Lexus LS 460 – First Drive: Spend time driving around Austria and you’ll get the distinct impression you’ve been transported to a parallel universe where the pursuit of perfection is an ordinary part of everyday life. From the neatly-tended flowerboxes outside picture-perfect country chalets to the fastidiously-kept 500-year-old buildings at the heart of the historic city of Salzburg, it’s clear this is a nation of people to whom details are important. It’s precisely that quality that made Austria’s landscape a fitting backdrop for Lexus to introduce its all-new LS 460 flagship sedan.

While we’ve long been aware of this luxury brand’s reputation for quality and innovation, the more we learned about the fourth-generation LS sedan, the more we were struck by the remarkable – even obsessive – attention to detail that went into creating it. From headlight elements mocked up in genuine crystal to tuning the sound of the closing doors to mimic the solid thunk of a heavy wooden door, the men and women behind the new LS have clearly sweated over details few buyers are ever likely to notice. As a result, we think anyone who drives the LS 460 can’t help but come away with the impression that this is one very special automobile.