What's this then?

This is the Lexus LS+ concept.

Plus? Must be a long-wheelbase version, then.

Actually it's not. The plus part of the name refers to the additional tech on board over the recently revealed next-generation LS. The LS+ is an autonomous driving concept which Lexus says could be on sale by 2020.

2020? Do me a favour. That tech is years away yet.

It could be, but Lexus is being sensible with this one. The LS+' 'Highway Teammate' system has been designed to work only on motorways and multi-lane main roads, which is a lot simpler for a robot car to manage than driving downtown.

So what can Highway Teammate do?

Lexus says that the car can take care of "merging into highway traffic, lane keeping, speed adjustments, lane changes, overtaking and maintaining vehicle-to-vehicle distance". The on-board artificial intelligence system is designed to stay in constant communication with a data centre, so that it can constantly add to its learning, and get over-the-air software updates.

The idea is that the system can "improve highway safety, reduce driver fatigue and lower the amount of traffic congestion through appropriate recognition, judgment and operation by on-board systems in response to traffic conditions". But it's not a pie-in-the-sky fully autonomous system as being promised by some other car makers.

That's some impressive tech. What about the car itself?

The LS+ Concept itself is, of course, a version of the new LS - a little lower, wider, and longer and using a bigger, more expressive version of Lexus' massive 'Spindle' grille. There are also laser headlights for dramatically improved night vision and some aerodynamic tweaks, too.