Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

I feel the overall shape of the car (not the front end) is very similar but everyone sees something different. The point I was trying to make is that Lexus was also criticized for copying designs and they're doing fine today. If Genesis is copying designs I'm sure they'll be fine as well. I'd have never mentioned the 7-Series if I could foresee that it was going to completely derail the discussion...

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

The LS has been the only Lexus that you could criticize for copying throughout the years, and even then it's limited to the 1G LS400 and the LS430.

But we are in 2015 now where styling is playing a more important role.

Originally Posted by Sal Collaziano

It's alright, I'm sure I'm the only one.

If I remember correctly the Internet was exploding with references to the bangle butt.

Originally Posted by rominl

hey good to see you sal, been a while! i have always enjoyed your posts!

funny you say that, when i first saw the 07 ls i said the same thing, the car got the 7 rear -- except that it finally came at the right time and lexus made it look better. and yup, at the time a lot of people commented the same about the rear being similar to the 7

all companies try to copy and learn from each other anyway, i don't see the big deal as long as they are making things better (like the ls460). it's amazing how some people get very sensitive when this topic is mentioned.

even the g90, i personally don't feel the rear is that much of a rip off of another car, but like you said everyone sees something different. i own a 4gs and since first sight i have thought it's a great copy of the sonata

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

The LS460 looks nothing like the E65 7er aside from the bangle butt trunk, which a lot of other cars like the W221 S-class also have. The bangle butt was a design compromise made widely in the auto industry to accommodate cars having higher and higher rear decks than their shoulders. It was more of a compromise than a desirable styling decision.


The 7 series people compared the LS460 to was the F01, which came out after the LS460.

The above image is an ancient comparison made by BMW fanboys from BMW blog furiously defending against early claims that the LS and the F01 were similar. The F01 ironically didn't have a bangle butt (probably due to the huge backlash the E65 received), but you can see the second crease they had to add, from the trunk lid into the C-pillar, to visually mitigate the high deck low shoulder problem.

Today there are cars with design languages that dictate such high rear decks that both the bangle butt and the c-pillar crease need to be used.

Originally Posted by rominl

reading is fundamental? can't you read from my post that i was only talking about the rear, which the trunk makes up big part of it? considering that people can pick on just the g90 taillights and call it a copy, i think trunk lid style makes it a pretty strong hand for me. and seriously, read what sal said (and what i said), it's ok if you don't see it, good for you, bravo. no one is going to spend time arguing with you

Originally Posted by rominl

funny you say that, when i first saw the 07 ls i said the same thing, the car got the 7 rear

Originally Posted by Mr. Burns

You said:



Which is false. If you had said "the trunk of the LS looks like the trunk of the 7 series" I would have no issue. Everything else on the LS from the surface language to the graphics are completely different.

I was only referring to the G90 tail lights specifically, whereas you're referring to the entire rear end of the LS vs. E65. The taillights on the G90 are also a purely aesthetic design decision, which is not the case with the trunk lid of the LS, W221, ATS, etc...

Originally Posted by rominl

"rear" includes the trunk. sorry, like it or not i consider trunk big part of the REAR. i don't have the time to list out every details for comparison. to me it's enough to give me the impression that it looks like a 7. it's an opinion and it's subjective, just like yours.

no worry, i have no problem you not agreeing

Originally Posted by huddleston

Having jumped ship from Lexus to Hyundai I can honestly say my experience with my Genesis has been nothing short of spectacular. I have the 2015 Genesis with the 5.0 and it is a magnificent car with respect to power and driving dynamics.

The TTV6 is coming in 2017 to the Genesis platform and I would assume it could be used in other vehicles in the line up as well.

To those that say Hyundai just copies design elements - take a look back a few years at the "fluidic design concept" when they reintroduced the sonata and the design language trickled down to the elantra, accent, santa fe and Tuscon. In todays market I think its nearly impossible to have a completely original design that doesn't share some design elements with other manufacturers. Just because one manufacturer implements elements that another brand started doesn't mean they lack design chops or originality. Then there is the fact the some of the same guys that designed cars for European and Japanese brands now are employed by Hyundai. So I guess the design elements you say are stolen from a manufacturer are just designs that an individual may have been working on for some time, the brand they work for has just changed.

Hyundai builds quality cars - its time to move past the "but its a Hyundai" state of mind and acknowledge that they build a quality product at an attractive price. As they continue to grow and gain experience in the market they will only become a stronger competitor.

I believe Lexus still builds a superior product, but I am in no way ashamed to say I drive a Hyundai. Anyone claiming that Hyundai is lesser brand than any of its non-luxury American on Japanese counterparts is simply living in the past.

Originally Posted by silversprucesc3

I as well own a Genesis v8 although its the 2011 model and still in love with the car. Having owned MB/BMW 7 and 3series and numerous Lexus's I echo Huddlston's remarks.
This new design albeit a blend of many looks gorgeous put together.

Originally Posted by dseag2

IMHO so many of us who have owned brands like Lexus have been hesitant to move to Hyundai due to the anticipated lack of service. Lexus is typically over-the-top with service, great waiting rooms, loaner cars, etc.

I have no doubt the Hyundai Genesis is a great car. Once Hyundai actually implements the Genesis brand with separate dealers/service I will seriously consider it. The new Genesis coupe prototype, larger and more luxurious, looks quite appealing. And the current Hyundai Genesis sedan has a nice presence on the road and doesn't look like anything else.

I just hope the existence of the stand-alone Genesis dealers doesn't raise the price of the cars, but you can't have everything!

Originally Posted by dseag2

IMHO so many of us who have owned brands like Lexus have been hesitant to move to Hyundai due to the anticipated lack of service. Lexus is typically over-the-top with service, great waiting rooms, loaner cars, etc.

I have no doubt the Hyundai Genesis is a great car. Once Hyundai actually implements the Genesis brand with separate dealers/service I will seriously consider it. The new Genesis coupe prototype, larger and more luxurious, looks quite appealing. And the current Hyundai Genesis sedan has a nice presence on the road and doesn't look like anything else.

I just hope the existence of the stand-alone Genesis dealers doesn't raise the price of the cars, but you can't have everything!

Originally Posted by dseag2

IMHO so many of us who have owned brands like Lexus have been hesitant to move to Hyundai due to the anticipated lack of service. Lexus is typically over-the-top with service, great waiting rooms, loaner cars, etc.

I have no doubt the Hyundai Genesis is a great car. Once Hyundai actually implements the Genesis brand with separate dealers/service I will seriously consider it. The new Genesis coupe prototype, larger and more luxurious, looks quite appealing. And the current Hyundai Genesis sedan has a nice presence on the road and doesn't look like anything else.

I just hope the existence of the stand-alone Genesis dealers doesn't raise the price of the cars, but you can't have everything!

Originally Posted by pbm317

They haven't moved forward with separate dealers, and we likely still won't see that for a while. I don't know anyone that owns an Equus, but they're basically offered valet service in terms of the dealership comes and drops off another Equus and takes your car in. Eliminating the need for you to have to come to the dealership at all. In reality, I'm not sure how that has all panned out.

I'm not sure what type of additional investment they'll ask of the Hyundai dealers to carry the new Genesis brand. Equus had it's own little "design studio" section of many Hyundai showrooms, somewhat similar to how Scion typically gets a dedicated section of the Toyota buildings.

I kind of hate the absurd buildings that many luxury brand franchises have built over the past few years. It's over the top, do people really want to go to their dealership and watch a movie? I see it as added overhead and costs that have been raked from their profits in the past and built into their cost structure going forward.