I was in the pub recently, and I said that I was looking to buy a Lexus. At which point, someone present said: "Why would you want to buy a Lexus? It's basically a luxury Toyota". Well yeah. That's exactly why I want a Lexus.
Neither Lexus nor Toyota do anything for me, like Americans' they just don't grab the concept of "luxury" quite the same way as Europeans, and Asian interiors are almost always boring and cheap.
@@sandersson2813fair enough, some people just don't grab the concept of reliability. Toyota and lexus are far more reliable than anything American or European.
Love my ls400. It was left in a garage for 3 years until last September, gave it a respray, an alternator and it's like new, 227,000 miles and passed it's mot with no advisories, no squeaks, rattles. Comfy, plenty of power and cheap to run.
Jonny we took one of these on a charity car trip in 2015 from Dover to Calais, through France visiting Battle of Trafalgar, Bruges, Germany, raced it round the Nurburing and ended up in Budapest for a Gala Dinner over 2 days. We then raced back 1200 miles at autobahn speeds to catch the last Eurotunnel train back to UK. It never missed a beat, was absolutely faultless and comfortable. Best bit - we paid £500 it and sold it for a profit when back home, giving the money to charity. I still tell people about the trip nearly 10 years later it left that big an impression on me!! Cheers Steve
Growing up, my dad had every high end Jag, Mercedes and BMW. Even a Rolls Royce in the late 80’s. His favorite car was his brand new LS400 he bought on an M plate. He loved that thing.
As a Lexus owner, hearing the 1UZ fire up at the end is just... *chefs kiss* 👌People really underestimate Lexus as a brand in favour of BMWs/Audis/Mercs, and that's fine by me, I like that they aren't as popular. So many people on the road are so much more politer to me than the typical German car owner.
There is a dignified and reserved quality around these Japanese luxo barges. Ive always preferred them over their Euro competitors. Whilst the Euro car makers charge for every extra and prioritises fleecing the customer as much as possible, the Japanese car makers simply want to make the best possible car for the customer, they actually respect the customer and thats honourable. Look at the Honda Legend or even the Mitsubishi Sigma-sheer quality.
With only 12000 miles on the clock it would not take a lot of work to get it ready. What a find! I think the Lexus is the most underrated car in the world.
Pretty sure that if they got in touch with Lexus's marketing department - they might even offer to assist in getting that car up to showroom spec and then publish an article on it.
I'm waiting for the episode where Jonny backs the jet-wash scene with Benny Benassi's Satisfaction. Each week I tell myself: "Patience, son. It's just a matter of time..."
Great video again Jonny. I've had two LS400s (a '96 and a '97) and they are absolutely superb cars. Very easy to work on (servicing only, nothing breaks) and a pleasure to drive. When you're sat in one with the engine ticking over the noisiest thing is the air coming out of the vents. Not entirely sure why I sold them other than I'm a 55yo child and my head is too easily turned by other shiny things. What always astonished me was the attention to detail such as the electric aerial that lowers or extends depending on where in the frequency range your chosen radio station is, illuminated seat belt buckles and the addition of nappa leather on the bottom of the interior door pulls so your fingertips touch soft leather as you close the door.
100% one of the best cars of all time . Was released the year I started high school in Australia and heaps of rich mums and dads had them. Brings back memories.
Dammit, now I’m heading to the classifieds looking for one of these. You see the occasional example in a dark colour that looks really good but so many were gold like this one. Also, Alastair’s XJR has me wanting one of those again, I had an X300 version. Great to see the fuel pump replacement was the only fix needed to bring it to life again.
@@fastEdCanuck Check out Malton motor company he's the best for enthusiasts Jaguar and he recently posted a video of an X300 that he will be preparing soon. If you want the best LS400 in the country I have it but it won't come cheap.
I bought a 1998 LS400 in 2012 for £1500 and sold it for £1400 5 years later and I still miss it to this day. It was soo smooth and comfortable. Great cars!
Funny thing about this car my dad knocked on his door and asked to buy it about 6 months ago we live right up the road can’t believe I’m seeing it on the late break show 😂
I worked for a well known automotive consultancy and was told the story of when they were asked to benchmark one of these in the 90s. They couldn't believe the efforts gone into the NHV performance. There's apparently a slab of lead in the roof skin! The engine has a 6 bolt main bearing cap, normally found in engines for power, but in this case it's to stiffen the block for NVH purposes. My old mate bought 1 in about 2004 or so, maybe 10-12years old and 100k miles. The EGR valve ticking was louder than the combustion! 800quid for the whole car and he intended on taking the engine out to put in a Lotus Excel. Don't think he ever got around to it, but what an engine! The NVH additions to the engine made it so strong that you can get up above 600hp on the standard internals without too much effort.
I had this engine in a rwd hilux. Manual gearbox and a single box exaust system. It was the most fun thing I’ve ever owned. Also absolutely lethal in the wet!
I recently got my 95 Nissan pickup on the road with this engine swap. Manual steering, manual transmission, and power brakes. After the engine swap my truck scaled at 3000lbs. It is a vicious little bugger in the wet.
My Dad drove an LS400 around Millbrook, just after they were launched.. I remember it being so incredibly smooth and refined!! The dashboard dials looked ahead of the time 😊
@@TheLateBrakeShow Please get hold of the son who got the Lexus, its VITAL that he gets that cambelt replacement done asap and I saw a few water leaks. The plastic housing also crack. That fan like all visco fans have issues. He will also need to service the gearbox oil and filters as well as the cabin filters. The fuel filter too. That cambelt will have degraded just like the tyres have. Those need replacing too The rear diff oil will also need doing and the CV joint grease needs replacing.. Brake fluid will be like 70% water by now. That fuel tank alao needs to be removed and descaled.
I remember seeing a LS on Top Gear a lifetime ago and they put a glass of water on the engine and revved it up, the water barely rippled. Impressed the hell out of me, funny how things stick in your memory. Terrific video Jonny and a great car. Regards Jim
@@S2KGAY I seem to remember that the pound coin thing was a dealer demo to show how smooth the engine ran. Although I was a kid when this car launched, but I remember us as kids being really excited about it. I would own one today, if I didn’t already have two idiotic V8s 😂
I have a neighbour, just in front of my house, who has 2 of these: a golden one, like this one, and a graphite one. I see him working on them and driving them regularly. Now I realize how special they are.
Great work Jonny as always. The LS was produced in a golden age for Japanese cars. Think about this, the Lexus LS, Mazda MX-5 and Nissan R32 GT-R all arrived between April and August of 1989
@@craigdawson1749 original commenter was correct, they are a Celsior. Ive got an imported one and in some ways its the best car i have owned to date. Goes about its business with refinement and reliability at its core, its so quiet that you forget its got a V8 engine a lot of the time.
In 1992 I lived nextdoor to a guy who worked for Jaguar in their design department and he told me they bench tested the new Jags against the Merc S class, BMW 7 series and the Lexus and he said after all the testing they did the Lexus was the best engineered car of those four.
I remember seeing a brand new LS400 at a brand new Lexus dealer back in 1989. As I looked over the car my eyes caught an interesting detail on the front indicators lenses. Yes, really. Securing the lens cover was not a typical chromed metal screw. Instead the Lexus engineers had invented an Amber-colored metal screw (painted maybe?) to secure the amber lens so your eyes would not be distracted catching a glimpse of a random shiny bit of chrome metal screw as you took in the front of the car. Amazing attention to detail.
There was a documentary in the 90s following the Toyota/Lexus engineers as they reverse-engineered a Mercedes to understand how to make their car. The thing I remember is that as they opened and closed the doors to try and understand why the Merc doors made such a solid 'clunk', they explained to the camera that it was very important that the Lexus should also sound very solid. They didn't care whether or not is was actally solid, just that it sounded right. If they could make light doors that still sounded heavy and solid, they'd be happy. They applied the same thinking to the whole car. Genius.
I had an 1992 LS400 circa 2004, sold it a year later, paid 2400 for it from a 86 yr old ex soldier in Catford London, sold it for £4000 after a years very enjoyable driving (inc quite a few effortless 900 mile round trips to/from Scotland) had it doing 140 mph at one point. Truly brilliant cars.
Hi Jonny, hope you're well. I saw my first LS400 in 1990 driving through Glasgow. I didn't know what it was but It just whispered past, making a massive impression on me. Today I have a red/cream LS460. For me this is a real car. Amazing everything. She doesn't come out much, but a lovely place to spend time. Supremely quiet and comfortable. New battery and a couple of tyres. Amazing service from the Lexus people. Thanks for sharing. 👍✌
I drove one of these round the Oxford ring road in the early 90’s after being told to fill it up by my boss at the time ( the petrol station was only a couple of miles away). What a car!!! Should have nipped down to the south of France in it😅😅😅 Best production car ever built in terms of quality. Steve
The LS400 One of the finest cars ever made. I've owned one for 27 years (UCF20R 2nd gen.). One actually forgets completely about the car; it is soooo boring to drive. They don't break down. You just need to buy the occasional set of tyres. Cheers from Australia! ( I think I would've drained all that old fuel out first)
Maybe it’s because I’m a huge Toyota/Lexus fan boy but this video felt more like a tribute than any other of the barn finds. It had a warmth and admiration for the car that I found really endearing - my favourite yet
In Japan it was the Toyota Celsior. It was launched in 89 where I worked. The Powerhouse Museum Sydney. One display they had was the metal plate between the backseat and the boot alongside a Jaguar one. It was hanging so you could hit it with a small sledgehammer. The Jag gave a typical Metal sound...the Lexus gave a Lead like soft thud.
I used to have a car detailing (valeting) business in Bath, UK. One of my clients was Peter Gabriel. He had a green LS400.. it was the last thing you thought he would drive..
Nice ending. I remember back in 2001 choosing Toyota Avensis as my new company car. I went to the local dealership in Canterbury to test drive one, and, at that time, they shared with the Lexus team, who were different staff. I remember they were very busy when I arrived, and they had a LS400 in the showroom. I remember sitting in it and marvelling at its beauty. I was then approached by a salesman who asked if I would like to test drive it. I said of course but I was here for an Avensis. He bowed his head gratiously and apologised and said he would get a Toyota salesperson, but insisted I continue to explore the LS400. I had to peel myself off the seat when my salesman arrived. Your video reminded me of that day, and I have a smile of fondness. My Avensis was a beauty too. Either brand is quality.
have an avensis 1999 bought from an elderly neighbour has only done 43k miles has passed every mot only has had 1 new battery in its life and 4 tyres dont use much but wont get rid of as its nice the elderly gent can still see it
I bought one of these once. I lived in Wellington NZ (North Island) at the time. I travelled to Greymouth (South Island) via two flights to buy it sight unseen having been assured by the owner it was running perfectly. Arrive at the airport and the car is already running. He explains that the battery has decided to throw a fit. I had to drive about 5 hours to Picton, to catch the ferry back to Wellington. The car died multiple times on the trip as I had to use the lights and wipers to navigate the isolated roads through the ranges to Picton. At one point I was stuck in the middle of the ranges, didn’t see one single car in about 20 minutes, thankfully he stopped and jump started me again. I grabbed a secondhand battery in Picton, and the car ran great until I sold it a couple of years later.
Highly underrated classic, fantastic cars, comfortable and extremely reliable. No cheap maintenance (parts are quite expensive) but not to bad compared to german counterparts.
I love this channel way too much! As a gen x dad, ive been instilling the love of Lexus to my youngest gen z kid. I told him, just say no to ambient LED lighting, and embrace the sweet, sweet world of wooden interiors, especially, open your mind to real burl walnut and leather. I will be making sure that his first car will be a vintage LS Lexus. No other choice should be a young drivers car. Greetings from NYC!!
we ran a 2000MY MkIV and put 150,000 miles on it. A truly wonderful car. I would have another one tomorrow. Oh, and before you mentioned it, I was shouting "immobiliser" at the screen.
In the UAE locals still drive these to this day , they are nicknamed F16 after the fighter jet due to the speeds they fly down the outside lane of the motorway flashing traffic out of the way
That’s so interesting… during queens square car show in Bristol there was one of these in the same colour and I noticed it was modified in what I can only describe as a Middle East vibe …I thought what a great thing to see a Japanese car modified to look Middle East cool. A great achievement tbh and I’m guessing by the sounds of it the inspiration was what you’ve described above. Shout out to that owner btw of course Jonny and the boys in the video 👏🙌
yeah, I have seen one in the middle of the desert of Oman. The locals love the seats as they typically set the front seats to be horizontal, quite a sight when they fly past at 120 MPH.
It is a solid, masculine, powerful blocky/anvil shape that looks like it was created yesterday - very timeless and classic. These were earth shattering when they came out and Mercedes Benz and Audi and BMW were very nervous. Electric car silent and just cloud like plush and quiet. I remember that you could walk up to one at idle and the only way you could tell it was running was when the cooling fans kicked on. I would love to find one like this and gently restomod it to get more power and slightly better handling. A true sleeper. Or go bat shit crazy and make it an AMGish beast but remain totally stock in appearance. Has to be a sleeper. Good one Jonny - thanks!
The car that totally shook the motor manufacturing industry to the core... Made the offerings from the German brands look cheaply made and way overpriced... And throw in Rolls Royce and Bentley as well... Favourite trick is to stand a 1p peice on its edge on the cam covers, turn the key and watch as the coin stays upright...
I had a M reg LS400 in dark green that had 260bhp I believe. Had 225k on the clock when I bought it. The interior looked like it had done 10k. Everything electrical still worked perfectly, superb stereo. Managed 28 mpg if treated very gently. However, managed to get it to 150mph with two passengers one morning. Upgraded the wheels to LS430 alloys, as the originals seemed to be somewhat porous. Great car, can't think why I ever sold it
Friend of mine passed last year. He had 2 cars. A 2011 LS460 and this car. It had 787,000km. Unopened engine. Ice cold aircon. Original interior. Best car in the world. I've owned a 3 GS since 2011. Has 105k miles on it and it has been faultless as well.
You’re killing me jonny! The trusty can of brake cleaner never fails. Also a good quick way to diagnose what’s stopping the engine from running. Was great to see it run in the end though
I first saw one in Hong Kong not long after launch in a busy street after I didn't hear it approaching us. It was as quiet as one of today's electric cars as it then departed. That memory has stayed with me
My old chairman of the company I worked for sold his Bentley Mulsanne Turbo and bought one of these was gold as well in about 1989 . I thought was strange at the time !
I had a 2007 LS 460. Besides the constant fear of spending even more money on control arms and potentially facing the issue of it burning oil and the only fix is a new engine, I loved it and I miss it to this day. I can only imagine how this one is more reliable. I was thinking you should check the fuel pump because mine went through them quite quickly too. A car that was expensive to start with is still expensive to own today even if they are affordable to buy.
The dad of a school friend of mine had one of these from new in black. It was a thing of beauty and when he did the school run it was great to see it gliding in through the gates. i got in trouble for mucking around with all the electric toys.
I’ve just taken delivery of a Lexus RX 450h, and find this very reassuring. Just completed its 1st long journey from Brighton to Nottingham and back, absolutely didn’t miss a beat and 40mpg 😊
I had a Japanese import Toyota soarer gt here in Australia, I was speaking to the importer and he said that it was made in the Lexus factory….if it turned left off the assembly line it got a Toyota badge for the Japanese domestic market, if it turned right, it got a Lexus badge that got sold all around the world. It was a beautiful car to cruise in, so quiet it was spooky!
Pretty sure the Soarer and equivalent Lexus SC400 came off different production lines. Soarer was sold in the US. My owm Lexus SC400 i had in Australia was a grey import that was origially sold and licensed in Japan.
@@richardlove4287 A car dealer lying, never! Yes theyre still a great car and highly sought by car thiefs in Australia for their 1UZ-FE motors that can be easily modified to release their potential while still being bullet proof.
When I worked at dealership in London in the 90s we had a LS400 come in as a trade in, the service manager blagged it for a while, which meant collecting and dropping off cars was classy high speed fun.
The famous million mile Lexus is being restored on a channel called Elsea’s World @ElseasWorld . These really seem indestructible, that particular Lexus wasn’t driven for ages and he just drove it to his shop no problem. They don’t make any car like this anymore.
I worked in sales for West Herts Toyota in Hemel Hempstead many years ago. We did several swaps with Coronation Garage in Frinton. This car may have been the dealership owner's car as they were only a Toyota dealer. Brings back many fond memories.😀
Listening to Moonlight Sonata with Bass, Mid and Treble knobs all cranked to maximum! @29:03 This car in this color is peak 90's sedan. Here in the US it would inevitably have been specc'd with brass-colored badging, which was all the rage at the time.
I never appreciated them in the nineties but now I get it. Great content. Keep it up 👍 should have tried a squirt of easy start in the intake that would have shown if it would start, especially if it had a spark. Better luck next time
Completely agree. It's aged beautifully, it wouldn't be an embarrassment at all to drive today. It looks like it's hewn out of a single billet of steel
I'm so pleased the guys got it running again, considering its age it's a credit to the engineers that everything still works so well on the car. OK the fuel pump can be forgiven for failing after sitting in old fuel for many years, that is sort of expected with all 'barn finds'
Quality engineering, I had an LS430 a few years ago and it was worth owning just for the oscilating dash vents! Next time, slap the bottom of the fuel tank - sometimes its just a stuck pump and a slight jolt can break it free. Not a long-term fix but ideal as a temp repair. 👍
You're obviously a knowledgeable chap, Jonny, and very easy to watch. Entertainment for all levels of car geek. More than anything, I love the way you are so enthusiastic about the barn finds, and how you seem to love them all in their own uniqueness. Keep making these videos, please. They make such a positive difference to we mere viewers.
I've just my 1999 lexus ls400 up for sale, its the DHP model, I'm only selling because i want to upgrade to a slightly newer lexus, but I may regret selling it
34:08 - holy cow. Thing looks like it's been lying in the silt on a bottom of a river for 30yrs! So cool that it fired right up after they found a replacement.
@@TheLateBrakeShow Thanks for the great advice, I’m only a fledgling channel compared to yours but if I could make it even half as good as you do I’d be off to a good start. Thanks mate for the reply & advice 👍
I was at Wentworth back in the late 80's watching the World Matchplay Golf and Colin Montgomery drove up in one of these. It was absolutely amazing at the time, hence me still remembering it all these years later.
It's just great to have a very happy ending! Well done to all the team involved. I love it when a plan comes together, and as always, many thanks to Jonny. 👍🙂👍
A client gave me a lift to a surveying job in an old LS400 a few years back. Finest car I have ever been in and that includes cars from Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Rover (yes Rover!) and an RR Phantom.
I have the exact same car, only 102,000 k and is like brand new in every way. Going onto to vintage rego in NSW Aus in 18 Months. When I first bought it I needed a very small bodywork repair job done, the Panel guy looked it over and said “Mate, what you have there is a really nice lounge room on wheels” he was spot on. I have an LS 430 as well but the 400 is plusher to drive, which is saying something.
