spwolf

90 days is actually ordering the car from the factory, not allocated one. You are basically making new request for production, which is why it takes 90 days.

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

Are you saying what I am saying...??

I have special ordered Two different Lexus IS models.. I know the process very well here in the USA.

~ Joe Z

ALIGN

Because most of BMW models are now made in the US. When you order a Mercedes Benz AMG it takes about 3-4 months to get it because the engines are hand built and they are shipped from Germany. As you would notice the paint on the US made BMW's are water base because of EPA regulations here in the US. Lacquer base paint are still more durable than water base, not sure about the Lexus. Only the RX that is built outside of Japan.

You can always custom order your vehicle in any dealership but they will always offer you the one in their lot so they can get rid of it and you have to pay a premium for it. Each day a vehicle sits on the lot cost them hundreds of dollars on insurances and taxes. The dealership orders their vehicle trim directly to the manufacturer.

Pre order your IS prior to release, they may waive the custom fee because they don't have anything to offer.

spwolf

we could order any amount of cars (but there were never many of course), doesnt matter the allocation... 90 days is usually enough for their to increase production/allocation, unless there is some huge demand on the vehicles.

I actually understood you as if they picked those special orders from only already incoming vehicles, sorry :-).

as you said, every distributor, for instance TMS in the USA, plans for their own orders, so they order straight from the factory, 90 days in advance... and every distributor in the world does the same, so factory can plan the production properly. When new Rav4 came out in 2006, we had 10 month waiting lists, so bad that they fired our product planners ;-).

I suspect that Lexus Japan does it differently, but that the difference makes their vehicles more expensive, because they really are.

I ordered at least few hundred of those, probably more... hard to remember, it is now 3 years that I am not doing that anymore :-)

Sango

iTrader: (10)

^
Japan's standard of living is also different, so I am surprised they are more expensive.

I ordered stuff directly from Japan not related to automotive, such has CD, Blu-ray, sporting equipment, they are definitely more expensive.

flipside909

Toyota runs a very tight line in vehicle manufacturing. I've done several plant tours at the former NUMMI where Corolla, Tacoma, Vibe/Voltz were made and it's amazing to see how tight they run the line. There's a 30 day supply for parts for vehicle manufacturing so in the event of a supplier disruption, Toyota can continue to produce cars and not slow down.

Vehicle ordering is done several months in advance by each region of the 4 Lexus USA regions. One special order vehicle has to be slipped into the mix ahead of time (90 days) so it will not disrupt the allocations already ordered.

In Japan, because of obvious logistics and a very upper end clientele, Lexus is able to cater special ordered cars for their local market, especially in a short period of time. USA is volume, where as the Japanese market isn't.