I know this is a pre production model but does that mean that what will hit the dealerships will look differently much like the concept versions do?

 

Not a chance. That's the final design for production version.

 

Lexus should use this as the 2014 Slogan: "Class leading combination of performance and luxury, styling that looks like it eats babies, german babies. The 2014 Lexus IS F-Sport, the pursuit of perfection."

 

It's actually primarily the product quality that creates the reputation, that in turn creates the name/badge - that is selling it for both Hyundai and Apple.
Marketing/discounting/leasing etc are secondary factors. Yes they do play a role, but a lesser role.

The confusion and secret to understanding here is this.
In the past, Hyundai has a superior history/reputation for building better cars than Kia.
However, presently the Kia may be superior to the Hyundai, in the present reality, as you say.
But, consumers have been flooded and clouded by the reputation of Hyundai's superior past.
Hence, the name/brand/image and sales is still in Hyundai's favor, despite Hyundai having the inferior car.
Likewise, sometimes we see that Lexus makes a superior 4GS, but sales still goes towards Benz and Beamers with their longer and superior reputations.

Theoretically, in time, if Kia keeps their product quality up, Kia's reputation and name will rise, while Hyundai's name and reputation will fall, unless either companies do something to change their current situation.
Thus, it takes time for Kia and Lexus to both rebuild their reputation.
Now, if Lexus comes up with a 3IS that is controversial like Chris Bangle's 2005 3 Series, does that help? No.
When Lexus does something silly, like come up with a bland tail for the 4GS, or controversial polarized styling for the 3IS as some posters have remarked here, Lexus really hurts its name/badge/image and reputation - it takes a step backwards.

Over the years, Lexus has shot itself in the foot a lot, but BM & Benz shoot themselves in the foot too; it's all about the net overall progress in quality that determines the name/badge/image/reputation.
Thus, presently, Benz still has the gong over BM, which still has the gong over Lexus.
Likewise, Hyundai still has a better name than Kia.
Meanwhile, the name/badge/image/reputation is not necessarily the reality at all.


Marketing is one of the secondary factors, that plays a smaller role.
Think of it this way - no amount of [secondary] marketing will make up for, and save the Palm Pilot, nor Blackberry.
Nokia is making a come back with its new Lumia 920, thanks to the product itself.
Previously, when the products were not so good, the Nokia name actually went down, and sales went down too.
Lately, the Nokia brand is on the rise again, hence sales are on the rise once again.

That's why the new 3 Series is so big and spacious [though it does sacrifice dynamics in the process], and without the controversial Chris Bangle styling of 2005 - because that's what the mass market wants, hence attaining 100k units/yr in the USA...

 

Excellent! With more space and aggressive styling I am split on whether to spend the extra ~8K for a GS350 F-Sport Pkg over the IS350 F-Sport Pkg. I will have to wait to see what packages the `14 IS350 will offer. I like the 8 Speed Tranny.

 

even when i look through my lexus rose colored glasses this thing is still hideous. i think i'll have to pass on this generation.

 

IS-F going fast on the road while german vehicles scramble to move and end up in the ditch :-)

 

Damn, This car is ugly! Looks more like a Tonka toy than a luxury sport sedan. For Lexus sake, I hope this car looks better in person than in photos. I have been a Lexus owner since 1990, and, this is the worst looking car they have ever built.

 

For you. You want toned down, there are plenty of other options non-Lexus.

This if flawed b/c
1. You only looked at last years sales, the last year of the IS. They sold around 60k IS's their first full year of sales.
2. The IS will NEVER sell like the 3 series. The 3 series is BMWs bread and butter. The 2 cars compete but their sales goals are completely different.

You nor I know about the profitability of the IS but it is pretty safe to assume since its based off the GS and the car has always sold well and met sales goals it is profitable. Otherwise Lexus would dump the car.

I agree its the product but it also is effective marketing. The two go hand in hand. Marketing can sell people a terrible product, we both know of many cars that were not good that sold like hotcakes and cars that were very good and sold poorly due to terrible marketing.

The 3 series also grew to make room for the 1 series, along with a shift in taste to a larger car. Its amazing to sit in an E30 and then an F30!

 

I was hoping for a nicer looking IS, but I'm having issues liking this car. Wondering if the non F sport model might have a less aggressive front end treatment. I find the swoosh lights on the bumper out of place, the spindle grille looked better on previous renderings with the bumper running through the center. the rear tail lights viewed from the side seem to go way too low for me. On the other hand, the view from the rear looks fantastic and they did a super job on the interior.
I planned on trading-in my IS250 for the new model, but I think I'll pass.

 

Lets see I dont think they will let the IS fail

 

have you seen it in person?

by this logic, the pontiac aztek should have sold like hotcakes.

guessing critics here have been a wide variety of ages.

i know not directed at me, and i'm not sure it will, but you have repeatedly said that more edgy designs don't do well over time.

it is? tell that to a drifter.

well, this IS looks VERY little like the LF CC to me (particularly from the side) except for the giant front grill, aka, the shnoz.

i disagree. i think that title goes hands down to the HS.

 

3 Series is weak and less refined compare to the previous gen.

Marketing will let a company sell their terrible product for a few generations.
And if Blackberry invest so much into marketing (not just advertising), their Blackberry 10 will sell like hot cake. You know how much did the Giant Microsoft spend on Nokia to advertise their new Lumia 920 and other Lumias? Without money to create a lot of hype around the windows 8 ecosystem, WP8 will not sell same goes to Hyundai case. You also said it that because history shows that Hyundai was more superior, so even Kia surpasses it, people still go to Hyundia. It's like BMW and Lexus.

 

looking at these two pics, are they actually the same front end?

 

At its peak, the IS sold 54,933 in 2007 USA.
3 Series peaked at 142,490 also in 2007.
C Class peaked at 89,607 just last year.

Sure, it is mainly the name/badge/image, and not necessarily the car.
All the manufacturers market pretty well, so I can't see marketing playing a major role for the IS to match the C Class, or the C Class to catch up to the 3 Series...




We're both humans - and it is normal for two people to have different tastes.
I could say to you that you want a sporty bias, and that there are other options non-Lexus for you too.
It's just two different opinions from two different people.

Thus, it's better to comment on our own opinion of the car, rather than trying to "quote" and put down another member's opinion.
It would be better if we all try to have some etiquette, and avoid quoting others negatively, and making remarks like:
"John Smith you are wrong".
"I disagree with you".
"I believe that"...
We could all do without these negative quotations and phrases.
It is better if we can all just focus on voicing our own opinions, without having to deny another person of their opinions, and trying to put their opinions down...