Detroit Auto Show: Lexus to Showcase Technology and Offer Conveniences at the 2004 North American International Auto Show

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 17, 2003 -- Lexus will ring in 2004 with an array of benefits for journalists and consumers at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this January -- all designed to inform, refresh and entertain.

Luxuries That Energize

When it comes time to relax and reenergize, journalists can pull up a comfortable chair at the Lexus Luxury Lounge. Refreshments, soothing neck and shoulder massages from professional massage therapists, a shoe shine valet, and incredible audio sounds courtesy of Mark Levinson sound systems, will all be available at the Lexus display area. The Lexus Luxury Lounge will be open to journalists Sunday, January 4, from 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Monday, January 5, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, January 6, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:00 noon.

Inspiring Technology

The all-new Lexus exhibit at NAIAS enables visitors to experience key Lexus technology firsthand. The engaging display incorporates interactive simulations of some of Lexus' many safety innovations.

"It's one thing to talk about advanced safety technology. It's quite another to actually experience it," said Lexus Vice President of Marketing Mike Wells. "That's why enthusiasts go to auto shows: to move beyond what they've seen and read in print and on websites and become fully engaged in the latest innovations. Our new exhibit feeds that need."

For example, the Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS) display simulates the operation of these headlights. The left beam can rotate from 0 to 15 degrees in a left turn while the right beam remains in the center position. The right beam can rotate form 0 to 5 degrees in a right turn while the left beam remains in a center position. As a result, the driver can see deeper into the curve, as simulated by the auto show display.

AFS also incorporates a self-leveling feature that levels the lights depending on road conditions. And an AFS on/off switch allows the driver to disengage the system at any time. It's currently available on the Lexus RX 330 luxury utility vehicle and LS 430 premium luxury sedan.

The heart of the Intuitive Parking Assist simulation is an actual car bumper fitted with ultrasonic sensors. As you approach the bumper, a pictograph appears on a plasma screen, rendering your location relative to the bumper -- just as it would in miniature within the vehicle's instrument panel. The actual system also sounds a tone that emits from the front speakers if the obstacle is in front of the vehicle or from the rear speakers if the obstacle is behind.

The third technology display demonstrates how the Rear Backup Camera employs the real-time video camera fitted in optionally equipped versions of the LS 430 and all three of Lexus' sport utility vehicles: RX 330, GX 470 and LX 470. The rear back-up camera is mounted near the top of the license plate surround and automatically projects an image of what the camera lens can detect behind the vehicle onto the navigation screen when the vehicle is in the reverse gear.

Maximum Benefit

The annual NAIAS Black-tie Charity Invitational on Friday, January 9, is a major event that brings in millions of dollars for Detroit area children. The Lexus booth at this year's affair will once again offer delicious food and drinks stirred by the blues styling of local musical group, the Detroit Cobras. The show will be webcast live for all to see on www.lexus.com from 7:30 p.m. EST, and simulcast on WCSX-FM 94.7 throughout southeastern Michigan starting at 7:30 p.m. EST.

In fact, all of the Lexus activities at the show will be webcast live. The Lexus NAIAS webcast will be available 24/7 during the show starting on Sunday, January 4, at 10:30 a.m. EST and continuing to the end of the show on Monday January 19.