The upscale Lexus brand and the car-kichi people that frequent the Tokyo Auto Salon usually go together like tailcoats and a Dirty Rotten Imbecils concert. As in not. This year, the Lexus booth is a major attraction, despite the fact that many people, including me, had to be told that Lexus is at the show. They are there under (a black) cover and under a false name. The designers of the Lexus booth pulled-off a whimsical and humorous concept, from the design of the all-black-on-bare-concrete booth to the choice of cars on display. It starts with the name on the booth. It says 2UX3J. But it’s Lexus.
It’s Lexus in reverse, as demonstrated by this helpful 2UX3J employee. The motto is “Urban Circus – Real Or Fake?” Most of what is in that booth is at least surreal. And I like it.
For instance this Lexus 600. The choice of Japanese heads of state and leaders of industry looks like the usual matte-black SEMA job. Step a little closer …
… and you see that this thing is adorned with spikey nails, as if it’s the daily driver of a Kabukicho fetish queen.
The BDSM style of the LS600 leaves onlookers a bit perplexed.
This is a CCS-R. It already is a Pikes Peak winner, and it still is called a concept. When I ask when this thing finally will be available for purchase, a helpful product specialist says something that sounds like Japanese played backwards. The livery however makes the car go fast even when it stands still.
Then, there is an innocent looking, but totally perplexing car. It is white, and we will cover it in the next story.
Before we do that: Someone made very creative and very daring proposals here. I have great respect for managers that approve controversial ideas like this one.
“Here” meaning where? In a deleted TTAC comment?
Here at the booth [rolleyes]
I think Pete was expecting a link. I can see it read both ways :)
Nice coverage
Interesting. Don’t see them doing such at NAIAS though. In US I believe they stll believe they have to play t safe.
Bertel, what is the Lexus rep like in Japan? Is it similar to the US in that it is perceived as staid and boring? A little bland? If so, they’re really trying hard to change that. Kudos to them. It would be nice if the same happened over here.
Do the marketing people that came up with 23XU7 also spell “shell oil” as 710 77345 on their calculators…???
I don’t see any 59009 on display at their booth.
I love the stand. Specially the backwards 2UX3J part.
Lexus answer to BMW?????
Put WW1 German helmet spikes on the hood!!!!!
LOL…..
The Germans are still being copied.
Long live BMW!!!!!!
Since Bertel is too discreet to say what Kabukicho is, I will do it. Kabukicho is a red light district. If you want to grope fake school girls in uniform on a fake train, this is the place.
Which reminds me. Been a while since we heard about porn star Sora Aoi. Is she working for Lexus now?
Correction:
Last I looked, the chikan booth was at Sleeping Beauty, and that used to be in Shibuya. Closed.
Sora Aoi defected and is a big hit in China.