The LEXUS brand is recognized as a luxury car around the world. Toyota Motor Corporation started with the LS (Japanese name: Celsior), which debuted in North America in 1989 as a world-class luxury car with overwhelming comfort and outstanding quality. Although it has a short history in Japan, starting in 2005, it has become a brand that is recognized around the world in just about 30 years. Behind this is the Japanese people's commitment to manufacturing and their constant pursuit of what ``Lexus-ness'' means. Lexus, which has been praised for being able to establish its brand in the shortest amount of time than any other company, is thinking about what they are currently thinking when manufacturing cars. We took advantage of the opportunity that the flagship model was improved to interview the developer.

Whether Lexus is “refreshingly deep” or not is the determining factor for Lexus’ driving performance.

"Craftsmanship" is what makes Lexus. Craftsman is a term used to refer to skilled craftsmen with outstanding skills in the field of handicrafts. It's a concept that seems at odds with cars made in factories. However, it was not natural. The reason why Lexus is highly regarded globally is that the people known as TAKUMI are involved in car manufacturing.

If you're a car lover, the word "flavored" will probably strike you right. Ichibu manufacturers work hard to create common flavors for their products. For example, Porsche from Germany. Regardless of the type of car, from the rear-engine flagship model ``911'' to the large SUV ``Cayenne,'' you will feel something close to the sensation of driving it.

Aren't all cars the same no matter which one you drive? You might think so. Isn't it just a square box attached to four wheels? However, that's not the only interesting thing about cars. The human touch brings out the individuality of the car when you drive it. That is why it can be said that there are so many manufacturers.

Today's Lexus cars are also cars that make you feel quite impressed when you drive them. This is because the people known as TAKUMI are involved in creating the driving feel that is unique to Lexus, with the goal of being ``clean and profound.''

Yoshiaki Ito of Lexus is one of those TAKUMI. Ito and his team are in charge of the vehicle's dynamic performance. Lexus has a master driver, Akio Toyoda, who decides the overall direction. TAKUMI (us) will work with the engineers in charge of car manufacturing to figure out how to achieve that taste.

The movement of a car changes greatly depending on factors such as body design and suspension settings. How can you move it to create the "clean and deep" flavor that is unique to Lexus? Ito and his team will continue to communicate with designers and test the car by running it on various roads, including test courses.

For example, on November 2020, 11, the Lexus IS was announced after undergoing a major minor change. Much more elaborate improvements have been made everywhere than you might imagine from the word minor changes. When you actually drive it, the car moves very comfortably. That's exactly what Ito was aiming for.

"What we focused on with the IS was to make the compact body drive smoothly. Our goal was to express the goodness of a sports sedan in a Lexus way. (Lexus' aim in car manufacturing)" I thought that the ``refreshing'' aspect of ``refreshingly profound'' means that when you turn the steering wheel, there is no delay in the movement of the vehicle, and it is highly responsive.''

Designing Lexus consistency by seasoning the car

In fact, since 2019, the enjoyment of driving Lexus vehicles has improved to the point that it is worth noting. The same goes for the luxurious flagship coupe ``Lexus LC'', the slightly changed coupe ``Lexus RC'', the sedan ``Lexus IS'', and the flagship sedan ``Lexus LS''.

As soon as you get in the car, start driving, and turn the steering wheel, you may be surprised at how much different the driving sensation is than before. Of course, the driving experience is quite different between the LC and RC, which can be driven to the circuit, and the LS, which is intended for people who often carry people in the back seat.

However, for example, the suspension of the LC is not extremely stiff, and it feels reasonably comfortable, and when you turn the steering wheel around a curve, there is a nice feeling that the car body gradually leans. On the other hand, the LS's ride quality can be described as supple, not too soft.

``To be able to drive while having a 'dialogue' with the car,'' is the desire of the master driver, and seems to be the development goal of Ito and his team. Whether it's a sports coupe or a luxury sedan, the taste is different, but that's probably why it feels like they were created by one talented chef. By the way, in Germany, someone in Ito's position is called a chef. If you look at it as a seasoning professional, you can say that they have something in common.

There is actually another important job for Ito. This is training the next generation of TAKUMI.

``How to read the movement of the car and tell the engineers what needs to be fixed. That is TAKUMI's job in driving performance.'' For example, dampers are important parts of suspensions. In order to decide on the settings for this piston-type shock absorption device, which has a significant effect on maneuverability and ride comfort, countless laps were made around the test course. The person in charge of adjusting the damper is given detailed numerical instructions and has them set the compression and expansion to achieve the desired movement.

"In order to make the car move as planned, you need to know all the movements of the car. Roll (lateral tilt when turning a curve), pitch (forward and backward direction when accelerating and decelerating) I will analyze the suspension movement in terms of (tilt) and heave (vertical movement when viewed from the side) and work on the settings with the staff, and I have a lot of experience. If you are shallow, you may be good at analyzing rolls, but your pitching may not be as good, or you may have weaknesses. Helping players overcome this is an important part of TAKUMI's job."

We translate physical sensations into words and numbers, and from there guide the product to completion. Although traditional craftsmanship is an important issue in craftsmanship, listening to the above story makes me think that the automotive field is as difficult as Ultra C class (old).

At Lexus, there are people who are making this happen. Cars are packed with all sorts of knowledge, and are sometimes likened to a comprehensive art form. I can convince myself of that.