Car brochures can be baffling

"With any internal combustion engine, the lower the temperature and pressure of the exhaust gases, the more thermally efficient the engine is operating. That is, the more the energy of the combustion process has been captured as mechanical energy, rather than being exhausted out the tailpipe as heat."

You might not guess that this passage is anything that you would care to know about in your new vehicle, but today at a press launch of the new Lexus HS 250h, the facts binder is full of descriptions that would not only baffle the average buyer, but challenge the very writers reporting on this new dedicated gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

"The longer the expansion, or power stroke in an engine, the more thermally efficient the engine can operate."

Good to know.

In the "old" days, writers would huddle around a podium and listen to the public-relations machine ramble on about how the new super-duper luxury vehicle was intended to "coddle" its passengers in "unparalleled luxury," etc. We would all "ooohhhh" and "ahhhhhh" about the model selection, amenities, the massive size of the machine and, of course, the "acres of chrome." We would dream up other such hyperbole as, "it has enough torque to turn the Earth on its axis."

Today, however, there's no time for such frivolity. It's a classroom environment where journalists are not reporting a mere list of features. No, we're actually learning how the car works and the reasons the engineers did what they did. Pens frantically gnash at overflowing steno pads, writers with furrowed brows massage their temples and after a while I still see the presenter's lips move, but the words coming out are just "blahhh-blah-blahhhh-bla-bla." It feels like I'm studying for the third-year hybrid final exam and time, nerves and patience are running thin.

You see, part of a journalist's job is not to merely parrot information provided by the automakers, but to put it into simple terms that we can all understand. Of course that means that journalists need to understand it to write about it, or at least interview someone who does, which is why we're all here.

So, while I'm reading about the gullwing roof design that's stronger than a traditional curved roof and is also more aerodynamic because it has less frontal area, I'm reminded of a time not that long ago when absolutely none of that detail mattered to readers and buyers. I therefore seriously wonder today how much of what I'm being told is interesting and relevant information. I mean, you buy a car for its style and features and assume that it's safe and somewhat fuel efficient. So how much else do you need or want to know? For many folks, that's plenty, but times they are a changin'. Vehicles such as the HS 250h are not for the average buyer or the average reader. They're for a new generation of "early adopters" who, aside from being more socially conscious, want the companies they deal with to be equally conscious. Just how much information these sophisticated buyers actually want or need is a bit of gray area, but Lexus isn't taking any chances on coming up short here. The HS 250h doesn't fit any existing niche and therefore has no ready-made audience, other than those who idealistically think the idea of a well-equipped entry luxury hybrid is a good one. Winning them over could be a tough job based on just how value is perceived, or it could be as easy as presenting the effort that went into being socially responsible because today there are more buyers who actually care.

The fact that the HS 250h has trunk carpet is a given, but the socially conscious will nod with approval that it's made from a new generation of plant-based eco plastic. Lexus's thrust is that small details such as this will add up to newfound sales because they paint a bigger picture about the company's commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. So, what better way to get the message across than to share all the details -- each and every one -- with the press.

"The Atkinson cycle also allows for fuel consumption to be improved in a second way, and that's through the reduction of fuel cooling."

It looks like I'll have my nose buried in the HS 250h binder for quite some time. Hopefully, it will do some good.

Rhonda Wheeler is a journalist with Wheelbase Communications, a worldwide supplier of automotive news, features and reviews. You can e-mail her by logging on to www.wheelbase.ws/mailbag.html.