Styling enhancements to the LS 600h L are subtle. The badges are different, not just in nomenclature, but in color; the “600h” has a blue inset, and there are blue “Hybrid” badges on the rear doors. The grille-mounted “L” is highlighted in blue, and the headlight lens covers also have a bluish tint. The headlights behind the lenses are also new, with what Lexus says is the first production application of LED headlights, a four-lens arrangement in each cluster that also includes adaptive control for turns. There are unique wheel packages for the hybrid, as well as a couple of 600h-specific colors, but otherwise you have to look hard to tell the difference between this and the standard LS 460 L. The clean unadorned shape remains; whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your tastes. Some think it’s bland, others think it compares well to the increasingly in-your-face designs of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Audi with its big-mouth grille.

Inside
If you have the wherewithal to drop more than $100,000 on a car, the interior had better reflect your status. To that end, Lexus has covered the dash in hand-stitched leather and the grab handles have wood inlays. The rest of the interior is largely the same, no bad thing here, as the LS is one of the most luxurious cars on the road. The Launch Edition features highly contrasting black and alabaster leather on the dash and seats, respectively. It looks beautiful, but that light-colored leather won’t stay clean for long, which means frequent visits to the detailer. Oh, bother. It is, as one would expect, perhaps the quietest car on the road at virtually any speed.

Under the Hood
This is where the primary difference lies between this and the regular LS 460. That car’s 4.6-liter V8 engine has been stroked to 5.0-liters, and by itself produces 389 horsepower and 385 lb.-ft. of torque. When coupled with the hybrid’s electric motor, power increases to 438 hp. It’s all routed to a 600h-specific all-wheel drive system that uses a Torsen center differential and a continuously variable transmission similar to but smaller than the one in the GS 450h. The hybrid system works as we’ve seen in previous Lexus and Toyota systems; the engine shuts off at a stop, you have limited electric-only ability at light throttle, regenerative braking recharges the batteries, etc. The LS 600h L also boasts an “EV” feature, where you can manually select electric-only to stealthily cruise through parking structures until you get low on juice. Like other hybrid versions of gas-powered cars, the LS 600h L loses a big chunk of its trunk space, going from cavernous 18 cu. ft. in the 460 and 460 L to only 11.7 cu. ft. in the hybrid.

Safety and Technology
Safety is as luxurious as anything else these days, and on the high end of the spectrum is where you see the highest technology. In addition to the usual array of stability control, adaptive cruise control and headlights, accident avoidance radar and airbags found in high-end luxury cars, the LS 600h L boasts the world’s first driver monitor. Two cameras peer at your face from atop the steering column, and through recognition software can tell if you’re looking forward or not. It combines with all the other safety systems to alert you if it senses that you’re distracted (looking to the side) or sleepy (head nodding forward) when the car is approaching an object, beeping to alert you. Failing that, the safety systems take over by tightening the seatbelt, priming the brakes and basically getting ready to crash if you’re sound asleep, although we think all that could be avoided if they could just get it to shout “THE DOW IS CRASHING!” in your broker’s voice.