Lexus Creates Waku Doki With Bold New Spindle Grille Design
When it first hit the scene, Lexus’ new look garnered a lot of attention. Critics called the exotic new spindle grille everything from the Alien in the Predator movie to the “end of the refined Lexus.”
But one thing is for sure, with the bolder designs, and of course, a healthy dose of Waku Doki., Lexus has been anything but lacking when it comes to sales. As of October 2014, Lexus enjoyed 13 straight months of sales gains, making it a full year of increases.
Lexus head, Akio Toyoda, stated before the world that the new must-have factor for all future Lexus models was “Waku Doki”, which translates loosely to “heart-pumping, adrenaline racing”. Toyoda had a hunch it would take his company to another level, and he was right.
From the beginning, the brand has been synonymous with reliability, comfort, quality, and style, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But in order to appeal to the next generation, the Japanese car maker had to revolutionize its looks.
Lexus was looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, and this grille seemed like a great place to start.
The idea struck Katsuhiko Inatomi, lead designer for the GS, as he combined the upper and lower grilles in a box-like formation. It didn’t take long for Simon Humphries, Toyota’s executive chief creative designer, to jump on board with Inatomi’s new rendition of the Spindle Grille.
But that was just the tipping point. Soon, what started with just the Lexus GS, quickly became a model of renovation for design and performance. According to Yo Hiruta, global design chief for the car maker, it’s what Lexus enthusiasts have been asking for: “a stronger expression of the premium brand.”
Those of us here at Lexus of Highland Park noticed interest peaking in a new segment of non-luxury buyers, and for the first time in a long time, the automaker has begun to appeal not only to loyal Lexus customers, but to a new group as well.
The latest addition in the line of new Lexus models is the NX compact crossover, which was designed to create a look of highly distinguishable, bold elegance. The NX does just that, while also ushering in a new generation of evolution.
And if that doesn’t sum up Waku Doki, then nothing else really does.
If you’re interested to see the new look in person, come on down to test drive our new Lexus models complete with Waku Doki Spindle Grilles, or give us a call today.
