Is gliding along wrapped in $5 billion worth of sensory-deprivation equipment the new driving? It may be, if a perfect 10 from tech-drunk editorial staff at CNet is your barometer. That's the score they gave the Lexus LS, a techno barge that assumes road feel is an enemy of the state. Sure, the new LS is as jacked-in as Bill Gates's boathouse, but self parking does not an automobile make. Actually, we've heard the self-parking feature was a safety requirement installed because drivers kept having narcoleptic dropoffs while parking (see, the car's boring, get it?). Our gadgetry-oriented relative, Gizmodo would rather see those high marks go to the Tesla EV, which rides on a Lotus Elise chassis. We're gunning for the Lotus Exige S, but then, mom always said we were too addicted to gasoline. – Mike Spinelli

CNet Editor Awards Lexus a Perfect 10; Apparently Hates the Sensation of Driving [Gizmodo]

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Mechanical Resonance: The Tesla Motors Press Intro, Complete With Governator [internal]

The boys over at Automobile put together a funny little vid on one way to do a review of the new "self-parking" feature from the Lexus LS460. Basically the three (plus one man-behind-the-cam) auto journos decided that just parking the car on your own's easier than trying to play with the self-park system. Also, they found out that if the graphic turns red, it's because ToMoCo hates FoMoCo. Duh. – Ray Wert

[via Autoblog]

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Ad Watch: The Lexus LS460 'Virtually' Parks Itself; Parking! CNBC's Phil LeBeau Lets Lexus LS 460 Park Itself [internal]

Although we've yet to try the new Lexus out, ToMoCo's luxe brand's been getting a lot of buzz in TV's pundit-land, as well as among the great unwashed masses — but despite the glowing marketing, we've heard that the system is by no means perfect. Although, as the above commercial shows, the Lexus LS460 does seem to "park the car for you," please note the addition of the word "virtually" before the word "park." We've been told it all depends on the size of the spot you're trying to get into — if it's twice the size of your car, it'll park you 90-100% of the way in — but if it's only a little bigger than your car (as most parallel parking spots tend to be), it only gets you 60-70% of the way in to the spot. Still, it's a neat little trick for a $65K+ car. Now, if only they could make the car look less like Breyer's vanilla ice cream, we'd be even more impressed. – Ray Wert

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All Your Car Sales Are Belong To Us: ToMoCo Leaks Plan For 15% Of Global Sales; Parking! CNBC's Phil LeBeau Lets Lexus LS 460 Park Itself [internal]

Phil LeBeau decided this past week he'd take his life out of his own hands, and leave the parking to Lexus. The CNBC correspondent showed off the latest in "parking assistance technology" on the LS 460 and although not death-defying, it wasn't exactly what you'd call amazing. It looks like the technology backs your Lexus about 65% of the way into a parallel space — but then it's up to you to finish the job. Let's just say after looking at the video we're slightly underwhelmed. It's our belief that, like happy endings, you should get the job finished for you, not force you to take matters into your own hand after the fact. That's just — well — not as satisfying in our minds.

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Car, Park Thyself: Volvo Shows off Prototype Self-Parking Feature [internal]

Secret Jalopnik agent XK120 infiltrated the Aspen Ideas Festival, where he had an epiphany to take pics of the Lexus LS 460 and 460 L(ong-ass wheelbase) models on display. Lexus, one of the event's sponsors, was also offering rides in its slingshot-y GS450h sedan and RX hybrid to the thought leaders (and the thought-leading groupies who sweat them) in attendance. The LS600h, the company's new $100,000 luxo-hybrid due out in spring of 2007, was absent from the Lexusian stable. Who's idea was that?

Lexus Uncovers LS 460L Flagship's Elfin Ass [internal]

Lexus launched its new flagship LS 460 sedan earlier today, stunning crowds with the company's signiture Elfin Ass design language (whoops, that's L-Finesse). Powered by a new, 4.6-liter V8 that produces 380 hp and 370 lbs.-ft of torque, the LS will sport an eight-speed tranny (folks, we have a winner in the transmission arms race), an upper-class-to-London recliner in the rear (with leg rest and massager) a driver-assistance system that parks the car automatically and 19-speaker sound system with a hard-disk audio system. Ka-flaow!

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Rolling Boxcars: Toyota s Race for the Eight-Speed [internal]

Lexus will give its top-of-the-mast sedan a new look for 2007, apparently incorporating cues from Ford's Five Hundred to augment (or would that be diminish?) its S-Class pretensions. (Admittedly, we only have one angle with which to construct our criticism.) Judging from the test mule, caught during Arizona scorch testing, the new model will take on a more minimalist rear 4/5ths, reminiscent of the last-generation Merc E-Class. From the front it appears the current model's Merc-like face will endure, but that could be a ruse. We do know it'll be getting a larger-displacement V8, and Toyota's 600h hybrid engine. Road and Track says the hybrid will produce around 500 hp (400 from the engine and 100 from the electric motor), making it less a greenie limousine than a BMW-baiting sports sedan.

Spy Shots: Lexus LS 460/LS 460h [The Car Connection]

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Toyota Planning to Slash Hybrid Development Costs [internal]