I've always wondered about this. You'd think it's about time they'd think about it. Seems to me that this is a very profitable market segment and a great way of attracting younger customers to the brand and hopefully getting them hooked.

So why is Lexus refusing to enter this potentially prosperous-for-them market?

 

Lexus has no ***** ?

 

Ultimately, it's not profitable at all.

It helps with brand image (which the Germans understand); but it costs a lot of money to design and produce a sport-oriented vehicle, to market and advertise, and to justify a little-functional car that costs more to insure, with little functionality such as transporting multiple people or hauling luggage/items.

 

^^^But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't want one...

 

Lexus will have an upcoming IS Coupe/Convertible, that's as close of a Z4/SLK/TT competitor that we will see I think.

 

Just a thought, but such a car could help to up their CAFE 33mpg standard ?


...and it would be a nice addition to the lineup

I guess when you look at it, these cars really are a total win or total loss and we all know that Lexus has to think it will at least get a decent showing over the long haul. The Z4 has completely tanked and the TT and SLK tend to be popular at first, and then sales taper off sharply a year or two after their luster has worn off. If Lexus did it right it could be a great product for them, but I don't know if they are going to ever take the gamble. A two seater the size of a Cayman with the 3.5L? Yessssssss!

 

As IS convertable is for competing with BMW 3 cabrio, when you think about it, what car can Lexus take from Toyota to change over and upgrade to compete? ...Celica? no that's FF, MRS? well, it'll ruin it as it's more of a light weight car to compete with Miata.... Scion? nah, that's an even lower level...

So Lexus have to come out with a completely new car, well, guess what? it's a waste of money to find a market that does suit them and no warrantied profit.

 

Personally, I think the TT/Z4/SLK market is too small. Maybe in the future Lexus might enter the market, but Lexus probably doesn't see a need for it right now.

 

Toyota cares so much about sales, even more so than many other automakers. Even Mazda has two sports cars, but Toyota has none. Why? They don't make things that don't sell, at least they don't make things that they don't believe would sell. Look at Z4, SLK and TT, none of them could sell more than 1000 units a month in the whole U.S., so not profitable enough. Then why do so? Toyota rather make more SUVs than any kind of sports car. If some company has successfully made a roadster that sells like 5000 units a month and guess what, Toyota would also make one in eight months or so.....hahaha As far as attracting young buyers, I think 3-series and C-class or A4 have done a better job, so does IS, so no need to spend so much money in developing a completely independent non-lucrative model.

 

I think that if they wanted to though, they could make a place in this segment. It really consists of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, Mercedes SLK, BMW Z4, Audi TT, and then you can also count some lower models like the RX-8 or 350Z if you really want to. Word is also that Jaguar is resurrecting the E Type roadster. I don't see why Lexus couldn't be successful here at some point...it would just come down to the right product.

 

You can look at the SC430 as a very expensive competitor lol I am not sure how much larger the SC430 is compared to the rest.

 

Lexus knows their market and their image. It is just now beginning to lean towards more performance oriented buyers with the IS-F. They would have to build it like an F, but price it much lower to really be competitive.

 

I would love for Lexus to build one, they could put it on a shorter IS platform, and it will save cost

 

I've always Imagined Lexus taking the MR-S, making it slightly bigger (Just slightly, for more luggage space....keep it under 1200kg), dropping in the 2GR-FSE in the back, make it beautiful and let it loose.

It would be perfect IMHO.

 

well the one thing you can always count on toyota doing, is making a car even if it doesnt sell good. as for lexus i think they want to keep selling boring cars, cars that everyone will like since it's profitable, for them who cares if some people think they make boring cars. with parent company toyota heck bent on auto-world domination, even if the reliability and and build quality goes down the drain. Oh wait maybe i shouldn't have said that, before my post mysteriously disappears.