Lexus LS600h (2007) CAR review

Another hi-tech hybrid feast from Lexus? What's on the menu then?

Well, if the gadget-laden LS460 isn't quite gadgety enough for you, this green LS hybrid might satisfy your appetite for technology. For a start, it has four-wheel drive, a petrol V8 paired with an electric motor, and an eight-speed continuously variable transmission. It's the full king's banquet. And it's not just the drivetrain that's stuffed with everything from Toyota's extensive gadget collection. The LS600h also gets smarter-than-you LED headlamps, active steering, air suspension and a camera that can tell if you're looking away and about to hit an obstacle. They really have thought of everything.

Wow. What next? Will it drive itself?

Not quite, but it'll keep you awake during those long motorway cruises after a plate full of cucumber sandwiches at the afternoon board meeting. A facial recognition camera detects how close you are to the land of nod and warns you accordingly. Snoozing in the rear is encouraged with massaging pews to pummel away all that executive stress (cutaway photo, above). That said, if the peaceful tranquility inside the cabin becomes a little too mellowing, you can always peruse the dashboard display that shows you the energy flow from the brakes to the battery via a digital graph. If that doesn't stimulate you, what will?