DallasLex

iTrader: (1)

The pic.s seem to depict a "2006 3 series BMW" size vehicle which is a few inches longer in wheelbase than the current car.

IS250 is to have approx 220hp, RWD or AWD, sedan, hardtop convertitble and wagon bodystyles. IS350 is to have 300hp, RWD, possible 6-spd MT option, dual exhaust, sedan, hardtop convertible and wagon bodystyles as well. Both models will have V6 engines.

flipside909

As mentioned several times, that is not the new IS. That is the JDM Toyota Mark X sedan.

CRB

The high hood of that red IS reminds me of the Scion coupe. And that is never a good thing>

mmarshall

What's the latest word on AWD for the new IS, Flip? I take it that you made the L. A. Show. At the D.C show (as I posted) the Lexus people said within 2 years (but had no pictures or hard data)..........The L. A. Show is a somewhat bigger event and will probably have higher-ranking Lexus people there with more up-to-date news.
You've already said the IS itself will not be at Detroit next week so I take it you won't see it at L.A. either....but you've already seen pictures at the employee event. Did they mention the AWD?

The prospect for an AWD IS is important to me...and perhaps some other CL members.
If and how long it takes Lexus to produce an AWD IS may determine whether that or a Subaru Legacy / Outback is my next set of wheels.....I am seriously interested in both cars myself. The new Subie, especially, is a real jewel of a car for the price.
Yes, the AWD GS is coming but will no doubt be pricey. If they end up pricing it where I think they are going to ( mid-high 40's) it will be outside of my price range. I'd rather wait for an AWD IS if possible.

Lexusfreak

The new IS kind of looks a little like the Mazda 6 sedan at the back end. I have heard rumors that AWD will be offered in addition to a larger engine & interior room.

biker

I wonder about statements like this - what did people do before AWD? Or if AWD is that important do you buy something else that offers it?

flipside909

I haven't heard anything new yet from anyone. Most of the Lexus personnel working the LA Autoshow are sales consultants from the local dealerships, and the traveling spokesmodels who present the new models but work for an agency. If there are any Lexus corp. reps, they would have been present on media only day which was last Weds & Thurs. I would have went but was under the weather on those days.

mmarshall

No, AWD is not necessarily a cure-all, but it works extremely well on wet and slick surfaces...and in some cases can even improve handling on dry ones. It also helps promote more-even tire wear by distributing the engine torque more evenly among the four wheels. It is now considered the next major safety advance, and you will notice that it is appearing on more and more cars now....in a few years it will be considered pretty-much standard (and expected) equipment on many luxury cars, just as ABS, VSC, traction control, etc...have become.
Unlike the FL and SoCal guys, I also live in an area that is right on the borderline between mild and severe winters....it can go either way. Some years we get practically no snow; other years we get blizzard after blizzard and hazardous ice storms..

As as defecting from the Lexus nameplate, normally I get a new car about every five years or so...my current 2001 is over 4 years old. Toyota / Lexus has convinced me from both experience and research that they produce the best quality cars overall (and I know the local Toyota dealership very well) but Subaru, without question, makes the best AWD systems in the under $30,000 range. Lexus can (and does) produce an AWD system on the RX300 that is probably as good or better than Subaru's, but not for under 30K. My guess, though, is that an AWD IS300 would be in the upper 30's....not unreasonable, and probably worth the money.
Why do I not consider a cheaper Toyota AWD vehicle? I generally don't care for the Matrix, RAV4, or Highlander,...and they won't sell the Corolla or Camry All-Tracs here like they do overseas. So, for me, outside of a new AWD Lexus, a Subie is the best alternate choice.

akbergq

Are you guys all stupid? That white car being the next LS??!?!?!?!?!? That car looks so freaking small to be an LS.....its probably going to be the next IS...the current LF-S at the LA auto show is almsot the exact same car except the front lighting in this picture is a lot fuller than the prototype at the LA autoshow.


It looks nice..no doubt....but it cant be the next LS...


That red picture of the car ....that is nothign more than ****HOLE....its a dam mazda RX...

dont believe anything you just find on the web guys...

mmarshall

Thanks, Flip.. Hope you get over your cold....or whatever it is you have. They can be annoying to say the least.

I agree with you on the show reps. Many of them are nothing more than local salespeople...and the tags they wear show this. The ones with the PRODUCT SPECIALIST badges on them vary quite a bit. Some impress me...they are excellent and give good explanations and info; others couldn't find their way to the restrooms without help.......I sometimes end up explaining things to THEM.

biker

Nice generalization
How can you tell the size of the car from that pic?
Rumors and photochops are par for the course when guessing the look of some future model - this is just another view of that trend.