Just a question I'm curious to know what most would think the ISF would last production wise considering the current economy.. Originally, I had thought when the ISF debut - the car would sell like hotcakes like the IS350 when it first came.. you couldn't even find a IS350 in '06 but everytime i visit a Lexus dealership i see atleast two ISF's which is very very surprising!

Everyone's Thoughts??

 

Car sales are slow across the line. Toyota is reporting double-digit declines in sales.

With gas at $4.00+, most people aren't thinking V8 anything. There's a waiting list for hybrids.

I think the last ten years of relatively low gas prices and increased affluence has brought on another late-60's run of muscle and performance cars. It's been a damn good run. Chevy's ZR1 Corvette is out and pumping out over 630 supercharged horses. Here we even got the normally staid and conservative Lexus/Toyota corporation putting out a V8 powered muscle sedan.

But I think those times are a changing. Unless there's a huge drop in gas prices back down into the $2-range and there's a big economic boom to go with it, I think people are ready to scale back a bit. I don't think that's a bad thing. Certainly, for transportation purposes, your typical I-4's and V6 are completely adequate and the cost of operation a lot easier on the wallet than running around in a giant V8 powered Escalade or grocery getting in a V10 powered Chrysler.

Demand will wane I suspect for the muscle cars, in what looks to be a modest drop in gas prices and cool down in the economy over the next year or so.

 

economy is bad...that is why sales have been slow...plus the gas prices is a big factor...also its like the Mitsubishi Evos and Sti's that people have been getting a few years back...those that wanted the car already got them...and the ones coming in had no buyers so that's how I see it happening on the IS-F, M3's, RS4s...not the C63 since I know they are still selling those like hot cakes...haha

 

That's right, in a bad economy the superflous goes first. Owning a 200, 300, 400, 500 or more hp car is totally useless and unjustified, except for the fun of it, which is pretty rare unless you live in an area of uncongested traffic and european-quality roadways...

I can't imagine 6 billions people burning as much energy as we few privileged enjoy. The escalation of power is got to stop. Not so long ago you had to spend a fortune to enjoy 400 hp and only a few had the privilege.

Future is hybrid or electric. If you have not done so go test drive the Tesla roadster (0 to 60 in 3.9 sec), its acceleration is phenomenal and instantaneous, no car can beat the sensation. Not cheap yet though.

In the meawhile let's burn the last drop of oil we can, our children or grand children will not enjoy our experience.

 

I don't know if it is all doom and gloom. In the late 60's and early 70's, just about anyone who could afford a new car could afford a 400hp engine. My other passion is flying and back then, it wasn't out of reach of the middle class to buy a new airplane either. It was a stretch, but it could be done. Now it's a lot different, with new, simple 4 place light airplanes costing $300k.

On the energy question, it is staggering to consider how much energy the world uses. In 2003, US DOE estimates worldwide energy consumption from all sources at 421 quadrillion BTU's. That's 4.44 x 10^20 Joules or 123,382 terawatt hours. Taking into account the efficiency of current photovoltaics, solar irradiance at sea level and hours of sunlight per day, that works out to a belt of solar panels around the entire equator of the earth, 1.6 miles wide. That does not take into account the effects of weather, smoke, volcanic ash, dust or clouds.

The world's energy consumption is expected to double in about 30 years, if relative levels of affluence remain. If every person on earth in 50 years attains similar levels of affluence found in modern industrialized nations, the figure will basically quadruple.

I'm not sure where all of that energy will come from.

Having been in the petroleum engineering software business, I know firsthand there are vast, nearly unimaginable amounts of hydrocarbon energy locked in the earth. The question is at what price and of what consequences to exploit it.

 

Gas prices are high, economy is down. Put those two together and you have a car industry that is struggling to not only move (sell) vehicles, but develop vehicles that have better gas mileage since it was something taken for granted when gas prices were $2 a gallon. I don't think Lexus will sell as many IS-F's as they had originally anticipated, and I have no problem with that, I personally like having a limited production car

Lexus might also slow the production of 2009 models until they can sell the remaining 2008's off. There was an article posted on here about the delay of the supercar LF-A and GS-F

 

I agree. I personally would like the ISF to be an exculsive limited model. My reasoning is I want to buy a ISF but I hate making car payments and need a break right now as I just turned in one of my leased cars. I have almost half the price of the ISF in hand. My thinking now is to buy a car and pay cash for it and be done with it.. At the going rate i'll have $60K cash by the end of next year. I saw the article on the delayed LF-A and GS-F which prompted me to ask 'how long would the ISF last' - I'm worried that the ISF might be discontinue in maybe 2 years from now when I'll have the complete funds to buy one out right. If theres any indication of the cease of production, I would buy one in a hearbeat and just have to endure the payments. What do you guys think I should do wait it out til '09 or get one now since i heard some of ISF owners have recieved 5-6K off sticker..! very nice deal!! Its a great time to buy but do you think the longer i wait the better deal i would get?? Preferably i would like to wait until late '09 to buy but wonder if there be any ISF's by then??

 

I stopped by Clear Lake Lexus here in Houston and saw a Matador ISF - nicer color in person than the pics led the car to be.. but something noteworthy - This is the first time i saw an "Addedum" premium added to the car.. this is the first lexus dealer I've seen to do this.. Is this starting to be a common practice with lexus dealerships or is this "one of those" dealerships???

 

I was recently at the dealership in Plano Texas (Park Place Lexus) and didn't see any "addedum" premium's on the F they had, but who knows