The Lexus LS600hL Keeps an Eye on You - Literally - May 7th, 2007
Recently a friend inherited a jeep she and her father built together. The vehicle hadn’t been driven in a while and had been stored near the ocean. Some work was in order. The first mechanic looked under the hood in horror and said, “Technology has gotten a lot better than this.” (My friend took her prize possession elsewhere.) But the mechanic wasn’t wrong, a fact more than proven by the accident prevention system incorporated into the Lexus LS600hL.
The car keeps an eye on the driver, literally. If you’re staring at something in the bar ditch instead of paying attention to where you’re going, alerts start sounding (chimes and lights.) If you don’t clean up your act, the car will apply the brakes and slow you down - on its own - with a progressive degree of force. Who thought you’d ever pay money to have your own personal “backseat” driver?
The accident prevention system actually incorporates three cameras. Two monitor the area forward of the vehicle for people or objects with which you might collide. The third watches your head. If a crash seems imminent, you’ll feel your seat belt tighten and the responsiveness of the steering wheel will go up several notches. (For less dicey situations, like parallel parking, uou also get the self-parking system developed by Toyota engineers.)
The prevention system isn’t the only thing that makes the LS600hL an attention grabber.
- 121.7 inch wheelbase
- 5-liter V8 and an electric motor
- combined horsepower of 430 (individual hp numbers pending)
- all wheel drive.
It’s little wonder Lexus is calling this one their “flagship” hybrid. There’s a catch, however. (Isn’t there always?) The 2007 model sells for a whopping $100,000 with no firm word yet on the 2008 price tag. Like the mechanic said, technology has gotten a lot better, but it doesn’t come cheap.
Posted on May 7th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: technology |
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