if anything, lexus is good for making something and making sure it lasts for a long time. i surely wouldn't want them to create something just to catch the schedule only to find out in 5 years that something is wearing out prematurely. isn't that something a lot of people pick on german cars anyway?

lexus is behind, everyone knows that. but especially if they are going into FI, i am all for doing more testing and making sure it's very reliable over time and in all driving conditions -- not just a few track sessions.

 

If they can get this thing to market and done the right way it will be an extry way to the big leagues. 641hp is more than what an S65 will make. Thats crazy.

 

If Lexus can make something as outrageous as this, then Acura and Infiniti really have no excuse. Lexus bears the banner against BMW, MBZ, Audi, Jaguar and Porsche - sadly alone. You'd hope that something like this and the IS-F, LFA, RC would spark them to help share the burden that is to take on the Europeans.

 

imho the other two are having problems holding their own share in regular production cars, they still have long ways before doing what lexus is

 

Between the Essence, the Emerge-E and the Q90 teaser, I think something big from Infiniti is coming soon.

 

True. One can't have it both ways. Lexus is known for and synonymous with reliability so as long as they want to retain that reputation it'll take them longer time to bring anything new to production. Can't really blame them then.

 

True. My point being the projects at Lexus bringing models toe to toe with European offerings (and lately being successful) I would hope boils their blood and stirs Infiniti and Acura to strive harder and really bring somethings to market. So let's hope the Essence, Emerge-E, Q90, and NSX do what the LFA did for Lexus and turn the companies around

 

yeah it's a tough call. it puts more pressure on them to put out "timely" models and catch up with others, but i say a lot of times when they come out, they do with some solid products. there are exceptions, but mostly good ones

i do think there is a momentum to turn things around. at least i am seeing more effort from all 3 of them (granted TINY forces from the other two), versus feel years ago you only hear how they were going to make the ES more numb. now we are mostly hearing how lexus wants to make the brand younger, cars sportier and more exciting

 

I think Lexus is working its way up. They want to kill it in the standard luxury car market and now they going into the high powered speciality vehicles. Seems like a good path I just wish they would hurry the hell up. Better late than never I guess

 

that's true IF their goal is to be 'just like' mercedes, bmw, audi, but it's quite possible that's not the case.

lexus has made an impressive test vehicle that they don't intend to sell. while a great and worthwhile engineering exercise, unless it leads to a production vehicle, it doesn't mean anything. infiniti's just 'restarting' (and isn't anywhere close to lexus is brand awareness, model line-up, etc.), and acura isn't and never was in the same market space.

lexus, infiniti, and acura are often mentioned together as some kind of japanese 'big 3' to maybe go head to head with germany's big 3, but it's not even close to a reasonable comparison. but it makes for good car chat.

 

every car such as this starts as a prototype... basically TMG wants to show Toyota what can it do - as you might know, Toyota companies operate independently and are responsible for their own profits. IS-F was at one point a prototype like this for instance.

 

more specifically, they know there is a problem with their direction. they know they have to get younger, and make the cars more exciting and fun to drive. i guess you can say they are not trying to become mb or bmw, but the direction they heading is somewhat where those companies are (or was?)

 

This needs to be reposted 10 million times all over the internet.

 

I love this car. I still can't believe I was sitting in it. TMG Koln, Toyota Japan, Lexus USA, please build it

 

I understand completely and agree with that. However for the sake of conversation and to play devils advocate, simply; why not? Why does it have to be this way? Clearly Acura and Infiniti want to be successful and to me it doesn't seem fair that Lexus should have to hold the banner against BMW, MBZ, Audi, Jag, and Porsche. Other than Lexus's beginnings which their trying to shed (albeit at a slower rate than the Euros), Acura and Infiniti give Japanese luxury a bad rep. Sure they're competent cars, but that is not what sells in this field. If run right, Acura and Infiniti have potential especially when you see their concepts. Unfortunately neither have any product or very little of it that could even be mentioned in the same breath as the rest. It's like are they really content with mediocrity?! The same can be said of Lincoln, which they and Acura and Infiniti would learn very much from Cadillac who took a simple formula and made it work. A year from now numbers will speak for themselves, but Cadillac actually had product or is going too, that matches that of the Euros. A coupe and flagship are on the way, with the small ATS, the CTS is now squarely positioned against the 5, E, GS, A6, XF, and V and V-Sport are going to rival M, S/RS, AMG, R, F. Helll even while the Lexus GS soldiers on with one power train regardless of trim, a standard V6 and Spercharged V8 for the CTS will soon be joined by the VSport 3.6L V6 TT 420hp. Cadillac has come to play. Back to Acura and Infiniti, things need to be taken more seriously. Build the NSX and Essence. Make them the halo of your brand as the LFA did for Lexus. Make it a catalyst toward propelling them towards the front lines where Lexus, Cadillac, and the aforementioned Euros do battle. The lack of effort, lack of product (toe to toe - like them bringing a knife to a gun fight), and the abysmal marketing are not only hurting them, but Lexus and the Japanese auto industry. Rumor had it the Infiniti dealer at my automall will be gone by years end.. At some point you gotta wake up and say what are we doing? Clearly it's all dreams and 's over there, because no one takes them seriously. And to be fair how coud they? They do nothing to support Lexus in this industry and rather drag down the image of Japanese luxury. If you want to match toe toe toe with the best, we'll then you have dig deep and produce a result that either matches or exceeds the Euros. You can't rest on laurels of competency, not in this day and age. To sum up, as long as the Euros continue to offer a product onslaught of high class, modern and advanced vehicles, there is nothing even Lexus and its LFA and award/comparison winning IS and GS duo can do by themselves to change the Image that society views or rather compares them to when the Euros set a standard as a whole. Until Acura and Infiniti and Lincoln for the Americans can offer what High end Euros do, the status quo will remain the same. This ties in nicely with my thread and the topic of Unequal Automakers.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...utomakers.html

To the Euros and their offerings I say thank you, to Lexus and Cadillac bravo for taking charge and battling back, and to Acura, Infiniti and Lincoln I say do it right or not at all. Strive to move chains and make big moves..