[spoonful]

Lexus Design Chief Yasuno Kajino explains the spindle...

“We have a challenge,” he explained. “Lexus is a young brand and our line-up is still very small compared to those of our rivals. We need to get noticed, and the way to do that is strong design.”

How does he judge what’s strong, as opposed to too strong? “We ask the customers,” he says. “It’s true that we have been told by our bosses to be bolder and more challenging, but the most important people to listen to are our customers – and they love what they see.”

Controversy is integral to good design, one size fits all does not exist. Anyone who says so is trying to sell you something. The design may invite criticism but its that dichotomy in opinion that spurs a glowing following. Love it or hate you would be lying if you said Lexus resembles someone else's ideas.

Look at how the spindle has evolved:

 

[soarer]

even 90's lexus models like the SC already had the lines for a spindle grille, seems like this was just a natural move for them, a really good one

 

[spoonful]

i dont know about that bud...

 

[rwdftw]

trademarks of the spindle

and I just had to put this here...

 

[Lex Luther]

I like the spindle best when it uses the mesh/fish net material to fill it in. The spindle was a big risk for Lexus but I think it turned out quite nicely in the end.

 

[soarer]

i dont know about that bud...

I can see it, the way the lower opening it shaped with the position of the grille at the top,

 

[spoonful]

thats hindsight, those lines are there on almost all vehicles, Lexus just went and connected the dots...

 

[Lex Luther]

Its funny how they went from a design like this that has basically no grille at all.

To the spindle grille that is one of the largest in the industry. In some ways it seems like a natural evolution but in other ways it was a huge leap.

I don't really think there is another automaker that has a similar grille to Lexus, but other companies' grilles aren't quite so distinctive. I've found that Kia kinda copied BMW, just as an example.

 

[soarer]

i guess they just seen the need for a massive grille, maybe because they just wanted a new brand identity?

 

[Lex Luther]

At first they were like, "Let's be different by making a really small grille."

A few years go by...

"Hmm, this doesn't look right. Let's do the opposite and try a really big grille."

 

[soarer]

At first they were like, "Let's be different by making a really small grille."

A few years go by...

"Hmm, this doesn't look right. Let's do the opposite and try a really big grille."

That sure seems like it, overall the whole industry is filled with massive grilles, or at least statement-making grilles, at least they are now part of that