High-quality interior with a Japanese taste
The 27th Osaka Auto Messe 2024 closed with a record 211,738 visitors, more than in 2023. With 660 vehicles on display, the largest ever, it is true that three days were not enough time to take a good look around. So, here is a fresh look at some of the customized and tuned cars and booths that caught our attention. This time it’s the Lexus ‘LM’ by TOM’S.
Improved brakes and other enhancements to driving performance
It is an annual tradition that the 6A & 6B pavilions of the Osaka Auto Messe are lined with tuning cars and afterparts from the high street. The joint booth of NAPAC, a business organization that aims to promote afterparts, brought together three Lexus LMs, which are popular not only in Japan but around the world as Toyota’s new show car.
Although the LM is starting to arrive in owners’ hands sequentially from December 2023, with a delivery time of four months or more, there are still very few opportunities to see the car in person. This was a rare opportunity to see the car up close, and as each of the major manufacturers and brands in the industry, HKS, Blitz, and TOM’S, had their own concepts and customized the car, many visitors were constantly surrounding the car, and looking at it as if they were licking their lips. Let’s take a look at the Lexus LM customs from each company in turn. Let’s start with TOM’S, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024.
The LM Custom that TOM’S has in mind takes the show-fer nature of the original up a notch and incorporates the spirit of Japanese hospitality and Japanese taste to the full, creating a new executive worldview that can be proudly presented to the world. The customization concept is accepting the new while retaining the unchanging and important aspects of the past and developing them.
The two-tone color scheme, based on a slightly reddish and shiny maroon (Sonic Agate) color with gold (wrapped) above the bonnet/waistline, is reminiscent of the highest-end models of imported luxury brands. The color was arrived at as a result of the desire to give the car a special appearance, rather than simply imitating the model.
The rear space inviting VIPs is decorated with crafts and traditions handed down from long ago, such as the Kumiko overhead console with patterns inspired by spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and genuine seats printed with a pattern that is consistent with the ceiling design, to express a space with a sense of calm and Japanese style. The gradient floor is not carpeted. The gradient floor is not carpet but a thicker carpet (made by Oriental Carpet). The footwells are illuminated by dimmable lights mounted under the seats, which are soft and warm, just like an accordion lamp.
An illuminated bar has also been added to the side steps to ensure safety and security when getting in and out of the car. Other details include total coordination down to the smallest detail, such as the use of white for some of the genuine wood-grain panels to match the color of the entire interior. The spirit of hospitality is evident.
Footwear is fitted with the new 20-inch forged wheel TWF05, which combines elegance and lightness by adding thickness to the outer rim to express a sense of formality and combining this with slender spokes. In addition, to stop the heavyweight LM reliably and safely, it has been reinforced with a brake kit developed in conjunction with Brembo. This improves footwork and braking power, and has also succeeded in raising driving performance.
The car is already on sale. Delivery times are expected to be very long, so they are considering taking the user’s car and offering a near-bespoke build.
“There are many people who love cars, and we at TOM’S are determined to respond to them with passion,”
Says the person in charge. We have no idea how much it will cost, but the package of owning a one-of-a-kind LM is sure to be very attractive to the executive class. We await further news.
translated by DeepL
