The Lexus LBX is what 'Old Money' folks use to hide their wealth, and they don't want you to know about it

Have you ever noticed that when you drive into ‘old money’ neighborhoods, you know, those residential areas favoured by families who made their riches generations before Malaysia even existed, that the cars parked inside are very average? If you ever get to peep inside.

The difference between ‘old money’ folks and ‘new money’ folks (imagine MLM, and you’re not far off) is that ‘old money’ folks try very hard to hide their wealth, while ‘new money’ folks try very hard to get attention.

It’s interesting to observe their difference in choices in cars. Mansions and bungalows owned by ‘old money’ families tend to have a rather modest Toyota Camry or a Lexus RX, usually an older generation but very well-maintained model. The richer they are, the more they want to avoid attention.

In contrast, the just-arrived ‘new money’ rich tend to try very hard to get validation with their new-found success with money, especially on social media, with their gold colour-wrapped supercars.

Do you know who the most famous ‘old money’ car guy is? The Chairman of Toyota. Akio Toyoda is the fourth generation of Japan’s elite industrialist family. His great grandfather Sakichi Toyoda established Toyota as a weaving looms machine manufacturer. His grandfather Kiichiro Toyoda turned it into a car company.

Like his father Shoichiro, Akio was born into wealth but being an ‘old money’ family, he was raised to keep a low profile and not attract attention, lest the family name get sullied by his adolescent shenanigans.

Of course, now that he is Chairman of Toyota, it is part of Akio’s duty to showcase the best of Toyota. So, the car Akio travels in for business is either a Toyota Century GRMN – one of only two units in the world – with registration number 1867, Sakichi’s birth year, or a Toyota Century SUV GRMN, with registration number 2023.

The Century (sedan) was the last car his father Shoichiro was involved in (at over 90 years old), while the Century SUV is Akio’s own vision to further evolve the Century nameplate that his engineer father first developed in 1967. However, both Centuries are usually driven by a chauffeur.

When he is not travelling for business and wants to avoid unnecessary attention, the car that Akio drives himself is a rather discreet small car, a Lexus LBX. Of course, his has been upgraded with a G16E-GTS engine from the GR Yaris, dubbed the LBX Morizo RR.

The Lexus LBX is a small car that doesn’t make much sense if viewed from the lenses of traditional luxury car manufacturers, but “It takes one to know one.” Truly wealthy ‘old money’ folks will immediately understand why Akio prefers to drive the LBX over the Century.

Despite Toyota being a full-line up manufacturer of cars, making everything from tiny Yaris to upsized-for-USA Lexus LX, Akio struggled to find a casual driving car that meets the high driving standards of his alter ego Morizo, Akio’s race car driving, Master Driver persona.

So, in a slightly convoluted split personality sort of way, Chairman Akio had his team build a ‘stealth wealth’ casual driving car that’s good enough for Morizo, the Master Driver.

Akio told the Lexus team, “The more opportunities you have to dress up, the more liberated you feel when you dress down, without sacrificing quality and attention to detail.”

The first LBX proposal – which used the Japanese market Toyota Yaris Cross as a starting point – was thrown out by Koji Sato, the chief engineer behind the LC.

The reason? The Lexus-badged Yaris Cross won’t meet Akio’s expectations of “…without sacrificing quality and attention to detail.”

The second attempt saw the TNGA-B platform heavily re-engineered to accommodate a lower hip point, a lower steering rack angle, lengthened wheelbase, wider track width, different suspension, and an improved engine for quieter operation. So no, it’s not a Lexus-badged Yaris Cross.

With its diminutive size and discreet styling, the Lexus LBX is not a car for those who wear gaudy Guccis with oversized logos. No, the LBX is for those who wear hidden labels high-end fashion items like Bottega Venetas and Brunello Cucinellis. Those who know, will know. Those who don’t know, well…the ones wearing it don’t care about their lowly opinions.

The Lexus LBX is a bit like that. There’s no point in comparing the imported-from-Japan baby Lexus’s high asking price with an equivalent locally assembled BMW or Mercedes-Benz, of which there is none, because their SUVs don’t come this small.

Also, the LBX is only the second Lexus model allowed to use a three-letter name, after the LFA.

Yes, the LBX’s RM 238,888 to RM 270,388 asking price can buy you a bigger BMW X1 or a Mercedes-Benz GLA, but a BMW or a Mercedes-Benz is not a Lexus. Those who understand luxury and quality will know.

To find out more about the Lexus LBX, go here.

Also read: Review: The Lexus LBX’s goal is for luxury to transcend size, we find out if it’s the real deal