Crafted by world-renowned interior designer Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall, who also led design in Tokyo and Dubai, the 16,500 square foot, three story Manhattan space will be the largest of the three properties, with unique elements and experiences that evolve with each distinct floor. The street level will be anchored by the Café area, the CRAFTED FOR LEXUS retail area and a Public Gallery space, which will feature everything from product concepts to custom exhibitions and installations. The inaugural full-service Restaurant at INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC and Cocktail Bar and Lounge will be located on the second floor. Finally, the third floor Private Gallery rounds out the space and will transform for a multitude of culturally relevant programming concepts such as: full immersion events, art installations, film screenings, panels, performances and other inviting experiences.

Like its predecessors in Tokyo and Dubai, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC will call upon visionaries to collaborate on experiential programming that engages with the building, community and five core pillars – hospitality, food, design, entertainment and technology. Each program will “intersect” facets of culture on multiple levels and deliver creative, exceptional moments to the city and beyond. “New York City is an important global cultural hub with a great spirit of collaboration, making it a perfect location for INTERSECT BY LEXUS,” says Yoshihiro Sawa, President, Lexus International. “The combination of the uniquely designed space with the curiosity and imagination of the city's people will serve to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators."

RESTAURANT

A destination within a destination, the restaurant at INTERSECT BY LEXUS will offer fine dining to provide patrons with world-class cuisine in a refined yet informal atmosphere. A rotating Global Chefs-in-Residence program will allow the restaurant to introduce a new dining concept from a different chef every four to six months, each of whom will be selected in collaboration with Danny Meyer’s acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group.

The restaurant will officially open with Chef Gregory Marchand who has built his culinary notoriety with Frenchie Restaurant in Paris and Frenchie Covent Garden in London. His inspired menu will feature dishes rooted in French cuisine and transformed to infuse the flavors of the esteemed restaurants, chefs and countries he has come across throughout his career.

Neighboring the dining room sits a Cocktail Bar and Lounge. The cocktail program will draw inspiration from the seasons, featuring signature creations as well as updated classics. There will also be a thoughtful selection of beer and wine.

DESIGN

INTERSECT BY LEXUS’ dedication to the brand’s Takumi craftsmanship – a quintessentially Japanese term translating roughly to “artisan” – resonates throughout the building’s design. Using this philosophy, Mr. Katayama has transformed the space into three distinct levels with corresponding personalities.

Like each of the previous locations, the new design-forward hub will contain signature elements inspired by INTERSECT BY LEXUS’ global reach but that also reflect an authentic aesthetic of the surrounding city. Standout elements such as a wall display with over 1,200 miniature car models, a two-story art installation featuring historic Lexus vehicle parts and bamboo window screens inspired by the signature Lexus spindle grille are shared with the Tokyo and Dubai locations.

INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC is located at 412 West 14th Street New York, New York 10014. For more information on the space please visit www.Intersect-NYC.com.

Lexus also acknowledges the lead creative contributions and guidance of Inform Ventures in the creation of INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC in providing programming ideas for this space.

OVERVIEW OF INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC

Address: 412 West 14^th Street

New York, NY, 10014, USA

Phone: +1 212 230 5832

Website: www.Intersect-NYC.com

Hours: 7:00am – 11:00pm

Twitter: @IntersectNYC

Instagram: @IntersectNYC

Facebook: Intersect.NYC

The original luxury disruptor when it debuted to launch the brand, the Lexus LS has for nearly three decades set benchmarks for powertrain smoothness, ride quietness, craftsmanship, attention to detail, and long-term quality. The 2018 LS will offer the most dynamic driving experience in the model’s history; now it has the possibility of being enhanced further with the new F SPORT model.

Available in petrol and hybrid powertrains, the F SPORT version of the LS, will imbue the standard model with a more engaging driving spirit through carefully applied chassis tuning and enhancements, while still emphasizing exceptional comfort.

F SPORT Look

Lexus designers didn’t hold back when giving the LS its coupe-like silhouette and dramatic rendition of the Lexus signature spindle grille that shows even greater intricacy in the design. Developing the F SPORT grille took computer-aided design (CAD) operators some five months to achieve the desired texture and interaction with light. Even then, they adjusted 7,100 individual surfaces to achieve the desired look and texture (compared to 5,000 for the standard model’s grille). And when combined with the sporty enlarged side grille, the F SPORT grille is functional as well, helping to maintain the vehicle’s cooling performance.

The special F SPORT front grille, rocker panel, and trunk mouldings accentuate the sedan’s rakish profile, while F SPORT badging on fenders and exclusive 20-inch alloy wheels complete the exterior transformation. And for those looking to really stand out, White Nova and Heat Blue are offered as F SPORT-exclusive exterior colours.

F SPORT Inside

As it did with the exterior, Lexus shifted the LS cabin into F SPORT spec by applying trim and features exclusive to this version. A common thread through all LS models remains: Omotenashi, the concept of Japanese hospitality. Applied to the LS, it means taking care of the driver and passengers, anticipating their needs, attending to their comfort and helping to protect them from hazards. The F SPORT adds a performance attitude to the mix.

The F SPORT persona shines throughout the cabin, starting with the F SPORT-exclusive front seat, which provides enhanced support for dynamic driving. A perforated-grill pattern on seating surfaces and unique scored aluminum trim elements add additional sporty flair.

The driver faces a special F SPORT steering wheel as well as a speedometer and tachometer in a movable meter with a meter ring that slides to display information, a design adapted from the limited-production Lexus LFA supercar and a further expression of the car’s dynamic character. Attention to detail shows in the aluminum accelerator, brake and footrest pedals, as well as the F SPORT perforated shift handle and footrest. Ultrasuede in the seats and headliner is the crowning touch. For those desiring the ultimate sporty look, a new Red interior is available exclusively on F SPORT models.

LS Chassis Details

2018 LS F SPORT model features the latest generation of the brand’s advanced chassis control technology, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), which has been refined since its debut more than a decade ago.

In 2004, Lexus introduced the first integrated control system that combined the previously independent ABS, TRC, VSC and EPS, as well as other functions, into a single system.

In 2012, the brand adopted the four-wheel active steering integrated control system—known as Lexus Dynamic Handling, or LDH—from the GS for enhanced safety and driving performance that responds to the driver’s intention.

The new VDIM system implements cooperative control of all vehicle subsystems – braking, steering, powertrain, and suspension – to control basic longitudinal, lateral and vertical motion as well as yaw, roll and pitch. Optimal control of these motions helps to enable exceptional ride comfort, enhanced traction and safety and handling agility, and allows for enriched flat vehicle posture during cornering as well as a more comfortable and stable ride overall.

Sporting Genes

The LS is based on an extended version of the brand’s premium global architecture for luxury vehicles (GA–L) platform from the new Lexus LC coupe. The GA-L platform sets the stage for enhanced handling, ride smoothness and cabin quietness. The LS F SPORT capitalizes on the platform’s responsiveness and agility.

Equipping the LS F SPORT with standard 20-inch wheels and 245/45RF20+ 275/40RF20 tyres, along with larger front and rear brakes (6-piston callipers on front and 4 pistons on rear), unlocks more of the platform’s intrinsic performance capability. The LS F SPORT is equipped with LDH (Variable Gear Ratio Steering and Dynamic Rear Steering)* and has a sport-tuned air suspension with rapid height function. The result is a full-size premium luxury sedan that responds more like a sports coupe through curves, helping to underline what F SPORT stands for.

415-Horsepower Heart with a 10-Speed Partner Lexus designed an all-new 3.5-litre V6 engine specifically for the new 2018 LS 500, using twin turbochargers developed through the company’s F1 technology. This new twin-turbo V6 offers V8-level performance – 415 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque – paired with the first-ever 10-speed automatic transmission in luxury sedan.

The engine yields a broad torque curve and, perfectly in tune with the F SPORT spirit, the new engine and transmission deliver instant acceleration and a constant build-up of torque toward the vehicle’s redline. The LS 500 is undeniably quick, with a 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds (petrol, RWD**). Electronically controlled wastegates are among the features that contribute to the engine’s rapid responses. The driver can tailor powertrain response and feel by choosing from Normal, Sport S or Sport S+ modes, and just enough of the exhaust note is heard to enhance the sporty feel.

F SPORT Performance, Hybrid Efficiency

The LS 500h F SPORT infuses high efficiency into the sporting formula. The new Multi Stage Hybrid System combines a naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with two electric motor/generators and uses a compact, lightweight lithium-ion battery. The V6 engine uses D-4S direct fuel injection, and lightweight valvetrain components, with Dual VVT-i ensuring ample torque across the engine speed range. Combined system output is 354 hp.

The new system adapts the planetary-type continuously variable transmission from Lexus Hybrid Drive and also adds a unique four-speed automatic transmission. Working in concert, the two gearsets alter output in four stages to utilize the V6 engine across the entire speed range.

In manual mode, the two gearsets act together to provide the effect of 10 ratios, giving the LS 500h F SPORT an enhanced dynamic feel on the road and allowing the driver to shift through the ratios with paddle shifters. The Multi Stage Hybrid System allows for more electric assist at lower vehicle speeds, and it enables the LS 500h under certain conditions to operate with the petrol engine off at speeds of up to 87 mph. What’s more, this system allows the RWD LS 500h to propel from 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds – which is on par with the previous-generation V8-powered LS 460 and 3 /10th of a second faster than the AWD LS 600h.

* LDH is available exclusively on RWD models.

**In Europe LS 500 is available exclusively in AWD version.