SeriousLS

Anything Clarkson does or says generally isn't to be taken seriously, he's more of an entertainer than anything else these days. Just look at how top gear has gone from an informative guide to cars to an all-out over-the-top entertainment show.

Besides, you have to realise that an old LS like that was probably obtained as salvage or as an MOT failure (and hence not road legal) or similar, and bought for extremely cheap. If so then it would only have got crushed anyway.

Hell, you can pick up a road legal high mileage UCF10 these days for a few hundred, my 81k UCF20 wasn't even four figures

AlexusAnja

What a pompous loud mouth, but it's all entertainment, so he's doing his job well. Just look at us even given him a hoot over this.

The LS may be boring, but it's the kind of boring that Lexus owners love. I'd take "boring" elegance that brings me wherever I want to go safely, sound, and reliably, than sporty and fun, but in a dangerous way and makes me best friends with my mechanic and his accountant.

hobojoe

Lol one funny video but why why why destory that car and not a pos....

walka

way to ruin a mint ls

Lexozz

He should've destroyed a Ford or GM. I really didn't like that, but to each its own.

Powar

Ha.

He's correct about the excitement... or lack thereof. Anyone who truly denies that a stock LS400 is a very - ahem - undramatic car to drive hasn't had the chance to experience many other cars. That doesn't mean that it isn't a brilliant car to drive and enjoy on a daily basis. It is enjoyable because of how comfortable and relatively mindless it is under normal conditions.

In my eyes, he pointed out the obvious. Top Gear is for entertainment. That... was entertaining.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

i still love Clarkson, the guy has destroyed a freaking 911 so i could care less if he takes out an old 1st gen LS.

i believe he also at one point dropped a Skip on an Aston Martin Lagonda, and and old Maserati as well.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I'm waiting for him to blow-up a Zonda.

Kingsoup

I do love clarkson, hes great! You know what though? I sort of agree with him. I think the idea is disappointment in Toyota for making such an amazing car, attention to detail, then making it ride like a hephalump, instead of a 7-series which manages to be sporty and comfy at the same time.

I often think of clarkson when I'm cornering in the Ls and it leans over like a cargo ship with torpedo hits taking on water, that they could have MAYBE made it handle a bit better!

JBrewster

Thanks to my Lexus, I now know why old people drive so slow. It feels as if it were going to capsize if I go around a turn too fast.

nthach

or a Honda?

JAndersson

I don't think the 1 Gen LS400 handles that bad. But then I have airsuspension, can it made that big of a different? Me and some friends set up an test course on an abandon airstrip. The course was from a Swedish car magazine. See http://www.automobil.se/document/kur...%20t%20web.jpg and http://www.automobil.se/zino.aspx?articleID=11503 for some more info. I manage to get my car through the test course in 63.5 seconds. And I'm not a skilled driver so the time can be improved. The guys that manage to get the best time was 59 seconds and one of them drove a BMW Z3 2.0 and the other one a Mercedes C35 AMG with 350hp. I can say one thing, low weight is more important the big horsepower's to get a good time on this type of test course. Another impressing thing with my LS400 was the way the tires was worn. The guys with BMW's (Z3, 330 and 325xi) all worn there front tires uneven. Not my car. So the wheel suspension on the LS400 must be really good.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

It's not that the LS handles bad, it's just that it FEELS like it handles bad...

ToyLexmods

I will miss the days with our LS models. They were very reliable but boring. Our 98LS is about to be sold and I was looking thru the forums one last time.

I have to say that two German monsters have replaced all but one of our Lexus vehicles. RS6 and E55 are quite the performance machines. I gave up trying to supercharge or twin turbo our SC400 and its been downhill ever since. SC sold, LS sold, LS about to be sold. RS6 purchase and E55 purchase leaves over 900hp and nearly 1,000ft/lbs of torque sitting in our front garage. Yeeks.

We are keeping our supercharged LX470 until the wheels fall off. 130k and counting. Also still have a HKS Stage 7++ Toyota supra turbo and a nicely modded Celica Alltrac turbo. :-)

As a side note, I did drive an IS-F and it was ok. The styling just didnt do it for me. I hope Toyota and Lexus get some performance back in the lineup or we may never own another one. :-(



Cheers all.