Will the LF-1 Limitless Concept Make it into Production as the LM 350 and LM 300h?
Lexus recently launched the all-new ES, but it hasn’t forgotten about crossovers. There’s such a demand for them that Lexus decided to produce a three-row version of its perennially desired RX. Now it’s looking likely that an all-new Lexus crossover is on its way and that it will be called the LM.
AutoGuide reports that Lexus recently filed to trademark the model names LM 350 and LM 300h in both the U.S. and the Philippines. We find it highly unlikely that Lexus is going to rename one of its existing models. The odds are that the LM is going to be a new crossover, partly because those are licenses for automakers to print money these days, but mainly because Lexus unveiled the LF-1 Limitless concept at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. It’s a look at a potential range-topper of the Lexus crossover line. The automaker has been known for showing concepts that preview future flagship models. Remember the LF-FC? You might recognize a lot of it in the new LS. The same goes for the LF-LC and its design DNA winding up in the LC coupe.
Lexus’s own analysis of its product portfolio also makes us believe there’s a strong chance the LF-1 Limitless will become the LM. The base price for the RX 350L is $47,670. Earlier this year, Lexus’s Jeff Bracken said, “If you think about where so much of our volume comes from, it’s more in the $35,000 – $55,000 range. And so that higher-end market in the luxury industry has been…an area where we haven’t been in as much as we’d like to be in.” He added that a production version of the LF-1 “could be another halo product for us, not only from a standpoint of styling but price positioning.”
Judging by the numbers in the names, the LM 350 should have Lexus’s 3.5-liter gas V6 and the LM 300h will more than likely feature a 2.5-liter four-cylinder/battery pack/electric motor combo.
Of course, Lexus also reserved the LQ name, which also hints at a flagship model of some sort. Ultimately, the most important thing isn’t the name. What matters most is that there’s a substantial possibility the LF-1 Limitless concept is going to see production in one form or another. Stay tuned.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
