WITH all the confidence generated by a spectacular sales performance all round the world in 2006 – in particular in Great Britain where they improved by a stunning 39 per cent – Lexus will be introducing a whole host of new high quality models during the coming months.

An ambitious programme has started with the arrival in the showrooms of the fourth generation of the marque’s flagship, the LS 460, which was unveiled at last year’s Geneva Show.

The supercar features an all-new 4.6 litre V8 petrol engine generating 375 horsepower. Capable of a governed 155 miles an hour, the overall performance is terrific – yet it’s no irresponsible gas-guzzling planet-burner. In fact it must be one of the most economical petrol V8s on the market, returning 26.2mpg in the combined cycle.

For quick, smooth acceleration, the V8 is mated to the world’s first eight-speed automatic transmission which fully exploits the performance potential and is silky smooth. And you also get wonderful old fashioned rear wheel drive – a joy for the purist.

There’s just one piece of bad news: it will set you (or your company) back £57,000 for the entry model, £65,000 for the SE and £71,000 for the SE-L. LS, along with GS and IS and all of the other new conventional and hybrid models we shall soon be seeing, has been developed in accordance with a completely new design language that Lexus call L-finesse.

Manager for design strategy Simon Humphries explains: “When Lexus was launched it was perceived as advanced and forward-looking providing a new take on luxury. But it also had a certain finesse, an element of understatement. Over time these qualities started to become disparate and Lexus designers faced a challenge to reunite them in a style that is both leading edge and human.”

L-finesse is not about creating an instant family look or cloning models on a single theme. “It is everything that can’t be measured by numbers or specifications,” says Simon. “It’s character, personality, everything that is intangible about Lexus.”

As with IS and GS, the arrowhead shape is used in many aspects of the LS. Check out the car’s front end where the sharp outer surfaces of the arrowhead are represented by the headlamps’ higher position in relation to the radiator grille. The sharp outer edges contrast with softer inner lines.

LS benefits from substantial developments in the Lexus Pre-Crash Safety system used in other models in the range. This advanced technology recognises when a collision is imminent, helps the driver to take action to prevent it happening, and, if the worst does happen, reduces the risk of injury to the car’s occupants and to pedestrians.

The Advanced Obstacle Detection System can detect a wide range of obstacles ahead of the vehicle, including – for the first time – pedestrians. Depending on the weather, it will work during both day and night.

Emergency Steering Assist improves the vehicle’s response to driver steering input, selecting the best gear ratio for rapid evasion manoeuvres and increasing the chances of avoiding a collision. rate, allowing for quick changes of direction without threatening the car’s overall stability.

LS 460 also boasts the world’s first driver monitoring system, designed to warn of dangers ahead if the driver takes his or her eyes off the road.

LS 460 also features the world’s first Rear Pre-Crash Safety system, using a millimetre-wave radar set into the rear bumper. This constantly scans the area around the back of the car, both when the vehicle is on the move and parked.

If a collision is calculated to be unavoidable, the system activates the front seat Pre-Crash Intelligent Headrests. These move up to 60mm forwards and 35 mm upwards to cushion the head in anticipation of an impact, greatly reducing the risk of whiplash injury. The headrests are fitted with a sensor that measures the distance between the passenger’s head and the headrest itself, so there is no risk of the emergency adjustment causing substantial contact.