The gs400 only came to the USA
#1
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I find it an exclusivity that the 98-2000 GS400 was sold only in the states and no where else in the world, yet correct me if I'm wrong,Is there reason for this?
#3
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It's because the Toyota Aristo was designed with a 2J. Also lexus didn't even exist in Japan until 2005. THe United states has always has a love affair with installing larger engines into imported cars.
#5
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Well, I wonder why they didn't even offer the turbocharged 6 in America? I was thinking it may have been like a lot of other Japanese engines and didn't conform to US emissions standards, but we had a turbo 2J in the supras so idk.
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#8
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So you have a factory right hand drive "Lexus LS400"?
Technically they were all "import" as in they were built in Japan and then shipped to the U.S. The UCF20 didn't exist in Japan as a "Lexus LS" it would have been a Toyota Celsior.
All Lexus models from 1989-2005 were sold in Japan as a Toyota equivalent.
GS series = Aristo
LS series = Celsior
SC series = Soarer
Etc. Etc.
In 2005 the "Lexus" brand was introduced in Japan,
Technically they were all "import" as in they were built in Japan and then shipped to the U.S. The UCF20 didn't exist in Japan as a "Lexus LS" it would have been a Toyota Celsior.
All Lexus models from 1989-2005 were sold in Japan as a Toyota equivalent.
GS series = Aristo
LS series = Celsior
SC series = Soarer
Etc. Etc.
In 2005 the "Lexus" brand was introduced in Japan,
Last edited by Bullitt180; 10-27-15 at 03:39 AM.
#9
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I do. I'm not in the US, I'm in New Zealand.
It's got Lexus badges on it and a Lexus owners manual in the glove box.
Alex has a '99 Lexus GS300 in his build thread here too.
You're of course right that the models equate (with some differences) to each other as you have there. I have a '96 161 Aristo and an '01 161 Aristo as well and they all look the same as the GS300/400/430 with the obvious engine difference being the 2J.
Wikipedia agrees with you so I don't know man... Here is a link to the car's history.
It's got Lexus badges on it and a Lexus owners manual in the glove box.
Alex has a '99 Lexus GS300 in his build thread here too.
You're of course right that the models equate (with some differences) to each other as you have there. I have a '96 161 Aristo and an '01 161 Aristo as well and they all look the same as the GS300/400/430 with the obvious engine difference being the 2J.
Wikipedia agrees with you so I don't know man... Here is a link to the car's history.
#10
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I do. I'm not in the US, I'm in New Zealand.
It's got Lexus badges on it and a Lexus owners manual in the glove box.
Alex has a '99 Lexus GS300 in his build thread here too.
You're of course right that the models equate (with some differences) to each other as you have there. I have a '96 161 Aristo and an '01 161 Aristo as well and they all look the same as the GS300/400/430 with the obvious engine difference being the 2J.
Wikipedia agrees with you so I don't know man... Here is a link to the car's history.
It's got Lexus badges on it and a Lexus owners manual in the glove box.
Alex has a '99 Lexus GS300 in his build thread here too.
You're of course right that the models equate (with some differences) to each other as you have there. I have a '96 161 Aristo and an '01 161 Aristo as well and they all look the same as the GS300/400/430 with the obvious engine difference being the 2J.
Wikipedia agrees with you so I don't know man... Here is a link to the car's history.
What I'm getting at is that anytime before 2005, you couldn't buy a new "Lexus" branded model in Japan because that brand didn't exist there yet. Yes the company has always been based in Japan and the cars were always built there and shipped to their respective countries, but the "Lexus" brand was made specifically to promote, sell, and repair their first model, the LS400, in foreign countries.
Last edited by Bullitt180; 10-27-15 at 08:26 PM.
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