It may not sound like a massive news story when a car company opens a new headquarters building, but when it comes to Lexus, there’s more behind the headline than you’d think.
35 years of Lexus
Currently celebrating its 35th birthday, Lexus has just opened up a vast new vehicle development headquarters in Shimoyama, Japan. Sitting close to Japan’s west coast, and lying some way north-west of Tokyo and close to Toyota City, Shimoyama will be the home of Lexus’ new-model development programmes from now on.
Why is this significant? Because it hasn’t happened before. Up until now, Lexus’ development and design has been scattered over a multiplicity of locations. Now, everything is been brought under one roof, from design and technical development to marketing, sales and product planning. Lexus’ hope is that this will speed up the development of new models thanks to the closer and easier communication between its various teams.
It’s also significant because now, Lexus’ engineers and development teams will be able to walk out of the back door and straight onto the Shimoyama test track, which has been operational since 2021, and which has already been a big contributor to the driving feel of the likes of the LBX, RX and the all-electric RZ.
Environmental care
Shimoyama will also be home to a visitor’s centre, and a ‘collaboration space’ where Lexus teams can meet and work with outside suppliers. According to Lexus, maintaining and managing the natural environment was a prime consideration during the development process. This included preserving trees and greenery that cover approximately 60 per cent (650 hectares) of the site, as well as creating new green areas. An environment learning centre has also been constructed for use as a venue to engage with local communities.