BY MALCOLM LIVERMORE | 12th Apr 2001


The LS430 gains extra legroom through the 75mm wheelbase increaseMore head and shoulder room has also been found, the former through raising the height by 55mm Front and rear overhangs are reduced over the previous model by 55mm and 10mm respectively Moving the fuel tank under the rear seat increased boot capacity significantly The leather front seats have inbuilt cooling and heating functions The rear seats are also heated Front seats have 12-way power adjustment The radio/cassette sound system has seven speakers Peak music power is 460 Watts A six-CD changer is concealed behind a walnut-trimmed panel on the centre console The steering wheel adjusts electrically for height and reach The Lexus has a dust and pollen filter, as well as an automatic air recirculation mode Separate air-conditioning controls are provided for rear seat passengers A centre duct between the seats, plus two roof-level ducts, serve the rear compartment A small "coolbox" between the rear seats holds up to six drink cans Standard wheels are seven-spoke 17x7.5JJ alloys Tyres are 225/55WR17 The boot holds 573 litres of luggage Doors and boot lid shut automatically if not properly latched The LS430 has "intelligent" dual front airbags as well as front side airbags Side "curtain" airbags protect front and rear passengers from head injury in a side collision The LS430's "Smart Key" keyless system allows the drive to enter the car and start the engine without removing the key from a pocket An increase in the bore has upped capacity from 3.969 litres to 4.293 litres The V8 engine is constructed from aluminium The engine produces 207kW at 5600rpm and 417Nm of torque at 3500rpm Double wishbone suspension is used front and rear Lexus is fitted with a stability control system (VSC) that corrects under or oversteer automatically The five-speed automatic is controlled via a Mercedes-style gated shift lever Four-wheel, ventilated disc brakes are used The system uses four-channel anti-lock, as well as electronic brake force distribution Brake assist is used to increase braking energy in emergency situations The LS430's turning circle has been reduced from 10.6 to 10.4 metres Steering is by speed-sensitive rack and pinion
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