How to say, "I’m rich, but I care" with your car

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Styling

Styling enhancements to the LS 600h L are subtle. The badges are different, not just in nomenclature, but in color; the “600h” has a blue inset, and there are blue “Hybrid” badges on the rear doors. The grille-mounted “L” is highlighted in blue, and the headlight lens covers also have a bluish tint. The headlights behind the lenses are also new, with what Lexus says is the first production application of LED headlights, a four-lens arrangement in each cluster that also includes adaptive control for turns. There are unique wheel packages for the hybrid, as well as a couple of 600h-specific colors, but otherwise you have to look hard to tell the difference between this and the standard LS 460 L. The clean unadorned shape remains; whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your tastes. Some think it’s bland, others think it compares well to the increasingly in-your-face designs of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Audi with its big-mouth grille.

Inside

If you have the wherewithal to drop more than $100,000 on a car, the interior had better reflect your status. To that end, Lexus has covered the dash in hand-stitched leather and the grab handles have wood inlays. The rest of the interior is largely the same, no bad thing here, as the LS is one of the most luxurious cars on the road. The Launch Edition features highly contrasting black and alabaster leather on the dash and seats, respectively. It looks beautiful, but that light-colored leather won’t stay clean for long, which means frequent visits to the detailer. Oh, bother. It is, as one would expect, perhaps the quietest car on the road at virtually any speed.