars, brands, status and driving, and his candid replies were unexpected.These guys were not packing weapons, of course, because in Japan the yakuza don't normally carry guns.Even so, the extent of their politeness and concentration on my questions was a surprise.“So, why do you drive an S-Class Mercedes?” I ask.As expected, the boss talks about Mercedes' strong build quality, as well as the car's power and high status levels.“The S-Class has plenty of power, looks good on the road and has a lot of luxury inside. Nothing really comes close, except maybe a Lexus LS,” he said.After one obvious question and a straightforward answer, I push my luck a little.“So why do you use tinted windows?”Without any hint of irritation, he answers: “Because we like our privacy. It also pays when certain people (our rivals) cannot see inside our car.”I query: “But why choose left-hand drive?”He says: “They don't come in right-hand drive, so we settle for left.”That may have been the case 10 years ago in Japan, but now you can get an S-Class in right and left-hand drive.Still, these well-dressed gents will stay with left-hand drive because it commands more status — or generates more fear — and that is very effective at clearing a crowded road.Feeling comfortable with the interview, I ask how they practise for the tight formation driving I witnessed.“I'm not quite sure what you're talking about,” he said, and I realise I am pushing my luck and have used enough of his time.Bowing profusely, I thank the yakuza and humbly excuse myself.Japan is a country of extremes and that is reflected on the road.On the surface, people seem very polite and courteous. And most are.Even road rage is far less of a problem than in many Western countries.Japan is a land steeped in traditional and unwritten rules, and you have to know your place.If you're going to drive in Japan's mega-cities you need to be aware of an underworld organisation that lives a parallel existence to mainstream society.One day it might confront you, so knowing how to respond — or not — is one way to remain on the streets.As the yakuza boss says: “You have to know your place and show the right level of respect. Otherwise things can get out of hand, and quickly.”

Lexus is debuting its new intelligent park assist system at the Australian International Motor Show, with demonstrations showing how the car can take control and park itself. It is the first time the system is available on a production vehicle in Australia, although the technology has previously been seen overseas in a Toyota Prius. In Australia, the system is currently standard on the recently released Lexus LS460 and it will also be a feature on the soon-to-be-released hybrid, the LS600hL. But saving face doesn't come cheap. The new hybrid will carry around a $250,000 price tag, which also includes reclining ottoman seats in the rear. And the LS460 is already available for about $185,000. The system uses a rear camera and ultrasonic sensors to identify parking spaces; then calculates the correct steering angle to guide you into the chosen spot. Steering is controlled automatically and all the driver needs to worry about is controlling speed by using the brake. Lexus Australia advertising and PR manager Matt Tannock said; one of the key benefits of the self-parking system is customers don't have to worry about damaging their car while parking. And while it is currently only available in the two models, Mr Tannock said customer demand will determine if it becomes an industry standard and even spreads to other manufacturers. “The whole idea of taking your hands off the wheel and reverse parking a vehicle would be understandably different from any normal driving experience,” he said. “Once customers observe the IPA and understand how it can benefit them, there is no doubt demand for such technology will become standard in the future.” And while there is a lot of technology that can be found at the Motor Show in the 500 different models on display, this is the only one where you can see it in action, with demonstrations held every hour for the duration of the show. And it has been attracting plenty of curious onlookers during the week, although some are a little cynical. Fay Sheeley from Victoria was skeptical, saying that if you can not back your vehicle car into a parking spot, you really should not have your licence. Monique Selton, who does the parking demonstrations at the Motor Show for Lexus, said the system was easy to use and very practical. The LS600hL in which the parking technology features, is the world's first petrol-electric V8 hybrid and equals a V12 in performance. And it does so without costing a fortune at the pump. It has the fuel economy of a medium-sized car and its claimed consumption is just 9.3-litres per 100km. The new intelligent park assist technology is on display in the LS600hL at the Lexus stand. Tonight the show focus swings to fashion with the first of three nights of parades. Designer Ruby Smallbone will showing a collection at the Peugeot stand from 6.30pm. The Australian International Motor Show is on until 21 October 2007.   How it works The driver slowly drives past an intended parking space The sonar sensors detect the available space before stopping just beyond the space. Driver shifts into reverse gear and selects the parallel parking option. It calculates both the parking trajectory and required steering angle, while a view of the target car park is projected on to the centre console's touch-screen. The driver then activates the system by releasing the brake pedal and the car begins reversing at a slow speed. The system monitors vehicle speed and automatically controls the electric power steering to guide the vehicle into the parking spot. It automatically controls the steering but the driver controls the speed and stopping of the vehicle using the brake pedal.  

To be launched here later this month, the car was chosen from a list of 28 nominated by journalists from 22 countries including Australia. The announcement was made at the New York International Auto Show. Jurors considered the LS 460 to be “classically luxurious, with modern execution, unquestioned quality and more than ample power”. A green alternative, the LS 600h hybrid will be released later this year. Cars are judged on a number of criteria including styling, quality, performance and safety. The top three contenders were the Lexus, Audi TT and the Mini. The TT won the design award, while Audi's RS4 won the performance car trophy and Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC won the green car award. First winner of the three-year-old award was the Audi A6 in 2005, followed last year by the BMW 3 Series.