The new model LS500 comes with a V6 3.5-litre twin-turbo engine. The design stays true to the original concept with even more complicated grill. The elaborateness of the grill has become an important design factor, but even so, the license plate feels increasingly out of place.

For example, this grill is a way for Lexus to express Japan not only by design but also the detail and quality of mass-produced moulding technology, perhaps. Of course, even though this way of thinking was why Britain was expressed through the traditional wood panel finish and the coating technology of Rolls Royce, some parts were difficult to see. Would the grill be a success for Lexus if it gave a sense of ‘Japan’ to foreigners when they saw this car?

I suppose this is why it took Lexus 20 years to realise this ‘sense’ this way. I am painfully aware that for any brand to establish its own identity, it is something that takes a very long time.

A great deal of emphasis has also been placed on the interior. You could say it’s gained a world-class standard and is well beyond the level of other Japanese cars. Although, the steering wheel ‘L’ logo still feels big.