13 Of The Weirdest Lexus Models You Didn't Realize Existed

Lexus has been redefining its luxury game since its LS flagship sedan first landed on American shores in 1989. Slogans that come to mind from over the years include "The Relenteless Pursuit of Perfection" and "Experience Amazing". Lexus was the new kid on the luxury block 37 years ago, aiming to upset the established apple cart. Today, it's a luxury vehicle powerhouse, selling more than 345,000 cars and SUVs in 2024, putting it just behind BMW and ahead of Mercedes-Benz. The LS and ES sedans, both of which date back to the Japanese automaker's U.S. launch, remain in the lineup. 

Meanwhile, SUVs like the RX and LX have since become familiar spindle-grilled faces on the road. Point being, in its quest for perfection, Lexus has largely stayed the conservative course with a focus on iterative improvements rather than wacky moonshot rides, like, say, the GMC Hummer EV. So it's fair to suggest that the average North American car-buying public would feel comfortable pointing out the average Lexus car or SUV. However, Lexus is a global brand, and it turns out that the automaker does indeed produce some odd, funny-looking, and unusual products. Some might even call them weird.

Of all the weird Lexus models you and I didn't realize existed, a boat has got to be one of the most unexpected. Particularly a boat offering up to 2,700 horsepower from a pair of Volvo engines. Surely the most powerful Lexus ever made, the LY 650 yacht also boasts a stupendous thirst, if the 1,060-gallon gas tank is any indication. Debuting in Boca Raton, Florida, this boat of a Lexus measures 65 feet in length, has one of the widest beams in its class, and features a combination of carbon fiber- and glass fiber-reinforced plastic hull construction. 

Italian design house Nuvolari Lenard was brought in to drive up the ritz, while Wisconsin-based Marquis Yachts is handling the actual build. It's part of Lexus' stated mission to evolve beyond cars into a luxury lifestyle brand. To that end, the LY 650 is said to blend advanced design with Omotenashi, which is defined as "Japanese hospitality that sincerely and warmheartedly anticipates and fulfills people's needs." The optional Mark Levinson audio system is pretty sweet, too, though passengers will no doubt be even more excited by the triple staterooms featuring private toilets.

Weird is a broadly defined term, and in this instance, we're stretching it to describe the Lexus GS450h F Sport as weirdly awesome. It is the 'h' in that alphabet soup moniker that calls out this particular GS as a strange ranger. Here we have a BMW 5-Series fighter that earns 34 mpg on the highway, makes 338 horsepower from a hybrid V6 powertrain, and is renowned for its composure on twisty roads. Only eagle-eyed enthusiasts will spot the F Sport detailing, including special 19-inch rims. But what you can't see at a glance are the F Sport adaptive dampers, rear-wheel steering, upsized brakes versus lesser GS', and LFA hypercar-inspired instrumentation. 

Aside from the 467-horse GS F, circa 2018, it was the most potent GS in the lineup. 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds isn't crazy fast, but this is a hybrid we're talking about. Oh yeah, it was also only sold with rear-wheel drive. Sales figures are hard to pin down, but according to online owner commentary, this Lexus is a rare bird. It's also a heck of a performance machine, which, in tandem with its understated looks and unusual blend of efficiency and driver-focused fun, qualifies it as a weirdo in the most awesome sense of the word.

One country's awesome is another land's awkward, as evidenced by the Climax Edition of the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance. Designed to celebrate the end of an era, the Japanese market received 500 units of this exquisitely named IS 500. Here in America, we received the far less interestingly named Ultimate Edition. In both cases, Lexus's righteous naturally aspirated 5.0L V8, making 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, provided motivation. For the Climax variant, special touches included an exclusive Neutrino Gray finish, matte-black 19-inch forged BBS wheels, Brembo brakes, lightened and strengthened suspension, and an analog dashboard clock with a 3D dial featuring laser-cut red detailing. 

To really drive that name home, the digital gauge cluster reveals Climax Edition graphics on startup and special plaques are affixed throughout. The IS sports sedan dates back to 1999, and some 1.3 million have been sold since. It's a cool car, so we can appreciate the idea behind the name. But when press materials boast about the Climax Edition creating "an exhilarating feeling when starting", we have to draw the line. Funny? Yes. But also weird, very weird.

No, you are not looking at a Toyota Sienna with a Lexus spindle grille tacked on. This is the Lexus Luxury Mover, LM for short, that exists in markets outside North America. Here in the States, you can spend about $60,000 on a range-topping Sienna minivan. Over in Australia, the top-dog Lexus LM 500h AWD Sports Luxury comes in at a breathtaking $220,000 AUD, or about $147,000 USD. That's largely because this bizarro barge is aimed at those who are driven about by chauffeurs. In four-seat versions, imagine a first-class airplane suite with rear thrones that fold completely flat and include heated ottomans to warm your tootsies. 

A tilt function prevents the occupant from sliding around during vehicle braking. These LMs have a screen that spans the width of the cabin, along with a dimmable glass partition between the front and rear cabins. The 19-inch wheels were developed by Yamaha with open resonators to quell road noise, and the five-layer headliner further keeps the peals of the unwashed masses at bay. Sure, the LM may be one of the most distinctive Lexus models on the market and is perhaps one you didn't realize existed, but it sure is luxurious.

Objectively, the Lexus SC430 is a solid little car. Sporting a free-breathing 4.3L V8 good for 288 horses and 317 torques, it's a rear-wheel drive hardtop convertible with plenty of that Lexus opulence. Subjectively, it manages to hit two unfortunate birds with one goofy-shaped stone. The word ugly has been thrown around in the automotive press, or more specifically, bloated. Weird comes into the picture when you affix the Pebble Beach Edition kit, as in, what on Earth did Lexus intend with this SC? Did they anticipate each participant in The Quail to purchase one? 

Already a funny-looking, ovoid kind of car, the PB Edition dials up the goofiness with embroidered Pebble Beach logo floor mats, body badges, and even an engraved center console plaque. To be clear, these SC430s are not serialized, nor reserved for winners of the Pebble Beach Pro-AM PGA Tour shindig. One can only guess who would want to buy these Lexi on the used market. Particularly the 2006 variant. You see, Lexus built the SC430 Pebble Beach Edition between 2004 and 2009, with each model year bringing a special paint job. For 2006, that finish was Tigereye Mica, which sounds pretty exciting, but is actually a weird shade of brown. Little wonder these were one of the most unsuccessful vehicles Lexus ever sold.

Nobody's saying the Lexus LFA is a weird car. On the contrary, it's as killer as they come. But it does seem somewhat odd that a Lexus exists that is capable of vanquishing all comers on the notorious Nürburgring in Germany. We're talking about a luxury automaker after all. And yet, this particular LFA variant is real, and in 2011, it set the street-legal production-car lap record at the Green Hell. Take that, Porsche GT2. It also took home class wins three times at the 24-hour 'ring endurance race. To get there, Lexus notes that the LFA Nürburgring is not a road-legal supercar made ready for racing; It is a Nürburgring-prepped supercar with street-legal capabilities. 

This translated into more aggressive carbon-fiber aerodynamic doodads, special wheels shod with high-performance rubber, 10 more horsepower, faster transmission shifts, a lowered suspension, and that enormous rear spoiler. The "regular" LFA was already wildly expensive, but only 50 of these 'ring variants were built, and with the optional $20,000 matte black finish, the price came in at an eye-watering $465,000. The wild violet interior was, however, a no-cost option. All told, it seems a small price to pay for what must be the most expensive of weird Lexus models on this list.

As a certified station wagon nut, I can tell you the IS300 SportCross is as cool as they come. While it is one of the rarest Lexus models in America, it's pretty darn weird, too. At least in the context of a luxury automotive brand best known for its cushy sedans and richly-appointed SUVs. Not only has a wagon never been a part of that universe, but the IS300 SportCross doubles down on Lexus weirdness with an out-of-left-field kind of long roof. In 2001, Lexus press materials referred to it as having "cross-over" styling, making it an early adopter of that now common descriptor. 

It had staggered-width wheels, which conveys a sense of sporty handling that was confirmed by the presence of a five-speed manual. The SportCross also shared its naturally aspirated 3.0L straight-six engine with the IS 300 in sedan form. All of which adds up to a droolworthy car by enthusiast standards, but a super-weird vehicle in the world of Lexus. And don't forget to examine the steeply raked rear roofline, a design feature that adds quirky cachet to that gearhead segment, but which could reasonably be thought of as weird by mainstream buyers.

You wanna look weird at your next triathlon? Show up spinning away on the Lexus LFA road bike. At a glance, you may appear to your fellow competitors as an oddball who likes to stick Lexus badges on their bicycle. But these $11,000 Lexus bikes are far more than a couple of stickers. Built from the same strands of carbon fiber used to create the LFA car, Lexus created the road bike to mark the end of the hypercar's production. It's the company's first — and possibly only — two-wheeled creation. As far as bikes go, this LFA-inspired setup is also weird for what goes into the build process. 

It all starts in the same bespoke factory used to craft the four-wheeled LFA — short for Lexus Future Advance — and each bicycle is reviewed by a Lexus Takumi technician before being deemed acceptable. According to Lexus, these world-class artisans can create an origami cat with one hand tied behind their back in 90 seconds. Not only that, more than three hours are dedicated to ensuring the white finish on the LFA road bike matches the mirror-like shine found on its big brother. Okay, forget weird, this Lexus is just plain nuts. Only 100 were produced worldwide, half black and half white.

There are many weird things to consider about a Lexus hoverboard. How many millions of dollars were expended in creating an actual floating skateboard? Did Lexus pay Marty McFly a consulting fee to ensure proper operation? Hard to say, but it's clearly one of the weirder things the Japanese automaker has embarked on. Bundled into its "Travel Beyond The Road" campaign that encompasses that fancy boat from earlier, the hoverboard is technically called the SLIDE project, and it's wild. Inside the skateboard-looking deck are superconductors floating in cryostats, otherwise known as tubs of liquid nitrogen, which chills the conductors down to a brisk -322 degrees Fahrenheit. 

At this operating temperature, flux lines in a prepared track repel the board, and thus, we have levitation. Science is neat. So is the signature Spindle grille shape of the Lexus hoverboard and partial bamboo construction. Though it appears there are no plans afoot to take the Lexus hoverboard into production, we still appreciate the automaker's deep dive down this weird physics-bending rabbit hole.

CCS-R stands for Circuit Club Sport Racer, a nameplate affixed to a Lexus IS even weirder than the SportCross. By weird in this case, we mean totally awesome, but we are still a bit flummoxed by Lexus' fat-pocketed efforts with this niche privateer race car. Debuting with a shroud of mystery in 2011, the IS F CCS-R was said to be a prized favorite within the company. It featured heavy use of carbon-fiber body panels, polycarbonate windows, and lightweight doors, which combined to shed a shocking 692 pounds. 

The same V8 found in the stock IS F — which stands for Intelligent Sports Fuji — was left untouched, but the CCS-R was heavily modified with a roll cage, a giant front and rear spoiler, a vented hood, and race-spec suspension and brakes. If that sounds like a factory-built Lexus rally car, it's about right, and certainly a weird chapter in this brand's history. But also, apparently, a critical test bed for developing the later RC F coupe. To get there, Lexus put the CCS-R through its paces at grueling events including the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Nürburgring 24 Hours. Those who didn't realize this Lexus existed are forgiven; Neither did I.

In Japan, it seems a Lexus LC500 police car is not all that weird, given the stunning array of vehicles used by the Tochigi Prefecture to patrol its streets. Everything from an Acura NSX and Nissan GT-R to a Nissan Z car has been done up in this police department's dapper livery. But here in the States, getting pulled over by a Lexus LC500 with a flashing red light bar on the roof would definitely fall under the Weird Experiences category. Lest you think these police cars are only used for dog and pony shows, know that the Tochigi Prefecture puts its LC to work on the highway for actual patrol duty. 

Which would surely be fun, for the officers, given the 471-horsepower 5.0L V8 hiding under that long hood and powering the rear-wheel drive architecture. These luxury coupes will go 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds and cost $92,000 to start. A figure that is likely bumped up by the snazzy black-and-white paint job with big POLICE lettering that makes one of the best-looking Lexus models ever designed that much better. As weird as this Lexus may be, it's also nifty enough to make getting pulled over almost fun. Almost.

If you can't name the Lexus that measures 22.5 feet long, weighs more than 6,000 pounds, has a high-performance fluorine-processed cargo bay wall with an anti-smell coating, and can transport a 7-foot-long coffin, you're not alone. The answer, Trebek, is an LS460 Hearse. In fairness, these details were gleaned via Google's integrated translate function, so take that coating with a grain of salt. This is because the Lexus of hearses is built by Japanese conversion company Mitsuoka, an official Lexus coachbuilder. 

It starts with a 4th-gen LS and ends as a longroof Lexus with silk drapes, shrine fittings, and casket rollers. According to Mitsuoka, the LS hearse holds five people, though it's unclear if that includes the prone passenger chilling in the way back. In stock form, these LS flagships were Lexus standard bearers with a 386-horse naturally aspirated V8 and 17 feet of regally outfitted elegance. But tack on a coffin room with an oddly humpacked back half, and you've got one seriously weird Lexus funeral wagon.

Last, but far from least, when it comes to weird Lexus models you can't believe exist, is the LX 570 convertible. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and we're not here to judge this Lexus on its looks, but come on, this has got to be one of the weirdest-looking vehicles — Lexus or otherwise — on the road. Built by Newport Convertible in California, these one-off drop-top Lexus SUVs are truly bespoke and likely well-built. In business for 40 years, Newport Convertible seems capable of chopping the top off just about anything, including Range Rovers, Teslas, and Ford F-150s. 

In the case of the LX 570, you're looking at a 6,000-pound (pre-chop) barge with Land Cruiser off-road bones, all the luxury you can handle, and a $92,000 base price when new. Now, that figure will balloon to something like $350,000 after Newport is done with it. Of course, you are getting perhaps one of the rarest Lexus models ever seen, and that goes hand-in-hand with one of the weirdest vehicles to ever bear a Lexus badge.