is it just me, or would you like to see v6's in the german luxo sedans, and others? i mean like id like to see a v6 in the xf jag, and the mb cls, just like in europe, and with the raising gas prices it would help right? i mean you don't need a v8 for luxury. and i think it would be cool to see in the 7 series and the a8 and the new s class too, although, those would be the definition of a land yacht lol just an idea of mine, i think they would sell well to, but if you guys think this is garbage it's ok to

 

I think it would be cool. The Europeans have built the "image" of being bigger and better, when in Europe in many cases they are smaller and less prestigious.

Looks like they will bring diesels first. They are wary of hurting their image here as we are a CASH COW for them. They sell their overpriced, most expensive models here. We begin with the S550 but Europe has the S350 for example.

 

I've been saying for years you don't need a V8 if you have a good V6.

 

i guess we agre lol, although i don't think you can compete with the smoothness of a v8, i wonder what a v12 would be like lol

 

Yeah, I don't care how powerful the V-6 is, the low end torque and sound of a V-8 is IRREPLACEABLE.

Unless you have cars with both, lol

 

Why in heaven's name are you pointing this at the germans? I would think that an LS350 wouldn't be an embarassment and with another few thousand off the price it would be a great vehicle. In todays engineering, the electronic goodies that the easily impressed seem to find so vital actually end up being a great place to save weight. So you decontent some of the gizmos and get a lighter vehicle at a lower price point with better efficiency. You do have to be careful that sometimes the smaller engine doesn't return the gas mileage you would think but it sure would be worth a try. The 350 is a great engine and the LS might find some sales to unlock. In the same vein, I wish the Jaguar XK had a strong V6 and manual available. It might not be the market that Ford or TaTa intends for the car but if they coupled it with a diet, they might find some of that XK-E magic.

 

Bigger engines also justify the price increase between models, just like build quality and technology.

For example, the GS350/460 ($45-60k) and LS460 ($65-85k) are priced accordingly to differentiate their luxury status and build quality. If there is an LS350 near the price of a GS350/460, it will take away sales from the GS (especially the GS460), as well as "dumb down" the presige status of the flagship LS.

 

well only because i know they have v6's in the market already, i was not saying it was a bad thing for the germans or anything, although in my opinion i think that we can leave the ls with a v8 and let the gs have the option between the two

 

I love V8 power, but don't love V8 fuel economy...

 

Um, because the Germans (and others he mentioned) already make these models in Europe. There is a CLS350 in Europe. There is a V6 Jag XF in Europe. There isn't an LS350. Anywhere.

 

Some manufacturers, like Chrysler with the Hemi, have attempted to deal with this problem by devices that shut down some cylinders at light engine loads. Cadillac had a primitive system back in the early 1980's that did this, but, like almost everything else GM made back then, it was grossly unreliable.

 

Yeah, my dad had one of those Caddys that shut down cylinders, terribly unreliable. He never bought another American car after that.

 

I though newer Mercs with V6 and 8s have cylinder lock downs also?

That's why you need a GS450H :P

 

Hence the reason why it was dubbed the V-8,6,4,0.

 

Please don't take this wrong but it is this thinking that I find to be Toyota starting to get GMified. The Camaro couldn't have more hp than the Corvette, ever, it just couldn't. Now the LS460 has to have more hp than the GS460. Where did those 38hp go exactly? These corporate rules are dumber than dirt and Lexus is right down there playing them like anyone else.

The LS has the room I want but I have just decided I won't buy this generation of large sedans because the mileage sucks. And from what you say, I guess I will only have the Europeans to shop once they start bringing their diesels here as the LS isn't going to change for quite a while and Lexus has decided that Lexus hybrids will be performance hybrids, not efficiency hybrids. I guess they won't make an ES hybrid because it could take sales from the GS450h. Dumb. I have to agree with you that Lexus has some pretty thin price dividers between models but I find it hard to believe that a LS350 would take a significant amount of sales from the GS460. There won't be much testosterone in the LS350. I guess Lexus marketeers are pretty much the same as GM marketeers.

I will further agree that the bigger engines have demanded a price premium but one of the more endearing things about Toyota was there was no build quality difference. In fact, I think you can raise an argument that Toyotas are, if anything, more reliable than the Lexus. One thing I know, Toyotas need one heck of a lot less routine maintenance than Lexus does and that is something that Lexus was quite happy to learn from the Germans.

In the original post he says "germans and others" so I did misread that but I didn't realize he was only talking about models that are already available somewhere else but not here. Obviously, the marketeers have told the Germans that we Americans take pride in putting our wallets where our cylinders are and that there is no point in bringing in puny motors. The diesels were held up because of emissions issues which are now getting sorted out but I am sure the testing for the engines will still make them a ways off. Then again, maybe bimmer can get me a 735 sometime soon. I doubt they are worried about taking sales from the 550.