MOTORING NEWS - As the prestige brand from Toyota, Lexus is persistently knocking at the door to gain admittance to the German big boys' club of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce (BMW owned) and Bentley (owned by Volkswagen).
Every Lexus model introduced is a decisive step closer to this ideal, although Lexus owners would argue that they have long stepped right past the perception that luxury is the result of European design and manufacture only.
Fact is that many of the established luxury brands mentioned, have had some years (or decades) in the doldrums, while Lexus has consistently worked on the Kaizen principle of continuous improvement.
So it is heartening news for George and the whole region that Halfway Toyota has been appointed as a fully fledged Lexus dealership - one of a select few countrywide.
Halfway Toyota has long been a full service dealership, so the expertise of dealing with the brand already exists.
Dealer principal Mark Jones assures potential buyers that they will receive a warm welcome.
The first vehicles have already arrived and AutoDealer had the pleasure of a short drive in the very first Lexus in George.
Their high standards cannot be illustrated any better than by looking at the detail going into production and the level of craftsmanship required just to get into the door to work on Lexus.
Each vehicle is the result of intense attention from Lexus "Takumi" (master craftsmen).
They're highly trained, paying meticulous attention to detail. Each focuses on a particular element of the car-making process.
The first vehicles have already arrived and AutoDealer had the pleasure of a short drive in the very first Lexus in George.
Among the 7 700 workers at the Miyata Lexus Plant in Kyushi, there are only 19 Takumi. Each Takumi has at least a quarter of a century of experience in their field.
As well as constantly honing their expertise, they share it too. Positioned as team leaders, they conserve Lexus traditions and foster innovative spirit in new talent, passing on valuable skills and processes, and making certain every aspect of every Lexus is flawless.
One such test involves folding an origami cat from a flat piece of paper with one hand in under 90 seconds.
This level of craftsmanship extends to the entire ES production process. Takumi train, recruit and evaluate the results of the entire production facility staff.
Eeverything from component construction, assembly and paint to final testing comes under the ever-watchful gaze of the Takumi.
In addition to devising and overseeing the training programme, Takumi also work with technicians to adapt and improve existing equipment to achieve better results in the production process.
In the paint facility, an important component of training is to give the trainees precise, measurable feedback on their progress.
A good example is the painting process where the surface is polished with gauze pads.
Lexus has determined that the optimal pressure to apply is 700 grams, so it uses a gauge to measure the exact pressure and show the trainees how close they are to the ideal.
Another example of blending the human and machine is in the body construction phase.
Production line workers who inspect the alignment of parts constantly retrain their senses.
Every two hours they refresh their sense of touch by running their fingers along a sample section of perfectly aligned parts, to memorise the correct 'feeling' of those parts.
The vehicle range will be introduced in the next week or so. Watch the premises for the new signage going up and pop in for a cup of coffee and a chat while you inspect the fine workmanship on the cars.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
