Was Lexus originally called Lingzhi?
3 Answers
Lexus was originally called Lingzhi. After entering the domestic market, it was renamed Lexus. Lexus is a high-end luxury brand from Japan and is a subsidiary brand under Toyota. Taking the 2020 Lexus ES300h Excellence Edition as an example, its body dimensions are 4975mm in length, 1866mm in width, and 1447mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2870mm, a fuel tank capacity of 49.3 liters, and a curb weight of 1720kg. The 2020 Lexus ES300h Excellence Edition is equipped with a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine, with a maximum power of 131kW, a maximum power speed of 5700 rpm, a maximum torque of 221Nm, and is paired with a continuously variable transmission.
Back in my younger days, 'Lexus' was universally called 'Lingzhi' in Hong Kong, especially with that iconic champagne tower scene from the 1990s LS400 commercial—utterly classic. Then around 2004, mainland China suddenly switched to calling it 'Lexus,' which felt really awkward at first. Once, while chatting with a veteran mechanic at an auto repair shop, he mentioned the rebranding aimed to unify global pronunciation, as 'LEXUS' means 'luxury' in Latin. Nowadays, spotting an old LS430 still sporting the 'Lingzhi' badge often draws curious questions from younger drivers asking, 'What Toyota model is this?'—quite amusing. In fact, some car dealers in Hong Kong and Macau still refer to older models as 'Lingzhi,' adding a nostalgic filter to it all.
Last month while helping my dad clean up the garage, I discovered his collection of 1990s car magazines all labeled 'Lexus LS400' as 'Lingzhi LS400'. Research revealed that Toyota had registered LEXUS as early as 1986, but its Chinese translation was split upon entering the Chinese market: it was called 'Lingzhi' in the north while using the Cantonese phonetic translation 'Lingzhi' in the south. It wasn't until 2004 that the name was uniformly standardized nationwide as 'Lexus'. Sales initially dropped after the rebranding, since 'Lingzhi' (meaning 'ambitious spirit') carried such auspicious connotations. Nowadays, some car modification enthusiasts specifically hunt for vintage emblems to replace the new Lexus logo, as they carry more retro charm.
