LS 600H press Conference Live 9:25 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 pg52
01-08-06, 09:21 PM
#242
Lexus Test Driver
The new LS460 is a marketing ploy all right.....
Originally Posted by mmarshall
OK guys.....I'm a Johnny-Come-Lately to this long thread but I'll toss in my two cents now.
Just judging by the posted pictures, it is a nice car indeed but not earth-shattering or spectacular. I'm not normally a fan of grays and silvers but I agree it looks good in that smoke-gray. The two-tone cream-color interior IMO is far better looking then the gray one, but I personally like a more matte-grain to the wood-trim ( like in the new Infiniti M35 / 45 )....I am not a big fan of the shiny, polished wood look.
I have only two criticisms as to its design.
One, there should be an AWD version. Let's hope one is forthcoming.
Two, 8 speeds in a conventional automatic IMO is just plain overkill. It is obviously just an marketing ploy to one-up the Mercedes 7-speed automatics, at least on paper. That would be fine if there was a real need for 8 gears.....but you already have an engine with plenty of torque. If you are going to have THAT many gears, heck, you might as well put in a CVT and just have an infinite number of them. CVT drive belts are getting more durable now and better-suited to higher-output engines.
Other that that, it appears to be quite a nice job. I will look at the car more closely at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show on Jan. 24 and then may have more comments.
Just judging by the posted pictures, it is a nice car indeed but not earth-shattering or spectacular. I'm not normally a fan of grays and silvers but I agree it looks good in that smoke-gray. The two-tone cream-color interior IMO is far better looking then the gray one, but I personally like a more matte-grain to the wood-trim ( like in the new Infiniti M35 / 45 )....I am not a big fan of the shiny, polished wood look.
I have only two criticisms as to its design.
One, there should be an AWD version. Let's hope one is forthcoming.
Two, 8 speeds in a conventional automatic IMO is just plain overkill. It is obviously just an marketing ploy to one-up the Mercedes 7-speed automatics, at least on paper. That would be fine if there was a real need for 8 gears.....but you already have an engine with plenty of torque. If you are going to have THAT many gears, heck, you might as well put in a CVT and just have an infinite number of them. CVT drive belts are getting more durable now and better-suited to higher-output engines.
Other that that, it appears to be quite a nice job. I will look at the car more closely at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show on Jan. 24 and then may have more comments.
There were hints of this future Lexus in Jim Press' remarks. Lexus not only designed a new generation LS but it also redesigned the whole production process. The dealerships are going through a redesign phase now and the same philosophy is being implemented. Tahara already has the best reputation for quality and fewest defects yet Lexus decided it was time to set a higher standard. This serious dedication to continuous improvement is what makes Lexus so unique. Kaizen.....
In the future the Lexus will start itself and meet you at the curb. Once inside it will greet you and offer you a beverage and daily summary of events. If it notices that you are feverish it will change courses and automatically notify your physician of your condition and expected arrival. Since your schedule has changed it will go directly to the next most important event and reinsert you and give you encouragement as it waits patiently for you to reappear. It calls ahead to the Restaurant to hold your table as you will arrive in approximately 7 minutes for lunch. It reminds you that you should call so and so to say Thanks and then suggests flowers.....The future Lexus will surely be intelligent and good looking....it might even have a soul.
Rock
01-08-06, 09:25 PM
#243
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Originally Posted by mmarshall
What's going to keep the martini in the glass, bit, is not how many gears it has but how smooth the tranny shifts....which, of course, is something Lexus excels in.
01-08-06, 09:27 PM
#244
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Originally Posted by ArmyofOne
mmarshall, i usually agree with you, but must respectfully disagree in this case. I LOVE the idea of an 8 speed. The idea of cruising at 80mph at 1200 Rpms is unfatomable to me, as i had a Lexus that would rumble along at 80mph in 4th gear doing 3600 rpm.
i have a manual now, and its a 5 speed, and it buzzes along at 80 mph at 3000. but my moms camry has a 5 speed auto (its an 05) and at 80 mph its barly tapping the 2,000 mark. so what gives?
that tells me that an 8 speed should be between 800 and 1,000 rpm at 65. and THAT is BARELY
above idle. until you need to hit the gas, at which point the donwshift to 6th (it could probably even get away with bypassing 7th on the downshift) to accelerate would be HARDLY noticeable, if nothing more than a jump of the RPM gage.
i have a manual now, and its a 5 speed, and it buzzes along at 80 mph at 3000. but my moms camry has a 5 speed auto (its an 05) and at 80 mph its barly tapping the 2,000 mark. so what gives?
that tells me that an 8 speed should be between 800 and 1,000 rpm at 65. and THAT is BARELY
above idle. until you need to hit the gas, at which point the donwshift to 6th (it could probably even get away with bypassing 7th on the downshift) to accelerate would be HARDLY noticeable, if nothing more than a jump of the RPM gage.
But certainly I expect 8th in the new tranny to be a bit taller than 6th in the existing one.
01-08-06, 09:32 PM
#245
Guest
Posts: n/a
I wonder too, with 8 speeds, I mean, they can keep that tranny for sometime, which in the end, would lower costs, instead of having to develop another tranny soon. Also, I am sure its bulked up to handle more power.
Its crazy, 20 years ago, having a 4 speed auto meant you were really doing something. We have just doubled that.
And some luxury car makers don't even have a 6 speed yet!
I think the base LS 430 starts at 55k now, I can see this new LS 460 starting at $59,999 and the 460L starting around $65,0000. I think options are going to really make this car go up near or possibly at the $80,000 range.
A loaded LS 430 now with the ultra luxury package is $70,000.
Its crazy, 20 years ago, having a 4 speed auto meant you were really doing something. We have just doubled that.
And some luxury car makers don't even have a 6 speed yet!
I think the base LS 430 starts at 55k now, I can see this new LS 460 starting at $59,999 and the 460L starting around $65,0000. I think options are going to really make this car go up near or possibly at the $80,000 range.
A loaded LS 430 now with the ultra luxury package is $70,000.
01-08-06, 09:32 PM
#246
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Originally Posted by Rockville
Le...The future Lexus will surely be intelligent and good looking....it might even have a soul.
01-08-06, 09:59 PM
#248
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 2,970
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
long thread
I shall add my .02 cents.
The car is PHENOMINAL! The entire car is just a excellent blend of what people want in a lux auto. I feel that in this day and age there will be a excellent market for this car, and its also trying to break into another market as well. I feel that some people who make there own money, and understand what it takes to make there own money, will spend money more wisely than someone who doesn't "appreiciate the $$$'s". A maybach person will buy a maybach, as well as a phantom person. But as far as the s class crowd, and the 7 series crowd, I feel this is the car that is making a defining statement. The Performance isn't a key because its not tested yet. The look is clean, and well put together. I get a full feeling when I look at the car. I mean what else could it have. I think being the least priced lux car out of the big three bmw, benz, I feel it is a good thing, due to showing what true worth is in putting a car together, and making it the best possible car, Status alone will not keep non-quality work afloat.
The car is PHENOMINAL! The entire car is just a excellent blend of what people want in a lux auto. I feel that in this day and age there will be a excellent market for this car, and its also trying to break into another market as well. I feel that some people who make there own money, and understand what it takes to make there own money, will spend money more wisely than someone who doesn't "appreiciate the $$$'s". A maybach person will buy a maybach, as well as a phantom person. But as far as the s class crowd, and the 7 series crowd, I feel this is the car that is making a defining statement. The Performance isn't a key because its not tested yet. The look is clean, and well put together. I get a full feeling when I look at the car. I mean what else could it have. I think being the least priced lux car out of the big three bmw, benz, I feel it is a good thing, due to showing what true worth is in putting a car together, and making it the best possible car, Status alone will not keep non-quality work afloat.
01-08-06, 10:14 PM
#250
Originally Posted by Rockville
There were hints of this future Lexus in Jim Press' remarks. Lexus not only designed a new generation LS but it also redesigned the whole production process. The dealerships are going through a redesign phase now and the same philosophy is being implemented. Tahara already has the best reputation for quality and fewest defects yet Lexus decided it was time to set a higher standard. This serious dedication to continuous improvement is what makes Lexus so unique. Kaizen.....
In the future the Lexus will start itself and meet you at the curb. Once inside it will greet you and offer you a beverage and daily summary of events. If it notices that you are feverish it will change courses and automatically notify your physician of your condition and expected arrival. Since your schedule has changed it will go directly to the next most important event and reinsert you and give you encouragement as it waits patiently for you to reappear. It calls ahead to the Restaurant to hold your table as you will arrive in approximately 7 minutes for lunch. It reminds you that you should call so and so to say Thanks and then suggests flowers.....The future Lexus will surely be intelligent and good looking....it might even have a soul.
Rock
01-09-06, 12:25 AM
#251
Speaks French in Russian
After looking through the pics for the second time, I really like the interior,but I wish that more chrome was used throughout. It just seems like something is missing(it looks so cold). Its the finer details that they could improve on. Maybe more wood too. It doesnt portray that luxurious look like it should have. Now that lower level Lexus models interiors look like they belong in a 70K car, I expected just a little bit more. Maybe I am asking for to much.
01-09-06, 01:39 AM
#253
i am glad this car looks 10x better in real on the turntable than on the factory pics that spread. very nice job. i like it very much.
now i am in trouble, trading my 2003 LS430 against LS460 OR RX350?
now i am in trouble, trading my 2003 LS430 against LS460 OR RX350?
01-09-06, 02:55 AM
#255
Pole Position
Awd?
It's still not clear: WIll this new LS have available AWD or not? And at what price?