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BY HARRY KIRSBAUM I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

wonder what Alan Mullaly is driving now
The former president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines was driving a
2006 Lexus LS 430 sedan.
Now that he has taken the helm as president and CEO of the Dearborn-based
Ford Motor Co., I'm having trouble guessing what company car he's been given.
I took the LS 430 for a spin on a dreary day in Detroit. It's difficult to think "trade in"
when you're tooling around in an extremely powerful, extremely comfortable car like this.
With a 4.3 liter, 278 horsepower, four-cam, 32-valve V8 engine with 312 lb-ft of torque
at 3,400 rpm, the Lexus also has independent double-wishbone suspension with coil springs
and gas-pressured shock absorbers that make the car ride like a Bentley for a lot less.
The base price of the LS 430 is $56,525, but the black beauty I drove cost $64,304,
which included a luxury package with a Mark Levinson 11-speaker, 240-watt audio system,
a DVD voice-command navigation package, a backup camera, Bluetooth technology and
climate-controlled seats for $4,980.
A smart key, which allows you to open the doors and start the car without actually using
the key, will set you back another $1,000.
The LS430 gets 18 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway and tops out at 130 mph.
With easy-to-use controls, easy-to-see dash, and easy-on-the-eyes styling, I wouldn't be
surprised if Mr. Mullaly has his LS 430 stashed under some sheets in his garage and some-
times, late at night, he takes it on the road.111

Special thanks to Meade Lexus of Southfield for allowing
Cool Runnings to tool around in the Lexus LS 430.

14 • NOVEN1BER 2006 • JNPLATINUM