IF you follow car culture, one of the first things you'll learn about the 2007 Lexus LS 460 — the fourth-generation flagship of Toyota's luxury marque — is that it has the ability to park itself. The car's optional Advanced Parking Guidance System allows drivers to sidle up to a spot, press a touch-screen button and the car will then glidingly reverse itself into the space, either parallel or perpendicular to the curb.

While others may report this breathlessly, you'll allow me a hearty, unstifled yawn. First of all, any technology that further enables the decline in minimum driving competence is untimely, at best. Second, the system requires that the parallel spot be 6.5 feet longer than the car (23 feet for the standard-wheelbase LS 460). I don't need a computer and a rearview camera to dock in such a huge space. A white cane and a Labrador service dog would do just fine. Also, the car takes forever to achieve this bit of parking prestidigitation. I'd be on my second latte by the time the LS finally put out its mooring lines.

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The auto-parking feature is a headline-grabbing gimmick in a car run cheerfully amok with them. For your delectation, I submit the count-'em eight-speed automatic transmission, a world first. Finally, relief for the deprived owners of the quaint and rudimentary Mercedes S-class, who get along with a mere seven.

Perhaps your tastes run toward science fiction. The LS 460 L — the long-wheelbase model — offers the optional four-zone climate control, which uses an infrared camera to measure backseat passengers' body temperature (and, one guesses, to scan for signs of incipient menopause). A fully optioned LS 460 L would also be equipped with 11 air bags (another record!), 19 surround-sound speakers, a 30-gigabit hard drive (storage for 2,000 music files with room to spare for the navigation data), and five powered sunshades, to tick off just a few of the car's supernumerary excesses.

What is going on here? Call it the anxiety of affluence.

As much as the Lexus nameplate has become the default choice for the sensible careerist looking for a well-built, well-priced luxury car, the brand still ranks near zero Kelvin on the prestige thermometer. You can cite all the ways that Lexus is a great car — best-selling luxury nameplate in the U.S. for six years running, perennially at the top of the J.D. Power heap in initial quality, vehicle dependability, customer satisfaction and return business — and I'll tell you that none of that matters. Compared to luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, BMW and Audi, Lexus has the emotional appeal of a public golf course.

Consider that in a survey of brands mentioned by hip-hop artists in the 2005 Billboard Top 20 (a rough but handy measure of a brand's aspirational power), Lexus didn't even crack the top 50. Mercedes-Benz was No. 1, with Cadillac (3), Bentley (4), Rolls-Royce (5) and Chevrolet (7) in the Top 10.

Meanwhile, the market for high-end, prestige-driven luxury goods is exploding: Donzi powerboats, dinners at Guy Savoy, Rolex watches, Angelo Galasso bespoke shirts. Americans spent an amazing/appalling $440 billion on luxury consumer goods in 2005, and much of that wound up in their driveways. Lexus' futurists expect the prestige luxury market — code for the aforementioned Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Cadillac — to grow 50% in the next five years.

For Lexus designers and engineers pondering the LS 460, the question was how to ride those coattails. How to make the company's flagship sedan stand for more than blithe and bloodless perfectionism and cut-rate luxury? How to make the most Apollonian brand on the market more Dionysian? How to engineer longing?

Seeking an answer, the company's marketers consulted with prestige luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton. One thing they learned is that expensive is not the same as exclusive. Such companies typically offer a grand cru line, and these top-shelf, hard-to-get items drive acquisitiveness for the whole brand.

And so we have the Lexus LS 460 L, the company's first long-wheelbase model, which can be optioned out the wazoo — climate-controlled reclining rear seats with foldout ottoman and shiatsu massage function; rear-seat refrigerator; 9-inch ceiling-mounted video monitor. This stuff wouldn't look out of place on a Maybach. This will be the first Lexus that, fully kitted, will come close to the six-figure level.

Lexus doesn't expect many 460s to be ordered so extravagantly and that's just fine: These cars are essentially audition pieces. You could say the same of the hybrid version of the car, coming next year. With the Hybrid Synergy Drive all-wheel-drive powertrain stuffed into the car — for the life of me, I can't imagine where — the fully optioned LS 460 L will rank as the most technologically dense vehicle on four wheels. Also, Lexus is considering a performance division of its own, like Mercedes' AMG.

Meanwhile, the standard LS — still handsomely provisioned in mass-market trim — will run closer to $65,000 (pricing hasn't been announced, but will be announced sometime before the cars will begin arriving at dealerships in October).

The other factor in making Lexus a more emotional brand is styling. For the past couple of years Lexus has been promoting its L-finesse design language, a meringue-whipped form vocabulary that has appeared with increasing insistence on the ES, GS and IS cars. The hallmarks are a lowered grille, concave shallows along the cars' high sides, and diverging contours raked dorsally front to rear.

Here any tidy explanations of the new LS run out of oxygen, because a car that should have been an expressive and beautiful bit of dream-smithing isn't. It's not a bad-looking sedan, and it does have the look of the L-finesse avatars, but the instant I laid eyes on it, I was disappointed. Compared to the lyrical singspiel of Mercedes' CLS or the Audi A8, the LS is a dirge. Actually, it kind of looks like a Toyota Avalon with a post-graduate degree.

One reason the car looks so constrained might be that it is so aerodynamically optimized. The LS achieves an astonishing 0.25 coefficient of drag (with optional air suspension that lowers the car at high speeds). This is close to the same aero efficiency of a Prius. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the more expressive elements of early design iterations were scoured away in the wind tunnel.

Here we stumble, again, on the tension between the perfectionist Lexus brand and the quote-unquote prestige luxury market. The prestige market is not about tirelessly fettling car bodies for better fuel economy. It's about building amazing looking cars.

So while the LS 460 should be commended for its fuel efficiency — its lightweight, super-efficient 4.6-liter engine and multiplicity of gear ratios give it class-leading mileage (23 per gallon) and ULEV II emissions rating — it's kind of beside the point. Prestige class cars light their cigars with hundred-dollar bills.

What's it like to drive? I only had a couple of hours in the car during last week's press event, so I want to return to the car for a proper road test. My initial impression is that it's fantastically constructed. For instance, Lexus goes to the trouble to hand-sand the body, twice, before final painting. And, per usual, the big sedan is deadly quiet and nearly vibration free (whether these traits are consonant with passionate motoring is open to debate). The materials — leather, wood, suede — are superb. Lexus buffs the leather for the steering wheel for three hours to give it a kid-glove feel. And yet, the central console, transferred out of the GS sedan, isn't particularly rewarding — more like a high-end arcade game. Currently, the S-class is the state of interior art.

It's certainly quick enough. Thanks to the relatively short first two transmission gears, the LS gets out of the blocks in good form. Zero-60 mph goes by in 5.4 seconds, about as quick as Mercedes' S-class, which has a liter's more displacement.

It's also large enough. The "couple distance," the space between the front and rear seats, is as much as 45 inches.

Los Angeles commuters will love the LS. In addition to the crystalline surround-sound stereo, iPod compatibility and Bluetooth hands-free phoning, the car offers XM's NAVtraffic service, which monitors traffic conditions in real time and will help you route around SigAlerts and delays. Also, the car has what's called Brake Hold function, a switch-activated system that allows your foot to be off the brake while the car is stopped.

As tech-y as the U.S.-spec version is, the one sold in Europe is even more trick, with optional features such as lane-departure warning, collision avoidance braking (the U.S. model charges the brake hydraulics but does not actually slow the car) and rear-end pre-collision bracing: When the car's rear sensors detect that a vehicle is about to hit you from behind, it activates the seat belts and positions headrests.

Yes, yes, a very nice robot. A gifted colleague of mine asked the perfect question: Will there ever be a Lexus owners club? Of course, the cars are splendid appliances. But will they ever be cherished automobiles like those of old-world marques BMW or Bentley? Yes, they can park themselves. But can they soar?

Lexus, the best-selling luxury car brand in the United States, is about to offer their most expensive and luxurious car ever: The LS 460. Expected to sticker somewhere around $60-$70,000, the LS 460 also boasts respectable mileage for a large V8 luxury sedan, with EPA estimates of 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway. In a new European-like twist, Lexus will offer a second version, the LS460L, with a longer wheelbase for increased backseat room. Should Mercedes, BMW and Cadillac be worried? Read on.

First Glance: Redefining the car that redefined luxury cars

When the first Lexus, the stalwart LS 400, arrived in 1989, the pantheon of luxury car manufacturers was somewhat bemused. A luxury car from the maker of the little Corolla? Surely Cadillac, Lincoln, BMW and Mercedes had nothing to fear from such an upstart.

Fast forward to 2006. Lincoln is adrift in a sea of mediocrity. Cadillac has had to undergo a complete change of personality to stay competitive. Mercedes and BMW have retained their iconic status, but it hasn't been easy. Acura and Infiniti, the other relative newcomers from Japan, have been successful, but not on the scale of Lexus - and now Lexus is promising the flagship to end all flagships, the new LS 460. Stuttgart, we have a problem.

The first thing you’ll notice about the new LS 460 is the styling. Gone is the conservative and unremarkable shape of earlier LS models. Lexus' new design philosophy, dubbed "L-Finesse", gives the LS 460 a sleek, modern and somewhat menacing look. Unfortunately, it also appears to take a few pages from the BMW design book. That may not be a bad thing from Lexus' point of view, but to me the design comes across as an attempt to mimic the stance and lines of the BMW 7-series rather than a bold, clean-sheet redesign.

Continued below…

In the Driver's Seat: A flagship to end all flagships

The sleek exterior of the LS 460 is complemented by a spacious, well-appointed cabin. At 6’1” tall, I found ample headroom and all major controls were within reach. Lexus eschewed overly complicated control systems (like BMW's iDrive) in favor of simple, clear and legible controls. The touch-screen navigation system provides access to the audio system via a well-designed menu system. The stereo stores up to 2,000 mp3 files on an integrated 30GB hard drive. An auxiliary audio input jack connects iPods and other mp3/wma players. Audiophiles will appreciate the optional 19-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system, easily one of the best I’ve ever heard.

The LS 460 is a showcase for the latest in automotive technology, from the radar-based cruise control system to the Advanced Parking Guidance System which helps parallel-park the car -- you control the speed and it does the steering. It even uses body heat sensors to maintain cabin temperature.

An available executive class seating option includes a host of luxury amenities for the well-heeled, including a rear seat DVD system and a multifunction shiatsu and vibrating massage system and power ottoman for the right rear seat.

On the Road: Power and handling befitting a leader

So how does the LS 460 acquit itself on the road? At one point during the test drive I had to pass a smoking, clanking convoy of street-paving equipment clogging our way. A quick stomp on the gas pedal during passing resulted in a steady, uninterrupted stream of thrust, accompanied by a throaty (yet muted) exhaust note. The shift points in the automatic transmission were so smooth as to almost be unnoticeable. Lexus claims that the LS 460 can cruise from 0-60 in a Porsche-like 5.4 seconds and blast through the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds, and I have no reason to doubt them – this is one fast car.

The lion’s share of that performance is due to a powerful, all-new 380hp 4.6 liter V8 engine and a world-first 8-speed automatic transmission. (Most cars have 5 or 6 speeds; Mercedes have 7.) There’s no hiding the fact that the LS 460 is a heavy vehicle -- 4244lbs for the base model, and 4332 lbs for L version –- but handling was smooth, predictable and crisp. The rear-wheel-drive LS460 felt well planted and stable through tight switchbacks and gradual sweeping turns. An all-wheel-drive option will be added to the LS 460 in the near future.

Journey's End: Amazing, though not perfect -- but there's more to come

As solid a vehicle as the LS 460 is, I do have some gripes. While rear-seat legroom in the long-wheelbase LS 460 L is impressive, the standard-length LS 460 is a bit cramped for those of us over six feet tall. The new L-Finesse styling is sleek and modern, but more than a few curious onlookers initially mistook the new Lexus for a BMW. And some of the technological features shoehorned into this new vehicle border on gimmickry: I’m sure the automatic parking system will impress the technophiles among us, but I would happily trade the system for some extra rear-seat legroom and some truly original exterior styling.

Nits aside, it’s abundantly clear that the LS 460 is one mightily impressive luxury sedan, especially in the extended wheelbase LS 460L variant. Lexus has a well-earned reputation for outstanding reliability and the relentless improvement of their products. As good as the original LS400 was, Lexus has come a long way indeed.

A hybrid version of the LS, the LS600h, is one of a raft of new Lexus vehicle introductions slated for the next few years. If they are as promising as the LS 460, I’m sure that the executives at BMW, Mercedes and Cadillac have some sleepless nights ahead.

Photos:
2007 Lexus LS 460 dashboard
Fortunately, Lexus has eschewed complicated controls for a simple, straightforward cockpit
Photo © Lexus

2007 Lexus LS 460 exterior
New LS 460's styling is radical compared to previous LS, but a bit too BMW-ish for our reviewer's tastes
Photo © Jeff James

2007 Lexus LS460 back seat
Long-wheelbase LS460 offers optional reclining back seat with ottoman and massager
Photo © Lexus

SALZBURG, Austria - Because Lexus is expanding its global horizons, introducing the latest full-size luxury sedan to journalists in Europe seems a sensible choice. Loaded with advanced technology and a new eight-speed transmission, the 2007 LS 460 four-door is a dream to drive - albeit packing a hefty price tag.

This sedan can even guide itself into a parallel-parking spot, yet most of the technology lies beneath the surface: available for valuable assistance, but not distracting in ordinary driving. Of course, checking off a few of those extra-cost options sends the sticker price to even loftier heights.

Now entering its fourth generation, the LS series includes a new LS 460L sedan - the company's first long-wheelbase model. The all-new powertrain consists of a 4.6-liter V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Until now, Mercedes-Benz led the luxury pack with its seven-speed automatic.

Billed as "timeless," LS styling follows a "new design language," said Bob Carter, Lexus Group vice-president and general manager. The LS ranks as the "pinnacle." Lexus also is promoting the 2007 model's level of craftsmanship and "customer-driven" features. Carter points to the car's more emotional styling, power and prestige, as well as its high-touch, high-tech attributes.

"Building cars is more than just a business," Carter explained. "We view it as an art form." Newly-created headlamps, for example, are meant to suggest the look of crystal.

Chief engineer Satoru Maruyamano notes that the new model must "not confuse the driver with the operation." Everything "had to be seamless and intuitive." New engine inspection procedures are employed, including multi-step engine/drivetrain balancing, to help ensure a refined experience.

The new V-8 develops 380 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to provide a claimed 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.4 seconds. Gas mileage is estimated at 19 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.

"I'm sure our friend Mozart would have made a perfect engine tuner," Maruyamano suggested, alluding to the fact that Salzburg is the birthplace of the famed classical composer, whose 250th birthday is celebrated this year.

In addition to an aluminum block and heads, the V-8 is fitted with magnesium cylinder covers and a dual-pipe exhaust manifold. The "world's first" dual variable valve timing with intelligence (Dual VVT-1E) system is manufactured to a tiny 1-micron clearance.

The new eight-speed automatic transmission was "developed to improve power, performance and fuel economy," said product education curriculum development manager Bob Allan. Lower first and second gear ratios are intended to improve launch from a stop, while additional top ratios improve gas mileage. The automatic can be shifted manually when desired.

Exterior paint is smoothed by six-axis buffing robots, and hand-sanded twice. Interior quietness also got considerable attention, including what Maruyamano calls the LS's "acoustically-pleasing door tone." As an example of attention to detail, leather surfaces on the steering wheel are buffed for three hours.

Built on a wheelbase 1.7 inches longer than before (now 117), the 2007 LS 460 is 1.8 inches wider, 0.6 inch lower, with 1.5 inches more track width. The new long-wheelbase "L" edition adds an extra 4.75 inches of length. Four golf bags fit into the 18-cubic-foot trunk.

New front and rear suspensions contain all-aluminum arms. An air suspension is optional on the extended-length LS 460 L sedan, and a sport-tuned touring version will be available. Ride quality is selectable, using a Sport/Normal/Comfort switch. Power steering now works electrically, not hydraulically, and Lexus claims the tightest turning circle in its class for the LS.

Standard 18-inch wheels are mounted. Five-spoke 19-inch wheels go on the long Touring version with an air suspension. A direct tire-pressure monitor is standard.

Lexus appears to set the standard for passive safety. Eight airbags are installed (10 with optional rear side airbags, and 11 with the optional Executive Package). Front and knee airbags feature dual-stage deployment.

The electric parking brake has an Auto mode, or may be activated by pushing a switch. A Brake Hold function works with a button on the steering wheel. As you stop, Hold actuates so there's no creep with your foot off the brake pedal. This system keeps it from rolling backward, too.

Hold the TRAC-off switch for three seconds, and the Vehicle Stability Control system is disabled - an action not recommended for most situations and drivers. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is available, packaged with a pre-collision system.

Natural leathers are perforated in the LS cockpit, with four color selections. Grain-matched woods are prepared by Yamaha, with three choices offered.

Smart Access uses a pushbutton to start and stop the engine - a feature that's gaining favor in quite a few models lately. Power trunk opening/closing is available. The optional four-zone automatic climate system includes what's called the world's first overhead rear diffuser.

An optional Comfort Package includes rear-seat heating and a sunshade. With the Executive seating option, there's even a hideaway table, and worn-out executives might like to have the available massaging rear seat.

Back-seat entertainment may be provided by what Lexus calls the world's first 9-inch DVD screen. Ten speakers deliver music to the LS occupants, but audiophiles have the option of a 19-speaker Mark Levinson system that holds up to 4,000 songs on the hard drive, and produces 450 watts of output with a mere 0.7 percent total harmonic distortion.

The new Generation 5 navigation system uses the car's 30 Gigabyte hard drive and a VGA-quality video screen. You can select destinations from 8 million points of interest, and speech recognition functions for commands. A backup video camera standard with navigation, and XM NavTraffic is available.

Intuitive Parking Assist is available, with warnings that keep you away from obstacles. Or, you can go all the way with Lexus's Advanced Parking Guidance System, which actually steers the LS 460 into position in a parking space.

Down the Autobahn and around the lakes with an LS

Whether on the German Autobahn or easing down two-lane roads that skirt the Austrian lakes, Lexus's top sedan performed with ease and grace. With an air suspension, in particular, the LS 460 eases over mild bumps without disturbance. You note a quick reaction, then nothing further. Sport mode yields a satisfying, mildly taut feel with little (if any) ride-comfort penalty. Still, Normal mode is just about as good for stability.

Plenty of energy lurks beneath the hood, but expect just a little transmission delay when it's time to downshift and pass. When the gas pedal is floored, too, some mild engine noise appears.

Even in regular-wheelbase form, this is a big car, but it handles like a semi-sporty one. Quick and positive steering response helps produce a confident feel. Mirrors give excellent views for passing.

Expect plenty of room in front, plus abundant seat adjustments to fit each occupant. The wide glovebox contains two sections. White-on-black illuminated gauges are exceptionally easy to read, and Lexus's navigation screen (if installed) is among the easiest to view. Most controls are not overly complex, but you do need to study layout and/or manual beforehand, to know what's there.

Whether you're behind the wheel or outside the car, the Advanced Parking Guidance System is simply astounding to observe as it leads the suitably-equipped LS into a desired parallel-parking spot or a back-in location. Before the car can steer itself safely into place, it's up to you to position it properly and follow the parking instructions carefully. You're the one who has to apply the brakes, to make sure the LS doesn't bump an adjoining automobile or overshoot the end of the space.

Two LS sizes: long and longer, with a hybrid coming soon

Sales of the standard-length and long-wheelbase LS 460 sedans begin in October. Next spring, Lexus will introduce a hybrid-powertrain LS 600h L sedan as a 2008 model, with all-wheel drive. Rivals include the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, and Jaguar XJ. Extras in the LS 460 L include sunshades, a heated steering wheel; power trunk opening/closing; heated/cooled front seats; and heated rear seats.

About 30 percent of LS sedans are expected to be the long-wheelbase "L" version. Around two-thirds of buyers will be male, typically age 55 to 60, with an income of $200-250,000 per year.