kvoman

You never know what you may see in CA. Two years ago, I was down in Ventura to visti my mother and saw a CTS-V (two-toned) for the very first time at an off-ramp to 101. Hearing the throaty exhaust, the grill, the fat and huge tires, the lowered stance, etc. I thought to myself, now, that is someone who knows how to set up that CTS. Little did I know that it was a prototype of the CTS-V that is out now. The CTS-V available now is exactly the sameone that I saw two years ago in Ventura.

But someone here may be right in that if you're not familiar with the first generation GS, you may mistaken it for a new model, especially if it has been moded and tricked out.

KVA

I have to agree with RominL...Torrance (South Bay) is where a majority of Japanese automakers are headquartered in North America...so the probability of seeing prototypes or pre-release models at the local Starbucks is very high...Yet you'll probably only see them if they are definitely going into/are in production and since we all know that the new GS will not be released until the 2005 model year...the chances are very slim that it is driving around So. CA this week.

Neo

iTrader: (3)

This was also what I thought when I read the initial post.

pearlywhiteGS400

I am at a loss on this one as well but the woman is very familar w/ the Lexus line. she drove my 95 GS300 when i had it and that is what convinced her to buy her 99 GS300. And we all know that the back of of 1st gen doesn't look like a Avalon. I wonder if Lexus corporate are shaking there heads thinking that we just moved them for one day and the Lexus enthusiast got a glimpse of them............

The saga continues..................

Pearly

cxp2001

iTrader: (1)

I think it was a ES300 . E looks like a G from an angle.

BuyERTS

I disagree that the probability is "very high." Yes, even though Lexus HQ is right there in the Torrance (190th & Western?), I doubt very seriously that anyone would be allowed to street any of the prototype vechicles.

bravo261

iTrader: (1)

i'm not too sure she saw the new ones, but i'd easily think the same thing cause when i was in vegas last september, i saw two of those cadillac convertibles and that XLR thing partially covered and taped up

are those things out yet? just checked the website and it appears available

KVA

If you read my whole comment you would obviously recognize that they (Auto Manufacturers) are not going to let anyone drive around in a prototype, but they will let the execs and eventually staff drive around in autos that are starting production (soon to be released). Since I contract at some of these Japanese manufacturers (Yes! it's 190th & Western for Toyota, 190th & Figueroa for Nissan, and Torrance Blvd & Van Ness for Honda) I know for a fact that I see cars out 6 months before release...just take a drive into their parking lot and you'll also see what I am talking about. You will also see the manufacturers plate on that vehicle (if driven outside their campus)...

As for the GS...they have not released anything yet that I have seen and I am around there 5 days a week.

tek2k

the altima and gs4 look nothing alike. the escalade and tahoe, however, DO look alike. they are the same suv. only difference is the escalade has a boxy front end with boxy lower body panels stuck on. if you walk up to an escalade, look at it's lower body panels and follow the horizontal lines of them. they look like they were just tacked on. escalade/tahoe/yukon, they are all the same body. but the escalade gets tacked on body panels so it doesn't look TOO much like the other suvs.