2008 Lexus LS 600hL

There’s hybrid. And there’s the difference between the two being as startling as the difference between a crow and a canary. For every youngish, hip and green-tinted Prius driver, for every grey-tinged commuter driving a Civic Hybrid, there’s a guilt-laden, moneyed housewife cruising suburbia in a Lexus RX 400h. The Lexus saves gas and lowers emissions to what she would normally buy, which is a good thing – but not a great thing, like the savings you can get from the likes of the Prius and the Civic Hybrid. It’s all about making the upper class feel good. Few things are as important as that, which makes the 2008 Lexus LS 600 hL, introduced at the 2006 New York International Auto Show, the most important car ever assembled. Okay, hyperbole aside, it may well be one of the most fantastic cars ever built, an amazing machine that offers luxury buyers V12 performance with V8 fuel economy, a SULEV emissions rating and a slew of safety technology – including a driver-facing camera that monitors your facial ticks and orders you a latte – should you need a pick me up. It also detects when you’re not looking at the road ahead, and takes escalating steps to get your attention or save your life – whichever comes first.

Why it matters

Here, dressed in sheet metal and under hot show lights, is an engineering feat that promises to set into motion a new phase of interior, safety and powertrain technology. The powertrain, for example, is the most powerful hybrid system ever built, featuring V12 power with V8 fuel economy, a SULEV emission rating and 430 horsepower. We can only imagine what the torque rating will be. Safety features include Toyota’s VDIM technology, with some significant advances, such as three outboard cameras that detect large and small objects, and a dashboard camera that monitors your face and activates a safety sequence should the camera detect that you’re not looking at the road. Interior enhancements include a body temperature reading and NVH that’s so quiet, according to Lexus vice president Bob Carter that you can hear the whirring of gears and gyros doing their work.

What’s under the hood

Okay, so you’re not supposed to connect that thing to a V8. It’s crazy, really, the things a mad scientist or two can do when you give them a powerful hybrid motor and battery system, and a new, 5.0-liter V8 engine. The result is a combined horsepower rating of 430, V12 power (according to Lexus) with V8 fuel economy, and an expected SULEV emissions rating. Changes to the existing Lexus/Toyota hybrid Synergy drive include more powerful motors and a larger battery pack. Other features include an all-wheel drive system and a dual-stage continuously variable transmission (CVT). Believe it or not, the safety technology that is introduced in the LS 600 hL is possibly more impressive than the hybrid powertrain, and way scarier in terms of intrusive electronics. Traction control is one thing, but to have a camera monitor your face, and, should it determine that you’re not looking at the road, trigger a sequence of safety maneuvers that include beeps, flashing lights, braking and steering assist. Here’s to wondering when the camera will also be used to identify the driver: In addition to that camera, which is monitored on the dash, there are three cameras outside the car which watch for oncoming objects and possible dangers.

What’s inside

There’s no noise inside the cab of the Lexus LS 600 hL, and while that may not be news for a Lexus, it’s news when they claim it to be the car ever. That’s a tough claim to make, but it just may be possible, given what Lexus claims is an extensive re-engineering of gears and motors, designed to produce virtually zero intrusive sound elements. They say that even the engine is silent, which is something some folks may not like too much. As a long wheel base only model, the Lexus LS 600 hL offers a full array of luxury for passengers, including reclining back seats, foot rests, and massage for all. It has almost five inches more rear seat legroom than the new LS 460. For both cars, there’s a 19-speaker stereo system, and all models of the LS will offer XM for the first time in a Lexus vehicle.

What we think

We love any car that gets hand sanded twice during the paint process, a car that offers the ultimate in power with low emissions and great fuel economy, safety and interior comfort. We also love the idea of an interior so quiet that you can hear the gizmo whirring, though a healthy exhaust note is not a bad thing. We’re not sure about that dashboard camera deal, however, but can’t imagine many vehicles that promise to be more luxurious, powerful and efficient – kind of – at the same time.

Photos by Ron Perry