- Engineers have added front, mid, and rear support braces to all current Lexus models.
- Akio Toyoda has pushed the firm to establish a unified driving signature across its range.
- Significant chassis enhancements are easier to make during full lifecycle changes.
Lexus believes it has unlocked the secret that will allow its new vehicles to match the dynamics of its German rivals, and it all comes down to body rigidity.
Since 2018, engineers from Lexus have been working to improve the handling chops of its models, studying cars from competitors including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Porsche. They’ve come to the conclusion they need to add support braces to the front and rear of its cars, as well as two supports in the center of the chassis.
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“We didn’t fully understand the four body positions,” the project manager for Lexus’ sensitivity performance development department, Toshinori Ito, said. “We learned about it from studying the competition. When we realized it, we wanted to add it to all Lexus models.”
Lexus has been slowly rolling out these improvements across its lineup. In 2022, the RZ hit the market with front braces, and more recently, the NX was updated with a front brace in early 2023 and a rear brace this year. Speaking with Auto News, Ito added trials have been done on all existing Lexus models, and all of them can be updated and improved with these support braces.
Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has been pushing Lexus to establish a more unified driving signature across its range, combining the safe and sophisticated feeling its products are known for while also making them feel sporty and agile.
“We are aiming for the same driving taste, no matter what Lexus model you are riding in,” Ito added.
While adding front and rear support braces is quite easy on existing models, it’s a little harder to add those to the middle of the chassis. As such, these more extensive updates will be reserved for full lifecycle changes rather than minor model-year updates.
