Lexus Wants To Replace The LS With A 6-Wheel Minivan From The Future

The company's vision for the next generation of Lexus luxury is a six-wheeled minivan – something that feels both absurd and strangely fitting for the automaker's experimental streak today.

The Lexus LS Concept is among several teasers released for the upcoming Japan Mobility Show, joining an equally surprising two-door Century coupe SUV and a reimagined Corolla Sedan concept. Each represents a radical rethinking of Toyota's most familiar nameplates. Yet even in that context, the LS Concept stands out. Its six-wheel configuration and van-like shape break from every design cue associated with Lexus.

Chairman Toyoda Is Serious About Six Wheels
Visually, the LS Concept sits tall and square, with a flat roofline and massive body sides that emphasize cabin volume. Much like the Lexus LM sold elsewhere but not in the US, the front fascia is dominated by vertical LED daytime running lights stretching from bumper to hood, while the rear echoes the theme with similarly tall light bars extending toward the roof. The result resembles less a traditional people mover and more a futuristic lounge on wheels.

A closer look reveals some asymmetry in the bodywork: a large sliding door on the passenger side and a smoother panel on the driver's side. The wheel layout – three per side – does sound absurd for a luxury vehicle, but chairman Akio Toyota expressed his desire to make it happen in the LS Concept's production form. Yes, it's more than just a concept.

"If you use six wheels, the actual tire will be smaller and the space inside will be larger."

Akio Toyoda, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Toyota Motor Corporation

Because LS Doesn’t Actually Stand For "Luxury Sedan"
The LS Concept also doubles as a philosophical reset. In the discussion that goes with the teaser reveals, Toyoda explained that the "S" in "LS" doesn't actually stand for "Sedan," even being coy about saying that it was something that people have always assumed. When Lexus launched in 1989, the original LS 400 set new standards for refinement, silence, and build quality. It was Toyota's way of showing it could beat the Germans at their own game. But Toyoda now suggests that Lexus' flagship identity isn't tied to a particular body style.

In that sense, the LS Concept is also a manifesto. Lexus is using the six-wheeled oddity to reframe what flagship luxury means in an era of electrification. The LS name is evolving from "Luxury Sedan" to "Luxury Space," and that's exactly what this concept represents. So yes, Lexus is getting ready to introduce a new flagship, and it's going to be an electric minivan, most likely arriving with six wheels.

We'll see more of the Lexus LS Concept, together with the Century coupe and Corolla Sedan concept, at the Japan Mobility Show, happening at the end of the month on October 29.