Q&A: Kazuhito Imaizumi, assistant chief engineer of the Lexus ES
Leow Ju Len
7:14 July 16,2013
Kuala Lumpur - Who better to help us understand the heart and soul of the new Lexus ES than a man responsible for shaping both? Meet Kazuhito Imaizumi, Lexus boffin and a man who knows the ES inside, outside and everywhere in between
CarBuyer: What do you say to critics who accuse the ES of being a more luxurious Camry?
Kazuhito Imaizumi: Even though the platform is the same one, there are many, many differences. These two are very different cars. For example, in order to enhance the body rigidity, a lot of parts are different. As a Lexus it has to be very stable, the riding comfort must be superior, it has to be very quiet, the quality must be very high, and in order to achieve that we have changed the parts quite a lot. On top of that, the wheelbase has been extended. The rear suspension geometry is different, and in the front suspension the springs are symmetrical. The shock absorbers have a special configuration to achieve high linearity, and for quietness we are using a lot of additional parts. And we’ve done additional things to control the airflow. So a lot of things have been done.
CB: What other challenges were there in engineering the car?
KI: Well, since this is a Lexus, the quality is very important. We also believe in Omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of hospitality. When users go inside, want them to be satisfied. To achieve that, we looked at the ambient lights and any parts of the car that move. For example, the cupholder, it comes out right — we pay attention to the speed, which has to be comfortable and consistent. We have to pay attention to that sort of detail.
CB: Which cars did you use as benchmarks when engineering the car?
KI: We were looking at a couple of different cars. Depending on the countries, we used the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the E-Class, the Audi A6 and in the US, there’s the Acura TL.
About the Author
Leow Ju Len
CarBuyer Singapore's original originator, Ju-Len in person is exactly how he is on the written word and behind the wheel. Meaning that he darts all over the place and just when you thought he's lost the plot, you realise that it's just you not keeping up with his incredible rate of speed and thought.
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