Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges: Lexus to Drop Logo, Add Billboards

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Well, at least on the rear of their vehicles. According to a recent interview with another industry outlet that rhymes with Rotor Blend, the Lexus brand will begin appending chrome-plated L E X U S billboards to the rumps of their vehicles instead of the famed round stylized ‘L’ logo, a badge which will continue to appear on steering wheels and enormous grilles.

Brian Bolain, a senior exec within the Lexus marketing department who MT hilariously and erroneously referred to as Brain Bolian, said in a far-reaching year-end interview that the move is as much about the forthcoming shift to electrification as it is brand identity.

“We need some way to signify that change is coming,” he explained to the mag, noting it may seem like a “dumb way” to accomplish the goal but that it will catch the eye of consumers. Or perhaps someone at Lexus has a cousin who just started a letter factory, who knows.

The chance will first crop up on the newest iteration of the junior-ute NX, while the mighty 2022 LX will be the second model to receive this change. The trim change will slowly creep across the rest of its line like so much kudzu, not necessarily waiting for any particular midcycle refresh.

Badges like these have gained a lot of popularity over recent years, typically showing up on off-road-focused variants of certain rigs (such as the F-150 Raptor or Toyota’s own TRD Pro series of dune busters) but plenty of others have recently jumped on the bandwagon. Hyundai notably spells out not the make but the model of its cars on their trunklids, such as the Elantra and Sonata. Old-timers Experienced gearheads will remember certain generations of the Nissan Maxima, back when it really was a 4-door sports car, did all this three decades ago.

Elsewhere, the infotainment systems at Lexus are in the throes of a revamp, and none too soon in the opinion of many. The corporate overlords have been plowing millions of bucks into a wholesale overhaul of Toyota’s (and, by extension, Lexus’) infotainment systems, some of which have been much maligned for their decided lack of user-friendly input methods. The sometime-infuriating Lexus joystick control is apparently vanishing in some models very soon, again not waiting for a midcycle refresh. Also reported to be on tap are faster processing speeds (sorely needed) and the ability to seamlessly receive certain over-the-air updates.

A full slate of Lexus EVs isn’t likely to drop soon, but we can look forward to some of these changes in the meantime.

[Image: Lexus]

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • DungBeetle62 DungBeetle62 on Jan 05, 2022

    Didn't we just about get to the point where nobody was putting their actual name on a car other than the likes of BMW, Ford or Nissan, where the logo actually contains the name? I'll think this is a good idea when I see an S-Class with MERCEDES BENZ spelled out across the trunk lid. No, even then I won't think it's a good idea. Like pants with JUICY across the butt.

  • Redbat01 Redbat01 on Jan 05, 2022

    The Lexus logo reminds me of a big nose inside an oval.

  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
  • SCE to AUX "...the complete Mustang model lineup to peruse"Will the fake Mustang show up, too?
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