Gojirra99

(08:30 July 27, 2004)


By JASON STEIN | Automotive News

Lexus is inching closer to the day when it offers a superluxury vehicle.

Executives at Toyota's luxury channel are in deep discussions on a halo model, said Irv Miller, group vice president of corporate communications for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

"I think you'll see (Lexus) vehicles in that area," Miller said during a meeting last week with Automotive News editors and reporters. "There's a market there for sure. There's a lot of discussion on halo effect on a franchise and a luxury market particularly. There is discussion going on how to go about doing that."

Miller said Lexus is considering everything from a four-door sedan to a super sports car to a hybrid with "plenty of low-end torque and 0-to-60 performance," adding: "That might be something the real enthusiasts embrace."

Yuki Funo, CEO of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., said during a recent interview with Automotive News that a $100,000 car is high on Lexus' wish list.

"For the brand it is quite important," Funo said. "From a marketing and sales perspective, we need a strong product that should be regarded as the flagship or the ultimate Lexus. At a certain point we should have that kind of product. Doing something like a Maybach is too much. But we are thinking in the vicinity of $100,000."

Lexus General Manager Denny Clements has said a $100,000-plus sedan or sports coupe would make a perfect extension for the brand. But Clements acknowledged that Lexus must go into the market with eyes wide open.

"There isn't enough room for everybody," Clements said last month. "The depreciation of those cars is horrendous. You can't really make a business case for it."




Link HERE

gsfour

Not that I can afford one, but I wonder how close they really are and does anyone have any spy shots of the $100K Lexus?

Sounds like it's just "discussion"...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

wow, this is getting very exciting man

rominl

iTrader: (4)

btw sexy, notice about your title?

Davtown

lol, nice

It's good to hear more reports about the superlux vehicle, but as has been stated before, seems like its purely talk at this point.

Gojirra99

Haha, I browse thru a few car sites & forums routinely almost every day, so I might as well post some of the things I found that's at least mildly interesting. Since I will never mod my cars nearly as much as some of you do, I'll never have as much to say or show. Otherwise, even if you & 1Sick stop posting here today, I'll be old when I reach your benchmark in post counts.

Gojirra99

If they take the same approach of what MB did with the Maybach, take the S600 & make the car longer & the interior ultra luxurious, then Lexus won't take long at all to realize a $100K Lexus, they can just make an ultra luxurious, longer wheelbase version of the next generation LS.

mmarshall

If the Lexus marketers want a 100K-plus car just so they can say that they have one, or if they really feel that they need one.....fine......but the present LS430 is SO good that it would really be hard to improve on it.....even extending the wheelbase, as you suggest, and maybe adding some more features inside like the Maybach. And even at 100K-plus, the price would still be a long way from the Maybach and Rolls-Royce's 300-plus.
No, as I have suggested before when this idea first came up months ago, I think that the time, money, and resources spent at Lexus on trying to stretch the LS430 into a Maybach or Rolls competitor could be better spent in developing All-Wheel-Drive for more sedans, an IS430, and perhaps more hybrids.

Gojirra99

I don't think anyone else suggested that Lexus will make a Maybach competitor except the guy from Autopies, although it certainly can be capable of embarrassing the Maybach by offering so much for less than a third of the price. The Maybach is already embarrassingly overpriced compared to a S600, no wonder it's sales is far short from expectations.

I think the next generation LS will come with an AWD option & likely a hybrid version (eventually) btw.

mmarshall

I'm not sure the Maybach is overpriced compared to the S600. The short-wheelbase Maybach (the 57) is roughly twice the price...but also roughly twice the car. It has what is probably the most plush interior of any factory car available today. A sunroof option alone on that car is so plush and complex that it costs more than what I paid for my first new Mazda 20 years ago...literally. I agree that mechanically the LS430 is probably higher quality, though, and will be more reliable. And the cost of Maybach service?.....don't even want to think about it.

Gojirra99

I don't know about the Maybach being twice the car as a S600 just mainly for the interior & the sun roof. Almost all reviews I've seen gave the impression that it's hard to justify the price difference from a S600, except for those that actually wants the satisfaction of overpaying for a car that few can afford, & of course the wide array of choices to specify almost every little detail of the interior.(& exterior paint) The Maybach 57 starts at $310K, you can get the even more powerful S65 which still has a v.spacious & comfortable interior for $190K & still have almost enough left for a 911 turbo.That's what I'd rather do if I have $310K to blow on cars.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

dunno, imho it's kinda silly to say that a car is too good to improve. there is never a limit imho, you can always make it better here and there, add something better here and there. if someone really have that impression of too good to improve at toyota, we won't be seeing the current ls430 at all

mmarshall

You partially misunderstood me. I didn't mean the LS was absolutely perfect...no car is......but many people and and a good part of the auto press considers it the best luxury car available today, quality and refinement-wise, even if it is not as powerful or as gadget-ridden as the Maybach. It is probably the best current example of the Lexus' "Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" advertising. There's an old saying....." if it ain't broke, don't fix it "....and the LS430 sure ain't broke. In fact, most of the local successful buisness owners in my area ( VA-D.C. suburbs) drive them.

sweetsc400

I think you hit on the purpose for the outrageously expensive luxocar niche. There are those people that simply have more money than they know what to do with, and they maintain their financial status/appearance by buying something few can afford. Nevermind JDPA ratings and how many miles the car can potentially last. Extreme exclusivity goes a long way with people (I'm happy with the exclusivity of my SC400 ). However, I'd like to see a Superlux Lexus vehicle (say that three times fast!) be successful. Afterall, it made a huge wave in 1990!

mmarshall

Well, we also have to face some realities here. Lexus, even as a part of the huge Toyota corporation, one of the largest companies in the world, still has only so many dollars out of the company budget each year available for research, development, and marketing. So.....What would YOU guys rather see than do with those resources.....put them into a Super Lexus Maybach competitor, or address the needs and wants of more common Lexus owners like us....people who would want more AWD sedans, an IS430, more hybrids, etc..... I think the answer is obvious. The Donald Trumps and Bill Gates of the world are NOT going to keep Lexus in buisness...there are simply too few of them. We WILL.

But......Any different opinions out there...I welcome them.