Lexus is a Japanese brand of luxury cars, owned by Toyota. The brand was created in 1983 and today is one of the world’s leaders in the premium market segment, operating in more than 80 countries across the globe.
Being a luxury sub-brand of Japanese Toyota Corporation, Lexus follows the main brand’s design principles. Its visual identity is based on elegant simplicity, which evokes a sense of luxury and fashion.
The brand got its name occasionally. Toyota planned to name its daughter company Alexis, which was later shortened to Lexis, from which Lexus was derived. There are rumors, that Lexus IS an acronym for “Luxury EXports to the USA”, as the brand was focused mainly on the American market.
Whatever the true version is, Lexus is a synonym to luxury and quality and its logo is one of the most recognizable in the automobile industry.
The Lexus logo is composed of a signature emblem and a wordmark placed underneath it.
The iconic Lexus logo, designed for the brand in 1989, and being recognizable all over the globe, is composed of a graphical emblem and a heavy uppercase logotype set under it. The Lexus emblem features a stylized letter “L”, inscribed into a thick smooth circular frame. As for the logotype, it is written in a unique designer font with the shapes of the characters looking like nothing else.
First time in the Lexus history it’s logo got redesigned in 2023. Although, the iconic version of the badge is still used by the brand, it got accompanied by a new insignia, which represents the brand’s growth and progressiveness. The new badge boasts just an uppercase inscription in a fancy sans-serif font with the capital characters executed in a custom smooth font and placed on a significant distance from each other.
The Lexus emblem was designed in 1988 and remained almost untouched by today. It features an oval with the letter “L” inside. The only difference that can be noticed in the Lexus logo history is in the oval. In some versions it is open where the “L” is supposed to touch the frame, in others — it is complete.
The shape of the Lexus logo refers to the Toyota visual identity, celebrating the two brands’ connection and heritage. Oval is a symbol of harmony and perfection, this is what the brand values most.
The stylized letter “L” of the emblem is executed in an italicized custom typeface with smooth and bold lines, which reflect the brand’s elegance and finesse.
The Lexus logo is executed in a silver-gray color palette when placed on the cars. The color adds volume and dynamics to the emblem and makes the wordmark modern and sophisticated. The Lexus gray symbolizes perfection and creativity, being simple and modest. It makes the lettering alive and bold.
On the media, Lexus uses a monochrome scheme for its visual identity, which is a perfect choice to accent on the brand’s elegance and to reflect the power and strength.
One more unique element of the Lexus visual identity is its custom typeface. It doesn’t have any analogs in the industry and is used wisely by the brand, forming an arrow in the negative space between the letters “E” and “X”. The bold and stylish lines of the Lexus font represent speed and movement, yet they also evoke a sense of comfort and balance.
What does the Lexus logo mean?
The stylish minimalistic Alexis badge is, first of all, the representation of the company’s name — the emblem is based on a modified letter “L” inscribed into a circular frame. As for the lettering, placed on the right of the emblem, it is executed in a custom futuristic font, which elevated the look of the badge and adds a sense of progress, speed, and motion.
What is the car symbol for Lexus?
The symbol, which can be found on every Lexus car, is a stylized capital letter “L” executed in a custom sleek typeface with elongated lines, which add a sense of motion and speed. The letter is enclosed into a circular frame, with is cut by the two bars of the “L”, letting in some air, and making the emblem even more unique.
What is the font of the Lexus logo?
The custom futuristic lettering from the primary Lexus logo is set in a unique designer font with the contours of some letters looking like nothing else. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Peloric Bold, or Gerson Rand, but with some significant modifications.