Since its establishment as the luxury division of Toyota in the 1980s, Lexus has slowly grown into a serious contender in its segment.
Presently, the family of Lexus cars includes everything from sedans to SUVs.

One of the earlier models in the Lexus lineup is the LS. Introduced by the Japanese in 1989 as V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive luxury on wheels, the LS has been in production ever since, and it is now in its fifth generation.

The 2006 model year we have here is part of the fourth generation, and was an instant hit right from the start, earning in the home market the Car of the Year award.

Offered with a choice of two gasoline (on the 460 variant) and two hybrid engines (on the 600h), the LS from 2006 was the first to use what the Japanese called at the time “the world’s first eight-speed automatic transmission.”

Having had enough experience with the Prius and having just launched the first Lexus hybrid, the RX 400h one year earlier, the Japanese also fitted the LS with a hybrid powertrain, making the LS 600h the world’s first gasoline-electric hybrid luxury car.

The 2006 version of the LS was kept in production for three years when it was replaced by a mildly modified version.