Watch The Throne

There is something spectacularly coherent about the LS 500 Luxury in which you can find a purpose for all its constituents.

- Jason Kwong​​

I love this car. Obviously, the Lexus LS 500’s spindle mesh grille is regarded to be the most aggressive neck-breaker around. I am able to verify this easily too; during my review behind the wheel, I observed subjectively curious inquisitors doing double-takes.

I do know one thing: it is the car that the King of Wakanda approves of, even as his vibranium claws left more than a few scratches on its chrome rims to hilarious effect in Black Panther. Something that we can identify with, even if it doesn’t turn invisible.

Of course, on the Karak Expressway, this may have been a forgotten notion. I’m reminded that the first LS was introduced in 1989 into the premium segment. This is the fifth iteration that was perfected under the supervision of chief engineer Toshio Asahi and chief designer Koichi Suga, who both started from scratch to reimagine what a premium flagship sedan should be.

The Lexus LS 500 is powered by a new turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine capable of 415hp with 600Nm of torque, making it the embodiment of owning the fast lane, simply because others are wise enough to gently slide to the left. With a frontal lobe straight out of a Marvel film, it’s worth noting that the Lexus LS 500 is slightly higher than the previous naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 variant.