Lexus LS300

Lexus LS300

At the turn of the century, consumers didn't associate Lexus with sport. Rather, Lexus was a name synonymous with "affordable" luxury and refinement, but that all changed when the company launched the Lexus IS300 for sale in 2001.

Lexus LS300

The IS300 was a compact, rear-wheel-drive sedan that screamed performance, and it provided a level of intuitive control that was unlike anything else at that price point.

Lexus LS300

Fortunately, that initial Lexus IS300 for sale didn't focus on performance at the cost of everything else.

Lexus LS300

This sports car understood style as well. It boasted a clean wedge shape, and it came in a color palette that Lexus intended to seize your attention. It was obvious from the word go that Lexus was targeting a more youthful crowd than they ever had before.

Lexus LS300

However, Lexus had based the IS300 on the Toyota Altezza sold in the Japanese market. Lexus conceived this car not as a luxury car but as performance car. Therefore, there were some growing pains for Lexus as they tried to adjust that image. Learning from their difficulties in Japan, Lexus retrofitted additional luxury content and included a larger engine, the 3.0-liter already used on the Lexus GS 300 sedan at the time.