flipside909

LS F Sport is long overdue. "LS Sport" already had F Sport qualities, but it should have a standard, F Sport specific sport tuned suspension, not the factory air suspension with a SPORT mode.

Lets hope if there is an LS F Sport model, that the front and rear bumpers are one piece, not bolt on parts. Hell, even the new Camry SE ditched the tacked on body kit look.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

qft. thank you.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

as much as i don't like the gs fsport front, that's great indication of no more add on stuff to ls fsport

Blastphemy

I test drove a Mercedes-Benz S65 and E63, and while they had a lot of power, the cars were too stiff. I preferred the ride in the S550 and E550 a lot more. Same thing with the BMW M5 vs. the 550i.

The reason I bought my Infiniti M56 back in 2010 was because I was able to get that powerful engine without the damned sport-tuned suspension and rock-hard bolstered seats found on the M56S.

Ideally, that's what I want out of Lexus - an LS with the same amazing silence and comfort of the current car, but with an engine that lets me pass "upstarts" like Infiniti and Hyundai. (I can't tell you how many LS460s I've smoked off the line in my M56!)

If I can't get an $80,000 Lexus that at least lets me beat my current $60,000 car off the line, then I'll always be driving the upstarts and will never be able to finally ascend to the more sophisticated and refined LS, which is my automotive dream.

spwolf

yeah, the question was if there will be new interior - i guess not now, except for those few minor changes. It will certainly be a facelift like RX. Which is not bad, just not that exciting.

I am sure f-sport will be nice though.

NoLFA4U

Well said.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

you could get a taurus sho and beat your $60k infiniti off the line too. watch this video (full screen ) link

rominl

iTrader: (4)

amen, i hope lexus is reading this! when came out, ls460 was among the top of regular models. but 6 years later, 380hp is not bad but it's not top of the bunch anymore for sure

yes, i am actually quite looking forward to the fsport!

AlexusAnja

I think maybe 1% of LS buyers are buying them to "smoke" other cars off the line, so asking for a LS500 at this point with CAFE ahead is moot....

CJITTY

I wish everyone could drive an LS460 with Tanabe Springs like I had...still smooth for cruising but put it through turns and the 380hp rwd beast comes alive..great setup!! That was my pseudo LS Sport lol

GS69

Lexus Plans OverHaul of LS FlagShip to Court New Buyers

Lexus this fall is remaking its flagship LS-series sedan -- the car that spearheaded Toyota Motor Corp.'s audacious assault 23 years ago on BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the upper luxury segment.

Now in its 4th generation, the big LS sedan is long overdue for an overhaul. Lexus said late Monday that it plans to unveil the redesigned 2013 LS on July 30 at a special invitation-only event in San Francisco.

Lexus released scant details, saying only that the 2013 edition will be offered again in 3 models -- the standard LS 460, the long-wheelbase LS 460 L and the hybrid LS 600h L -- as well as a new performance-oriented LS 460 F Sport.

The 5th-generation LS, which is being extensively revamped inside and out, will not redefine either the image of the car or the brand -- although both could use a makeover.

1 of the objectives of the redesign is to attract "some new luxury buyers who might not normally think about the LS" or Lexus when shopping, according to industry consultant James Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics in Beverly Hills, Mich.

"The original LS was a brand-defining product for Lexus, and it's still the standard bearer," says Hall. "But the target audience in the (luxury) segment is becoming more diffuse. Customer expectations are changing."

In the meantime, the current LS 460 sedan, which received its latest major redesign 6 years ago, is one of the oldest cars in a relatively exclusive segment populated with such stylish, technology-laden competitors as the Audi A8, the BMW 7 Series and the Porsche Panamera. Prices in the segment typically range from $60,000 to $135,000.

With the LS allowed to languish as newer, edgier rivals have driven onto the scene, customers have drifted away from Lexus and its top-of-the-line sedan, whose U.S. sales through the 1st 6 months are down 28%.

"In the luxury space, Lexus often is not even part of the conversation," said Mike Jackson, director of North American vehicle forecasts at IHS Automotive in Northville, Mich.

The irony is that the original LS -- unveiled at the 1989 Detroit auto show and put on sale later that year as a 1990 model -- was immediately perceived as a significant threat by the premium German brands, especially Mercedes-Benz whose long-running S Class sedan was 1 of the templates for the LS.

Over the next 2 decades, as Lexus fleshed out its product stable with a ever-wider variety of new models, its U.S. sales volume grew steadily and the brand established an enviable reputation as the industry-wide benchmark for quality and dependability, consistently topping the widely read annual rankings from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates.

Despite a modest facelift for the 2010 model year, and the addition of long-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive and gasoline-electric hybrid variants, however, sales of the LS sedan have continued to dwindle since the 4th generation was introduced in late 2006.

Last year's earthquake and tsunami in Japan also put a serious crimp in total Lexus volume. After 11 consecutive years of leading the luxury sales charts in the U.S., Lexus in 2011 dropped to 3rd place behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Despite a partial recovery that has seen sales climb 23% in the 1st 6 months, Lexus remains mired in the same spot behind the segment leaders.

At the same time, the LS has become one of the priciest models, not only in the luxury segment, but also in the brand's U.S. lineup. The standard 2012 LS 460 starts at $68,505; the top-of-the-line 2012 LS 600h L hybrid is priced from $113,625.

Its position of prominence within the Lexus portfolio has long since been supplanted by the RX, a mid-size, middle-of-the-road crossover vehicle in 1998 the created a whole new premium sub-segment, 1 that has been hugely popular with female buyers.

The RX was freshened earlier this year with a crisper front-end design that borrows styling cues from the all-new 2013 Lexus GS sedan. The GS has been lauded for its edgier appearance and sporty driving dynamics, a portion of which is expected to be transferred to the 2013 LS sedan.

As was the case with the GS F Sport edition, the new 2013 LS 460 F Sport is expected to receive a bundle of aesthetic and hardware upgrades, ranging from larger wheels and tires to sportier seats and gauges.

Jackson says Lexus, with recent designs such the new GS sedan and the 2013 LS, may be starting to shift away from its historically conservative approach to the luxury segment.

"Lexus has its core customers," he says, but the brand needs to reposition itself and its products to steal buyers away from its premium competitors. Lexus "has to break away from some of its past thinking in order to generate a greater degree of consideration (among luxury buyers). That includes (adopting) not only cutting-edge styling, but also incredible driving dynamics and technology that have become hallmarks of the segment."

rominl

iTrader: (4)

hahhaa, so 4ls or 5ls?

flipside909

Ideally we all want an LS F. 5.0L or 5.7L V8 at most with 480+ HP.

LS F Sport would be great if it had a few more hp. This way you can justify the performance and sport factory from a regular LS.

spwolf

who knows anymore!!! :-)

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Best selling luxury brand for 11 years...totally makes sense. In the luxury space, Lexus is not even part of the conversation.

...and still remains less expensive than the S Class, 7 Series, A8 and XJ...aka it's entire competitive set.