Toyota Experience Center
I had the opportunity to check out the Toyota Experience Center at the Toyota Headquarters in Plano, Texas. I’d like to start by saying that this is unfortunately not open to the public so I figured I’d document the experience. I hate to be cliche but I literally felt like a kid in a candy shop. It was a great showing of Toyota and Lexus past and present.
When I entered, I was greeted by a first generation Lexus LS. I’ve been shopping around on Facebook marketplace and seeing this one made me want one even more. Then moving along, I got to see the new GR Corolla Morizo Edition. I’ve actually had the opportunity to drive it at Eagles Canyon Raceway and the improvements over the standard model is definitely noticeable.
Across the room is possibly one of the most beautifully designed vehicles, the 2000GT. The side profile lines and proportions are simply perfection and I literally put my camera down and stood there in admiration. Then it came to the modern day classic of the LFA Nürburgring edition. The additional carbon fiber aero pieces made the LFA even more aggressive. Of course the triple exhaust tips is where you can hear the iconic V10 sounds from.
I then saw the row of old to new and everything in between. Starting at the oldest, the red Land Cruiser FJ45 truck was pristine. Others in line were multiple serial number 1 Cressida and Corolla GT-S. The modern side had an ISF which based on Lexus’ latest press release, might be the last time we see a V8 in a sedan.
Moving on to the next section, you got to go through the journey of a Toyota car being built. My favorite part was the paint simulator where you can test your skills. There’s also a quality assurance test where you have to pick which fender and hood is up to Toyota standards.
Overall, I had a blast walking around and capturing the great history Toyota and Lexus has to showcase. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the future classics.
