AURORA | To build a 2013 Lexus LS, apparently you start first with a paper frog.
With one hand.
Your non-dominant hand.
This isn’t a dollar-theater kung fu movie, it’s actually how Lexus brands their full-size sedan. The flagship sedan that launched the luxury arm of Toyota nearly two decades ago could use one too; for too long the story was muted and longer than 1,200 pages of “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
That’s no joke either. Lexus is proud to tell prospective buyers that the craftsmen who work on the interiors of the LS must also be able to fold — one-handed, non-dominant hand — a paper frog. It’s not overkill, it’s just marketing.
The end result is a sedan that, quite frankly, feels like its been assembled by people with “Rainman”-like attention to detail.
For the most part, the Lexus LS gets saddled with the decidedly un-glamorous title of “mid-cycle refresh” for 2013. The wheelbase and skeletal pieces remain intact from last year, even if little else does. Lexus is quick to point out that more than 3,000 parts on the LS have changed over last year, even if the one that gets pointed to the most is the spindle grille.
(P.S. The spindle grille here looks better than ever, even if it’s tamer than the rest.)
But it’s also small, hidden improvements like hollowed out wheel rims to help reduce noise, shed weight and absorb more road thumps.
Aside from the front face, the most dramatic change for the LS this year is the inclusion of an “F Sport” model offering that offers body accents, lower suspension and bolstered seats. The F Sport model is an answer for Audi’s outgoing S package and BMW’s M-packaged line, although not directly competing with the uber-hot S8 or Mercedes Benz AMG cars.
The F Sport model, rather, is a tip of the cap to the younger (relatively) buyer looking for a full-size sedan that doesn’t necessarily lull one to sleep by merely sitting in the driver seat.
As before, the LS models comes in two distinct engine options, naturally aspirated and hybrid — more on those later — and two wheelbase options, short and long.
The short wheelbase version is a bit of a misnomer though; the wheelbase isn’t really that short on a full-size sedan anyway. The LS normal size clocks in at 200 inches long, with the extended wheelbase adding 5 inches to rear legroom.
Inside, the cabin doesn’t feel as large as the battleship-sized dimensions would indicate. Seating is comfortable and plentiful, but unlike others in its class, shouting isn’t required to reach passengers in the back seats.
The extended wheelbase adds extra seating in the rear for buyers who prefer to be driven as opposed to driving themselves. In those models, options are available for the rear seats to add entertainment, massage for the passenger-side rear seat and other amenities. We had the chance to test the executive model and can say that it’s palatial, even compared to a Gulfstream jet.
The Lexus won’t gulp gas like the Gulfstream, however. Lexus retains 2012’s same 4.6-liter V8 that produces 386 horsepower while returning 24 mpg on the highway. In the LS600h models, the V8 engine is paired with a nickel metal hydride battery that increases total power by 52 horsepower to 438. Acceleration in both is brisk, with 0-60 mph coming in around 5.5 seconds for both, and all-wheel drive available on both engines.
The standard spring suspension in all models is pillow-soft to maximize ride comfort above all else. Tuning in the F-Sport models doesn’t harsh the ride to the point of super sports car models, however adaptive damping is noticeable in hard driving in that previous models shied away from.
We were allowed the opportunity to drive the LS outside of Tucson and it’s clear that Lexus is making a play for buyers that other carmakers have somewhat abandoned in recent offerings to separate from luxury from luxury sports cars.
Likely, the story Lexus is starting to tell with craftsmen who can build complex objects with one hand tied behind their back will resonate with some who prefer to have their cake and eat it too. But we prefer a simpler story when it comes to car shopping for cars that start near or at six figures.
Lexus paying attention to detail. End of story.
Aaron Cole is a syndicated auto columnist. He knows he’s wrong, but he’d rather hear it from you. Reach him at aaron.m.cole@gmail.com