It's not easy to see this at a glance. The new car doesn't really look much different - there's still that same suggestion of derivative styling, borrowed from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans. And even though the wheelbase has been stretched by 1.4 in., the outside dimensions are the same.Nevertheless, the skin is virtually all new, and the shape is far more aerodynamically efficient. Aerodynamic efficiency generally equates with a quiet interior and good fuel economy, and the new LS 400 is improved on both counts. Although the library hush of the original LS 400 seemed almost beyond improvement, the new one is even quieter. Similes fail here. Cathedral quiet? Silent as sleep? Perhaps an operational example is better. At 120 mph, we were able to converse in normal living-room tones with a Lexus engineer. And all the better to appreciate the subtleties of the excellent sound system. Before you pick up your pen to tell us that this kind of driving belongs on a racetrack, that's exactly where it took place. Toyota gave us a preview of the new LS 400 late last summer, which included a day of driving in Quebec, and a day at the Ste. Jovite road racing circuit. More on that later. Meanwhile, our report focuses on the standard LS 400.
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