SW17LS

Sure, sales would be higher but so would R&D costs and overhead...

peteharvey

Global sales of 4GS have actually increased thanks to the "emerging market" of China phenomenon.
India and a number of other countries, to a lesser extent too.
For example: http://en.cbf.net.au/Item/4095.aspx
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/20...t_13984115.htm
For example, in 2010, Audi sold 235,000 units in China, Benz amassed 100,000 units, while Lexus amassed 48,000 to 52,933 units etc [depending on the source].

In established markets eg the United States, GS sales have fallen considerably from 3GS 2005 of 33,457 to 4GS 2012's 22,160.
Likewise, the old 3GS second year 2006 sales of 27,390.
In the first six months of 2013, the 4GS has sold 9,068 in the USA, therefore the 4GS will have an anticipated 2013 annual sales of roughly only 18,136.
It's no accident; there are concrete reasons why sales have fallen considerably.

However, just remember that sales doesn't mean the car is bad.
For example, I've been using Windows Mobile pocket PC's since 1998!
Presently my brand new Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8.0 is one of the most unpopular and lowest volume selling mobile phones on the market, yet I still use it thanks to the Microsoft Office Word and Excel that it has.
Likewise, with cars.
I've owned three Lexiis in the past, and I've known all three to be far from best selling.

Just a bit busy now, but in a few weeks time, I will test 3IS, and if it's no good, I will switch back to 4GS, or 4.5GS if need be.
Don't worry about the sales - enjoy.
The sales is just an interesting point - just out of curiosity to find out why things are ticking, or not...

dseag2

Slightly off topic, but speaking of international markets I was just in Russia last week (no, I'm not Edward Snowden) and saw more Infiniti FXs and BMW X5s than I ever see in the states. Our tour guide told us the wealthy Russians love the big German and Japanese cars, just like the Chinese.

praetor

The Asian markets are strange to say the least. There's an emerging middle and newly wealthy class which makes luxury cars a highly sought after item. Taxes though are insane. Taxes are anywhere from 100% to 200% the cost of the car.

When I was in Cambodia last year, it was all about the Lexus GX470, mostly black. Rich girls there love the IS250. I didn't see many GS350s out there. Apparently they go for well over $120,000 USD over there. I'm so glad I live in the US. LOL

sam430

iTrader: (10)

Tell me about it. I was shocked at the prices of cars over there.

LexFather

Sales were up big year over year, over 2200 sold in August. Lexus has done well with the GS.

Contrarily the GS's Asian competition is struggling, the M is down in a month everybody seemed to be up and the RLX dropped from the month before. The two combined can't crack 1,000 units.

With a GS F coming next fall it will give the car hopefully a serious boost of image and help sales.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

Good to hear!! The press release say almost 45% of the buyers are opting for the F-sport models for the IS! The Lexus sales are 29K vs BMW 25K and if Lexus can keep this going with the new IS and the new NX and new RC, GS-F then we can really top the german sales in 1 year.

dseag2

All the major automakers are back to pre-2007 volumes in sales. If the GS can't sell strong in the current market Lexus needs to go back to the drawing board...

Automakers posted their strongest sales in August since late 2007, raising hopes that the final four months will be even better as Americans keep replacing old vehicles.

The return of leasing, affordable financing and rising confidence drove the industry’s sales to 1.5 million for the month, the highest level since May 2007 when the first iPhone was about to hit the market.

Neither sluggish job growth, Wall Street worries that the Federal Reserve will pull back on its stimulus policy, nor the prospect of U.S. military action against Syria are discouraging buyers in need of new wheels. The industry’s sustained recovery is the main positive economic force keeping the broader economy on track.

While the three leading Japanese manufacturers reported larger percentage sales increases, GM, Ford and Chrysler are benefiting from consumers’ preference for higher-end, more fully equipped models that carry fatter profit margins. The average new pickup truck, for example, is now selling for more than $30,000, and many are going for more than $40,000.

Every month of sales growth provides more confidence to automakers, their dealers and suppliers to expand and hire. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been hiring to launch new vehicles and keep pace with demand for current models.

Ford just brought on 1,400 workers to build more Fusions in Flat Rock, and said it will boost North American output by 50,000 more vehicles between October and year-end. Chrysler is adding workers to make engines in Trenton and Dundee.

Friday’s monthly jobs report will show whether other industries are stepping up their hiring or merely adding part-time workers as they have in recent months.

GM chief economist Mustafa Mohatarem said he now expects sales for 2013 will be closer to 15.8 million than his earlier forecast of 15.5 million.

“Every manufacturer was coming in 5,000 to 10,000 units above our estimates,” said Alec Gutierrez, market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “With available credit, more leasing and competitive product, the auto industry has pulled itself out of the downturn.”

August car sales were strong for the Detroit Three and even better for Toyota, Honda and Nissan. Sales were strong across the board, but the domestic companies relied more on truck and SUV sales, while the Japanese remain leaders in most passenger car segments.

“It is such a diversity of purchases,” said Jessica Caldwell, economist with Edmunds.com. “No one sector is driving everything. Even electric vehicles had a good month,” helped by price cuts.

With job growth still slow, “we don’t want to get irrationally exuberant at this point about the sales pace,” Ford economist Ellen Hughes-Cromwick said, adding that the growth is real and sustainable.

GM sales rose 15% in August while Ford’and Chrysler each posted 12% increases from a year earlier.

Toyota’s sales surged 23% to 231,537 as it outsold Ford for the second straight month. Honda outsold Chrysler by 880 vehicles, led by Civic, up 58% to 39,458, and the Accord, up 10.6% to 38,559.

Nissan sales jumped 22% with its mass-market Nissan division up 24% and Infiniti sales 6.5% higher. Volkswagen sales rose 3.6%, mainly on the strength of its Audi luxury division.

Among the Koreans, Hyundai sales of 66,101 were up 8% while Kia sales of 52,025 units increased 4% from a year earlier.

“You always hear about the strong summer selling months, but it's still particularly gratifying to experience it first hand,” said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai executive vice president of national sales. “We feel pretty bullish about the final four-month home stretch of 2013.”

At Toyota, “our success is because of the strength of the industry,” said Bill Fay, general manager. Toyota continues to dominate the small and midsize car segments. Toyota’s Camry sales of 44,713 almost doubled Ford Fusion’s 24,653.

Caldwell said the Toyota-Ford race for the second-highest sales in the U.S. is too close to call with four months left. Toyota has a strong lead, in part because of a lot of programs in August to clear out inventory, she said. But Ford is raising production and could regain an edge with its consistently strong truck sales, especially in November and December.

It sold 71,115 F-Series pickups, the second month this year of more than 70,000.

“At August’s pace, we were selling one F-Series pickup every 42 seconds,” said Ken Czubay, head of Ford U.S. sales.

Chrysler sold 165,552 vehicles in August, the 41st consecutive month that sales exceeded their year-earlier level. The gains came mostly from pickups and SUVs. Sales increased 29% for Ram, 12% for Dodge, 8% for Jeep, 2% for Chrysler and 1% for Fiat.

All four GM brands were up at least 10%. Chevrolet sales rose 10%; Cadillac, 38%; Buick, 37%, and GMC, 14%. Total sales for the month were 275,847.

“Everything is overwhelmingly positive,” Gutierrez of KBB said. “It’s good news all around.”

larryinWA

Any numbers on their profit margins? GM, for examle, always sells big numbers, but that doesn't often indicate they're making any profit at all.