Lexus LS400
Before Toyota launched the Lexus brand, German and domestic automakers dominated the luxury car segment. Toyota saw that there was an opening for a well-respected Japanese competitor to offer a superior product. Honda launched Acura a few years before, but the Acura cars were nothing more than rebadged Hondas (via Edmunds).
Toyota spent close to a billion dollars doing research and design on the initial Lexus models. It’s been said the LS400 was over-engineered on purpose. Even today, an original LS400 model is a comfortable driving car with bulletproof design quality. The LS400 revitalized the luxury car segment and firmly placed Lexus at the table.