It’s not every day that we are able to catch a prototype that we have trouble identifying. This long, wide, and low sedan is one of those. The camouflage is thin and shows off the overall shape of the car, but the pasted-on front and rear lights are there to hide the prototype’s true identity.
Why do we think that this is the next generation 2018 Lexus LS? First, it’s the overall large size of the sedan. It appears imposing on the highway and around town. There is little doubt that this is a flagship sedan. The hood is impossibly low and the trunk has a unique shape. A closer look of the front reveals an hourglass shaped grille with a large round emblem in the center. This feature has been a signature design of Lexus for several years.
A study of the wheel design reveals a Toyota family resemblance. Finally, this prototype i closely followed by a 2016 Audi A8 4.0T and a 2016 BMW 750. In fact, the Audi and the BMW are trying to block our ability to take video and images of the prototype.
It’s no secret that the Lexus LS competes against the Audi A8 and the BMW 7 Series, among others.
When this sedan accelerated from a stop sign, we heard a distinct whistle or whine. It sounded like a turbocharger or a supercharger helping the large sedan get moving. Most LS competitors use turbocharged or supercharged engines, so it stands to reason that Lexus will want to follow suite and add forced induction to the LS engine lineup. It could be a V8 or a V6 engine. Naturally, you can also expect a hybrid and/or hybrid plug-in powertrain in the next LS as well.
We are editing the Prototype Hunting video featuring this large and low prototype. It will be available soon.
In the meantime, check out this Everything You Ever Wanted to Know look at the upcoming 2017 Lexus LC luxury sports coupe.
