JDR76

I love my 3RX, but I know the interior needed some serious attention. It's a fantastic vehicle and I love it, but the 4RX looks to be worlds better. I can't wait to get my hands on one.

markneups

Just did a bit of follow up. Spoke with my contact in Singapore. It s 6:30 AM there. He claims the 2016 was in the pipe for two years down the road. "2018".The original 2016 was less dramatic-- especially in the grill area "more like the F Sport grill" and no sharp edge on the sides. The rear was about the same as the introduced vehicle. Top management pushed for what your seeing today. I believe that means The controlling family.
So take it for what it's worth.

Sulu

You obviously know little about the car manufacturing business (and know less about the Lexus model lineup).

No, it cannot. Unless what they showed us in New York earlier this month was only a concept model and NOT the real 2016 RX, what you saw on the stand is what will be introduced later this year. That shape was set in stone about 2 years ago, to get the tooling (stamping dies, etc.) ready. The factories have been producing models on the line for the past few months (perhaps close to a year) to train the assembly line workers and to iron out any last-minute glitches with the tools and the assembly process.

If Toyota wanted to make any "last minute changes" now, that would delay the car by 1 year to 2 years as they redesign the car, get the structural strength in the right places, and get the assembly line tooling and process ready. That's ignoring delaying the start of contracts that have been signed with suppliers, and assuming that suppliers don't sue Toyota for breach of contract.

It would be better to introduce the RX as-is for now and immediately get to work on the major facelift (as they did for the 2015 Camry); but even that facelifted model would not be out for 1 or 2 years.

Nothing works fast in any industry that designs and builds anything as complicated as a modern automobile.

And I won't go into speculating how your friends in Singapore had photos and videos of the 2016 RX before its worldwide introduction in New York earlier this month. If they did, why did they not put it up on the Internet? We were all here waiting with baited breath for pictures.

I am not usually this passionate about all of this, but your stories are just so out-of-this-world unbelievable.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

markneups, sw13GS, please exit this thread.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Not only am I still a target, I have an infiniti (not with a Y) buddy who is converting over....RC 350 F sport

mmarshall

What did he have previously...a G37/Q60 coupe? That's probably the closest Infiniti equivalent to the RC.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Close....a G37 sedan

EZZ

The G37 sedan will definitely be and feel faster but the RC will be better in everything else. My IS350 F-Sport feels worlds better than my previous G35. It also feels way better than the G37S and the Q50S and I had a couple weeks time with each of these cars. The only thing I miss is that wonderful 3.7L VQ.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

the combo of that engine and the 7 speed auto is outstanding.

EZZ

In the IS350, i feel the throttle is fine. It may seem a little slower than the 2IS, but I feel that it pulls just as hard or harder at freeway speeds. Of course the motor will have to work harder on the heavier RC. The 8 speed is super smooth and shifts are very quick which i appreciate. The VQ is mated to a 7 speed but that tranny has slower shifts. The VQ is strong enough to mask the weaknesses of the tranny though...

mmarshall

Usually, (but not always), in a conventional torque-converter automatic, the quicker the shifts, the less-smooth those shifts are likely to be, and the more efficient the transmission will be in both acceleration and gas mileage. That is because smoothness, especially when the transmission is computer-controlled (as most of them are today), is often achieved by momentary torque-reduction from the engine computer and internal clutch-slippage as the shift occurs. The longer the shift takes, the more the clutches slip, the more of the engines's torque gets masked during the shift so you don't feel it, and the more the engine RPMs are wasted in the shift itself instead of delivering acceleration and gas mileage. That is just one of a number of compromises that engineers have to make when they design and program transmissions. I myself, with my generally conservative driving style, usually prefer comfort and smoothness from the transmission than jarring, drag-race-ype shifts. GM and Toyota/Lexus are both well-known for transmission smoothness, though there are some occasional exceptions. And, of course, CVTs are smooth.......but that is a whole different ballgame.