Lexus is looking at both ends of the powertrain spectrum and along with its fast-growing lineup of hybrid-electric vehicles, the Toyota division may also launch a high-performance brand-within-a-brand, along the lines of the Mercedes-Benz AMG series and Cadillac’s new V series. “It is being seriously studied,” Lexus General Manager Denny Clements told TheCarConnection.com. He quickly added that, “I’m not telling you we’re going to do it,” though Clements stressed that he is “absolutely” in favor of the idea. “We need to have a flagship in every segment, like AMG.” A hint of what might come was offered during the recent Detroit auto show, when Lexus lifted the covers on the LF-A supercar. The 200 mph two-seater is officially being referred to as a concept vehicle, though Clements acknowledged, “We really want to build the car,” which borrows on the know-how Toyota has gained through its efforts on the Formula One racing circuit. If priced around $125,000, the Toyota Group Vice President estimated there’d be a market for as many as 100 a month. The LF-A underscores the effort by Toyota to create more passion around the Lexus brand. “An imperative now is to create more buzz,” said Clements. “It’s not about volume. It’s about image.” —Paul A. Eisenstein

 

Lets see we have:

AMG
M
V


And now Lexus introduces

P

 

I know that if I had the funds, I would definitely buy a performance oriented Lexus - don't know which one as the 3rd gen GS is one ugly duckling if I ever saw one.

 

I'm glad to hear that they're brainstorming, at least!

 

werd! All they need to do is come up with a good name... the name is half the battle!

 

Denny Clements has made more concrete pronouncements as far back as January 04 in Autoweek in which he stated that there "would be a high performance division". This latest statement sounds like crawfishing (means backing up, here down South) to me. So maybe no GT division after all....................

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...

 

I really hope they are not backing up. As far as I know, the GS450h is supposed to be the "GT" version of the GS, since it's hybrid system is more tuned for performance. If that's not the "GT" version of the GS .... then I guess Toyota has really thrown a curveball at us, retracting on the GT idea.

Then again, this is typical of Toyota, to pull surprises, or shocking announcements ... kind of like when they denied that a new Supra was in production, right before the MK4 Supra came out. I am still pretty confident that this is just typical Toyota strategy: understated, always denying the existence of anything, total Japanese style .

This actually reminds me of a comment a Toyota exec made (forget who) that they had no plans as of now to produce a hybrid Camry. From what I hear, the hybrid Camry is set to come pretty soon, and it's 100% a go.

 

Yes, Lexus cannot continue to ignore the fact, EVERYONE is bumping power. Its just technology getting better, extracting more power.

Good point about the MKIV Supra, they did shock the world with it. And the GS 400 in 1998. Its that time again....

 

I really have no idea what might be their "GT " version, the first I've heard of it, it seems that they are referring to the high-powered hybrids, but I've also seen Longo Lexus posting about a supercharged LS coming out, when she was talking about the info they got from a dealers' meeting.

 

Toyota does not want to get into the power number game, but the "GT" line is perfect in this respect because it will give those who want a high performance Lexus the option. Also, I bet the appearance of the "GT" models will be different.

Hmmm, a supercharged LS .... powerwise it won't be a big difference compared to a hybrid V8 LS, but it will still be a mean machine, especially with a TRD-tuned supercharger . Last I heard though, the "GT" models were going to be performance hybird cars.

 

That's what I thought too, but there will be performance hybrids for Lexus for sure now that it has been reported that the GS450h will be previewed in the upcoming NY Autoshow, so when they are talking about the performance badge that they are contemplating in the first post of this thread, it seems they are referring to something else other than just the hybrids.

 

With the non-hybrid LF-A, I think if Lexus does go the "GT" route, it will not be hybrids but just beefed up engines. It seems true performance hybrids maybe a ways off, or the business case makes no sense to develp Hybrid power for very small volume cars.

If you notice, the hybrids are going to high-volume vehicles. The Prius will sell 100k units this year, the RX is a high volume seller and the Highlander and Camry hybrids sell in tons.

If the LF-A was a hybrid, I really think a performance hybrid would come. Now, I think otherwise.

Well, they better do it or Lexus will really lose IMAGE points. A lot of people here don't understand how important IMAGE is. It may seem childish or something not important, but for the luxury game, it is very importtant.

Kudos to Caddy to mixing it up with the Germans.....

 

That indeed is part of the problem wth image....it is TOO important.
And........it is unrealistic in the real world of car buying. We're not talking about just buying an image.......we're talking about forking over many thousands of dollars for an automotive PRODUCT, not an image. What MATTERS is what is coming out of your wallet, the vehicle that you are getting for that money, if you can afford it, and whether or not you feel that vehicle is worth what it costs. Mercedes and BMW are good examples of companies with high "image" but with deteriorating products. Hyundai and Kia are examples of a poor image but now with good products.

We're talking about buying a CAR, not an IDEA. You are buying a complex and expensive product made of metal, plastic, glass, wiring, rubber, fabric, leather, and many other materials, built by people and machines. Unless you are very rich, can afford a new car every year, or the car is stolen or totalled, you are going to have to live with that purchase for at least a few years. These are very important things to think about when shopping...not just so-called "image".

The smart person will look at what their needs are, what they can afford, and what vehicle BEST suits their needs......not what the Jones' down the street will think.

You've seen my posts a long time, Mike. You know how I deal with people here on CL. ( same way I deal with people anywhere else ). I have given many, many vehicle suggestions to those who have asked for it, but never have I recommended anything based just on "image" or what someone else will think. I've also done a number of posts very critical of automotive stereotypes because they often discourage people from buying what in fact is best for them because they are afraid of what someone else will think.....such as with men driving minivans or small convertibles or young people driving plush, softly-sprung luxury cars or people who need large SUV's for towing and hauling but are afraid of the political anti-SUV crowd. The important thing is for people to get the vehicle best suited for THEIR needs, not just to impress people or to keep people from making fun of them.

 

MMarshall, the thing is that for many,car buying decisions are not necessarily rational, but more emotional in nature, especially for luxury marques. People are not just buying a car for utility, but are also buying a dream. I think researches done by car companies(including Toyota & GM) have shown that having "image cars" in it's lineup will help boost the sales of it's "regular" models, even though the image models themselves are almost always not big sellers. So I agree with Mike, & Toyota knows that too.