The tail lights, similarly shaped, wrap forward as if stretching to meet the headlights. Every detail contributes to the suggestion of shape; note, for example, how the rear window outline lifts the glass area up and away from the rear deck. Nine-spoke alloy wheels nicely complement the styling.

What you can't see is that even the underbody of the ES 300 is smooth, nearly flat. All this smoothness contributes to exceptional aerodynamic efficiency, measured by a coefficient of drag (Cd) of just 0.28.

One of the engineering objectives behind the current ES 300 was to make it the safest car in its class. Computers aided the design of the reinforced passenger compartment and of the front and rear crush zones that crumple to absorb the impact of a crash. When Lexus officials introduced the car to the automotive press, they showed a video of a crash test, a head-on impact at 40 mph. In slow motion, we saw the body rippling rearward like a wave, rolling with the crunch to the nose. The front end was totally crushed, but, remarkably, the windshield remained unbroken, and the doors could still be opened. The front seats of the ES 300 are designed to reduce whiplash, and the driver is protected by no less than three air bags.

Another design goal for the current model was to boost performance through efficiency, rather than increasing power. The 2003 model weighs 67 pounds more than the 2001, and produces the same 210 horsepower and 220 pounds-feet of torque. Yet acceleration has improved, with 60 mph now arriving from a standstill in 8.1 seconds. A drive-by-wire throttle, pioneered in the LS 430, contributes to the quicker time. So does a new five-speed automatic transmission, a new induction system, and a redesigned exhaust. Better still, the ES 300 is classified as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) in all 50 states, and rates 21/29 mpg on the EPA's city/highway cycle.