Lexus Benchmarking German Car Body Rigidity
#16
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
The $1b investment in 1986 for the LS is only about $2.6b in today’s dollars. If Lexus spend the same amount every 10 years on the same principals and discipline as the LS, they would be a market leader in the luxury segment.
Instead, Lexus is just a poor cousin of Toyota and gets minimal benefit from the $10b a year R&D - towards relentless pursuit of cutting production costs.
Instead, Lexus is just a poor cousin of Toyota and gets minimal benefit from the $10b a year R&D - towards relentless pursuit of cutting production costs.
The LS400 wasn't just an expensive car to develop, it's a demonstration of just how insane Japan's economy was at the time when it was actually profitable despite selling at half the price of the S-Class. Such circumstances will never happen again in our living history for Japan or any other country.
#17
Lexus Test Driver
$2.6 billion is insane money for any car development project. Here's what else took $2.6 billion to develop - the Bugatti Veyron ($1.6 billion when it came out in 2005). The Tesla Model S, which was essentially made from scratch, took $2.1 billion to develop ($1.5 billion in 2011 dollars). Meanwhile Lexus's most expensive project since the LS400, the LFA, cost $800 million in 2010 dollars which is only $1.2 billion in today's money. All of these aforementioned cars also took huge losses per unit sold.
The LS400 wasn't just an expensive car to develop, it's a demonstration of just how insane Japan's economy was at the time when it was actually profitable despite selling at half the price of the S-Class. Such circumstances will never happen again in our living history for Japan or any other country.
The LS400 wasn't just an expensive car to develop, it's a demonstration of just how insane Japan's economy was at the time when it was actually profitable despite selling at half the price of the S-Class. Such circumstances will never happen again in our living history for Japan or any other country.
#18
I can't believe I'm reading this. Engineers have 'discovered a lack of body rigidity'?
That's like 101 - affects cabin noise, suspension tuning, handling, ride and comfort, how well your interior joints/fastenings etc. hold up over time - like one of the most fundamental things.
How're they just 'discovering' this in 2024?! Where have they been all these years? I don't get it.
A rigid chassis makes all the difference in the world (drive a lower-end convertible if you don't believe me). So crazy this news...
That's like 101 - affects cabin noise, suspension tuning, handling, ride and comfort, how well your interior joints/fastenings etc. hold up over time - like one of the most fundamental things.
How're they just 'discovering' this in 2024?! Where have they been all these years? I don't get it.
A rigid chassis makes all the difference in the world (drive a lower-end convertible if you don't believe me). So crazy this news...
#19
Lexus Champion
I can't believe I'm reading this. Engineers have 'discovered a lack of body rigidity'?
That's like 101 - affects cabin noise, suspension tuning, handling, ride and comfort, how well your interior joints/fastenings etc. hold up over time - like one of the most fundamental things.
How're they just 'discovering' this in 2024?! Where have they been all these years? I don't get it.
A rigid chassis makes all the difference in the world (drive a lower-end convertible if you don't believe me). So crazy this news...
That's like 101 - affects cabin noise, suspension tuning, handling, ride and comfort, how well your interior joints/fastenings etc. hold up over time - like one of the most fundamental things.
How're they just 'discovering' this in 2024?! Where have they been all these years? I don't get it.
A rigid chassis makes all the difference in the world (drive a lower-end convertible if you don't believe me). So crazy this news...
#20
There has been plenty of rigidity improvements from 2010 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2020 RXs. Driven them all and I can tell.
Last edited by 703; 08-30-24 at 05:56 PM.
#21
Lexus Test Driver
#22
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Last edited by Motorola; 08-30-24 at 11:43 PM.
#23
#24
Marketing has taken a huge hit in the last 10 years too.
From this smokeshow...
To this dude.
Their cars aren't the only place they should have noticed a dramatic loss of rigidity.
From this smokeshow...
To this dude.
Their cars aren't the only place they should have noticed a dramatic loss of rigidity.
#25
Lexus Champion
Yeah but they should actually make meaningful improvments over time, the difference from a 2010 RX to a 2020 is minimal at best and only like 12% stiffer and a wet noodle vs contemporaries. That's not a hard and fast BAD thing though, a softer structure can lend a particular character to a car I guess......I like the BOF feel in a truck or SUV myself.
#26
Lexus Test Driver
#27
Lexus Fanatic
You are living in a strange distorted past.
Absurd Lexus now offers sedan awd. Superior fuel economy. Better towing capabilities with their BOF trucks. LS400 had a stupid timing belt (VW still uses them) why don’t we NOT go back to that stupidity. New Lexus models look better than the LS era which were boring and dull.
I will say Lexus should go back to the SC430 design. Way better looking than the LC (inside and out). … but that dumb timing belt..and no AWD on the LC500
Absurd Lexus now offers sedan awd. Superior fuel economy. Better towing capabilities with their BOF trucks. LS400 had a stupid timing belt (VW still uses them) why don’t we NOT go back to that stupidity. New Lexus models look better than the LS era which were boring and dull.
I will say Lexus should go back to the SC430 design. Way better looking than the LC (inside and out). … but that dumb timing belt..and no AWD on the LC500
#29
You are living in a strange distorted past.
Absurd Lexus now offers sedan awd. Superior fuel economy. Better towing capabilities with their BOF trucks. LS400 had a stupid timing belt (VW still uses them) why don’t we NOT go back to that stupidity. New Lexus models look better than the LS era which were boring and dull.
I will say Lexus should go back to the SC430 design. Way better looking than the LC (inside and out). … but that dumb timing belt..and no AWD on the LC500
Absurd Lexus now offers sedan awd. Superior fuel economy. Better towing capabilities with their BOF trucks. LS400 had a stupid timing belt (VW still uses them) why don’t we NOT go back to that stupidity. New Lexus models look better than the LS era which were boring and dull.
I will say Lexus should go back to the SC430 design. Way better looking than the LC (inside and out). … but that dumb timing belt..and no AWD on the LC500
Just like Lexus benchmarked BMWs chassis for rigidity , not their engines for unreliability.
what is the big deal about a belt? Most people don’t even need to change the timing belt in their life time of ownership, and it’s actually quieter.
Sc430 was a fail. Had the worse reviews ever, wasn’t a proper replacement for the Sc400.
#30
I think that’s sums it all up. From Lexus who were proud of their flagships, to have nothing to show but jumping on the bandwagon social trends to be relevant.