Lexus LF-Gh concept (2011) first official pictures

Lexus has released additional details of the LF-Gh concept, due to be unveiled at next week’s 2011 New York motor show. Unlike our earlier story, the latest information includes some clear images of the LF-Gh in its entirety…

Indeed. The LF-Gh’s sharp-edged, scowling visage might look a bit like a refugee from a Transformers film (Lexucons vs. Audibots, in cinemas summer 2012). But it’s also our first look at the next generation of Lexus styling. 

Lexus is still calling its design language ‘L-Finesse’, but now with an added dose of that big-grille ‘look at me!’ boldness that seems to have served Audi so well recently. That spindle-shaped grille is going to appear on future Lexus models, we hear.

In profile the LF-GH bears more of a family resemblance to the existing Lexus IS and LS saloons, but with cameras replacing the door mirrors and concealed door handles designed to add to the sense of sleekness Lexus wishes to convey. 

The car sits on 20-inch wheels, with prominent wheelarches and a tapered sill designed to smooth airflow. At the rear we can see the wrap-around tail-lamps in context, with a functional air vents at the corners. These vents work with the inlets around the front foglights to contribute to aerodynamic stability. 

Lexus is being coy again about the interior. We’ve got two images showing aspects of the dashboard. We can see that the dashboard design features a high-mounted , and expect the LF-Gh to have a similar infotainment interface to the mouse-style controller in the current RX and CT models.

The LF-Gh will apparently also feature a new analogue clock with three-dimensional face, which Lexus believes is 'more suitable to a premium brand, and represents a shift in Lexus design philosophy'. For those of you who’ve never driven a Lexus, this actually is momentous news – it may well finally signal the end of the green quartz LCD digital clock that has become an increasingly incongruous reminder of the Toyota roots in every Lexus interior to date.

Full details on the Lexus LF-Gh will be available when the car is unveiled at the 2011 New York motor show.

By Mark Hamilton