Found this on another forum. Anyone subscribe to WSJ (paper or online) seen this & have more info ?

 

Wooohoooo, a sporty model.
I like the way they are thinking about the future.

 

Wow, lexus is gonna have their first 70+ sport model, watch out MB and BMW , getting me excitied

 

$70K+, I'm thinking larger engine choices / longer wheelbase / bulletproof models for the LS? I don't think they'll dethrone the LS as the flagship...?...

Sporty - Possibly something similar to the SC but w/ athletic ability?

If it is true, I'm sure they'll succeed at it.

 

I see a new engine then because the 430 is almost getting played out. Maybe hybrid? Naw, not for sporty $70k model. Maybe renewal of old Toyota Crown V12...? Sounds cool!

James

 

isnt the sc the flagship?

 

I will never spend more than 50k on a car.

 

Sounds like they'll use the V10 knowledge from their F1 racing program.

 

Would be kinda nice to see a production variant of the Century here.

"Planning" that could be 10 years.

 

Edmund.com rumor it as a $150K Ultra-Luxury Coupe.

http://www.edmund.com/reviews/future...0/page022.html

Chu...

 

Lexus needs to expand the other way....not up to 70K-plus.
What we need is a more affordable SC.....( a new SC300), an All-Wheel-Drive IS300 or 430, and a manual tranny SportCross. Maybe THEN the marketers can start worrying about the high-end market.

 

According to the article 1sick posted on another thread, they're doing both:

Dow Jones Business News
Toyota Mulls Ways to Drive Lexus Against BMW, Mercedes
Thursday January 15, 2:20 pm ET
By Norihiko Shirouzu, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal


DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM - News) wants to expand its Lexus brand significantly by beefing up a sporty entry-level luxury model and possibly adding to its product line a couple of vehicles priced above $70,000 that would put Lexus in direct competition with DaimlerChrysler AG's (NYSECX - News) Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG.
Denny Clements, head of the Lexus brand and a senior executive at Toyota's U.S. sales unit in Torrance, Calif., told The Wall Street Journal he couldn't be happier with the way his brand is performing. Lexus sold 259,755 vehicles last year, up 11% from 2002.

Mr. Clements is aiming to boost Lexus's annual sales to 350,000 vehicles within the five years, though its sales this year are likely to show only a modest increase at best.

Still, he said unleashing an assault on BMW's near monopoly on younger buyers with its 3-Series cars and Mercedes' equally strong grip on consumers buying luxury cars priced above $70,000 "should give us a huge opportunity to grow Lexus."

He noted Mercedes has a dozen model variants that are priced over $70,000, while Lexus has none. The brand's flagship car, the LS430 sedan, starts around $ 54,000. Mr. Clements said recent Lexus surveys have shown its customers are interested in buying higher-priced vehicles, and in some cases leaving Lexus to buy Mercedes cars. "So we are asking [Toyota's product planning office in Japan] for more product offerings at the higher end," he added.

Mr. Clements declined to be specific about what type of super-luxury vehicles he is looking for, but noted that among them are "a sedan" and "a sports car."

In the entry-level luxury segment -- which has been growing as vigorously as the segment for $70,000 or above luxury cars -- Mr. Clements said Lexus is looking to offer more body styles and other variants for the redesigned IS car in an effort to dislodge BMW's near monopoly on sporty, entry-level luxury-car buyers. Lexus hasn't said exactly when the redesign IS would arrive in dealer showrooms, but one Toyota official said it should come within the next two to three years.

Mr. Clements noted BMW sells about 10,000 3-Series cars a month, which he said are offered in several body styles, including convertible, and with powertrain and other options. "A half of those sales are coupes, and I don't even have an IS coupe in my lineup," he said.

Currently, Lexus offers two IS models -- a sedan and a hatchback. "We need for sure a coupe, a convertible and a sedan with multiple powertrain offerings," said Mr. Clements. He went on to say, "It's important for us to be competitive in the entry-level luxury segment" to capture those 30-something consumers who are buying BMWs. "Those are young professionals that are going to be luxury-car buyers for the rest of their lives."

-By Norihiko Shirouzu; The Wall Street Journal

 

Anyone know the date of that posting? It says a 2006 model. This must be the 4000GT supercar that keeps getting mentioned.

 

I totally agree.

On another note, it seems TMC has a history of crapping all over TMS/Lexus. I'm sure Lexus is requesting some heavy metal and maybe even manual transmission models, but Japan is holding out on them.

I know if I was 10 years older, I would be really pissed off. I've still got time, so I'm keeping my hope alive for Toyota and Lexus because I love them so much. But hopefully in 10 years I'll be able to buy a import RWD sedan and you've gotta be nuts if you think I'm not going to get a traditional (not SMG) manual. Lexus needs to get on the ball. If I was in the market, I would not hesitate to buy a stick-shift 5-Series over the GS.

When it comes the manuals, Toyota and Lexus sound like a broken record saying their research shows that not enough people would buy a manual model to justify the cost. Whatever. It can't be that hard to develop a decent transmisson or use one from the past (ahem, Supra). But that was a Getrag. They can just go that route again.

Sure there will always be old people to buy Lexus. But I see myself being drawn more and more to the sporting image of BMW. There is little about Lexus that excites me anymore. The LS is still my dream car, but for very different reasons.

I hope this strategy isn't going to bite Lexus in the ***. Instead of high-dollar luxury, Toyota has the experience to bring cheap RWD to the market in a big way. Why they don't is beyond me.

 

You say you would want a stick-shift 5-series rather than the new GS. Does that include the new I-Drive hump-trunk Chris Bangle special? Many traditional BMW fans are spurning this car.