TAKE a back seat in the LS 460 with the President Pack installed and enter a new world of motoring.

Lounge in the extra soft semi aniline air-conditioned leather seats while you watch a roofmounted eye level 9" colour DVD screen. There is also a four-zone climatic air-conditioning system which gives everybody their own controls for individual setting.

Thirsty? Just pop open the built-in coolbox and relax even further.

This is Lexus pampered motoring at its very best. But writing out a cheque for Euro141,300 will not guarantee you a seat aboard.

The 90 Lexus LS 460 models that it is planned to bring in here have all been ordered and 45 have already been registered, just eight weeks into the 2007 sales season.

But not all owners will want to take a back seat; the fun up-front is equally good.

Behind the wheel, computer technology will do all the boring bits; eg, parking. Just drive the Lexus alongside a parking space - a computer will measure it, and if the space is big enough it will automatically park at the touch of a button. This is really impressive.

Also, you will never get lost again thanks to a very good sat-nav system. And high-speed crashes into the vehicle in front are a thing of the past if you activate the pre-crash safety system. It brakes automatically to keep you a pre-determined safe distance from the vehicle in front, even if there is a violent emergency stop ahead. The pain is also taken out of reversing - a camera measures your exact distance from objects and you get plenty of warning before there is any fender bending. The system works equally well at night thanks to a night-vision lens.

The list of safety features seems endless - head restraints that react to accidents; every possible braking aid is fitted; and there is a speed limiter and cruise control, a very good idea for a car that will zoom from 0-100 km in five seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h. There are at least 13 airbags.

And as you float along safely and quietly on air suspensions it only takes a voice command to activate the bluetooth phone - just call out the name of the person you want and you are connected. Business done, the 19 speaker Mark Levinson audio system also reacts to voice commands and you are treated to recording studio clarity.

What else? Wipers are rain sensing, lights are automatic and self cleaning, the glass on the frontdoor windows is water repellent and the side windows are laminated to keep out noise (and burglars).

The LS 460 starting price is Euro127,500 (a moonroof can be added for Euro1,885 extra). The Grand Touring Pack which costs Euro3,010 extra gets 19" alloy wheels (18" alloys on the standard model), electric boot closer, heated steering wheel and a car key to open and start up which will do the necessary while in your pocket or handbag.

The President Pack costs Euro14,300 on top of the basic price and the moonroof must be included in this pack. The car handles very well as one would expect at this level of engineering, but many may well query the choice of a 4.6 litre engine in these days of environmental correctness.

In fairness to Lexus the engine can return a respectable 11.1 litre/100km (25.4 mpg) in mixed driving, if driven with great skill, thanks to the high-end computer technology built in. And the emission level at 261 g/km is better than competitors and less than most four-litre cars.

Marketing manager Aidan Connolly says that supply will be limited, and he expects to see residual values remain high. He says an LS 600 H (hybrid) will arrive in June/July with the same body but with a five-litre V8 power unit.

There will also be a long wheelbase version of this model which will have a rear seat with a massage facility and a 45� tilt for serious relaxation. "This hybrid is extremely fuel efficient and will be a popular addition to the Lexus model line-up, " he forecasts.

VITAL STATISTICS Model Lexus LS 460 Engine 4.6 L V8 32 valve Length 5030mm Width 1875 mm Height 1465 mm Wheelbase 2970mm Acceleration 0-100km/5.7 secs Top speed 250 km/h (155 mph) Transmission 8-speed automatic Economy 11.1L/100km (25.4 mpg) Price Euro127,500-Euro141,800 CO 2emissions 261g/km