You know, Robert Cumberford must hate Lexus or at least be interested in them as they have reviewed the new GS (wasn't great or favorable design review) AND IS in design. Its one car a month and most times its a classic car or some concept car.

I don't have the mag but I got this off another website
I just received the June issue of AUTOMOBILE magazine in the mail and Lexus got slammed by them (Design Analysis, page 16). Here's what they had to say...

"High sides are flat, uninteresting, marred by too-big door handles."

"This area (wheel arch) seems to defeat Lexus designers on several cars. It sags, lacks definition, and needs work."

"Lexus has quality covered and is certainly getting there with performance engines and drivetrains, but the styling has been derivative and-- apart from the regretted SC coupes long ago-- totally unimaginative. This newest midrange 3-Series fighter is better, but there's a long way to go before Lexus is really a challenger to BMW. Nice, but lacks oomph."

 

All I know is, THANK GOD, Lexus is not copying BMW design. I've dropped better looking turds.....

 

the oomph part is oh soo true though... Sad to say, but it is true.. Our cars need more power

 

Robert Cucumber, or whatever, is but one person of the millions of people that walk this earth.
I do recall his pet design was basically an Auburn knock-off, made from wood(?), and a BMW six for power. Was in Car & Driver back in the eighties.

 

he also named the BMW Z4 design of the year two years ago, so while his opinion may be somewhat interesting to read, they're not always, uh, iono, right? haha.

 

Blah. I like to read Automobile, but they seem to be a bunch of Euro-$luts... they'll grab on to anything that isn't American (which I can't blame them for... ) or Japanese... I'm sensing some strong bias here.

They don't think that the whole L-Finesse idea (which is set to turn around the Lexus line) is imaginitive? And how is changing a car completely from inside to out unoriginal?

You can't tell me that a 315 hp 3.5L V6 lacks "oomph".

I'm not being a Lexus wh0re because I do like the E90, but... maybe it's because Lexus forgot to invent their own version of iDrive or forgot to include the Angel Eye headlights

 

I believe Robert is referring to visual "oomph" rather than the drivetrain. It is, after all, a design analysis.

That said, it's interesting that Autoweek a few weeks back in covering the official introduction said something to the effect that 'while the new 3 looks good, the IS presence really popped'; they were quite favorably impressed with the L-Finesse look, esp when one considers how important the 3 series is to BMW.

 

Just an individual's opinion, not everybody is going to like it, that's probably true for any design, but I think most have a favourable opinion of it so far.

 

Puts you one up on me.......when I see some new BMW's I get diarahhea.

 

I subscribe to Automobile and Robert Cumberford's Design Analysis column is probably my favorite part of the mag. I've always been interested in car design and he tells some of the "tricks" designers use to make a car appear longer or shorter, wider or narrower, etc. However, I rarely agree with him on the designs he likes and dislikes (other than the Aztec), so I'm not surprised he doesn't like the IS as much as I do. From the pictures I've seen so far, I find the rear a little tall and boxy but that's about it. He really likes French cars and he gave the new BMW 5-series a passing grade which I don't like at all. I wouldn't let it influence my purchase.

 

Ehhh...who cares about what he thinks?

 

Looks are subjective. Personally I find the new IS to look damn good, so a surprising number of guys over on the domestic board I frequent said this is the first Lexus they've ever seen that they liked in terms of exterior looks.

The interior is hands-down gorgeous compared to anything I've EVER seen in a BMW, Cadillac, or Audi. The only other manufacturer that can compete in terms of looks IMO is Mercedes.

 

There's always critics. Their write ups mean nothing to me.

 

I guess BMW has "bangled" up this Robert guy's mind pretty good.

 

I wonder how many figures that check was..?