Mercedes couldn't make it with their Maybach, no way lexus is going to do that.

 

I actually liked the LX interior more than the LS until they updated the LS for 2013.

Looking forward to seeing what Lexus will do to the interior of the flagship SUV for MY2016.
I Hope they keep it on par with the LS and not a step below in terms of luxury.

 

when did sales numbers become part of the equation for flagship?! come on, no one would ever think the 3 series and c class as flagships right?

 

Agreed...the LS600h certainly does not sell in large numbers (the average car buyer, of course, doesn't have $125K sitting around to burn), yet no rational person could deny it is the Lexus flagship.

 

I agree, definitely the LS.

And not because I have one now

 

Unless we go global. Then the Mercedes flagship is the A class

 

OP, why would RX come to mind as a flagship vehicle? That's equivalent to thinking of the Rav4 as a flagship Toyota, all the while the $80K Land Cruiser exists. The RX is an entry level luxury CUV. You need to spend twice as much for the LX if you want a flagship Lexus SUV.

 

The more I think about it the more I think its not worth discussing. I can't even fathom the thought of considering the RX as a flagship.

 

Agreed...the two models that should have come into the OP mind is the LS and LX as flagships and not RX...as for the halo car that's the LFA...

 

I can't consider the LX a flagship because its a rebadged Toyota vehicle. The flagship needs to be a Lexus-specific platform and vehicle.

Lexus was designed for the LS400, so the LS will always be the quintessential Lexus.

 

Congrats on the new LS btw ^^ Beautiful.
No doubt the LS is the flagship Lexus.

 

Thank you! Taking pictures today, will post!

 

You referenced wikipedia in your own article... maybe you should have looked up the wikipedia article on the term "flagship" while you were at it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagship

To summarize it for you - a flagship of any product line will be, generally speaking, the 'top of the line" product they make. And best is defined as fastest/nicest/luxurious/high quality/best picture quality/most features/most expensive/whatever other metric you would use to measure a product in its respective manufacturer's lineup.

"Best selling" or "best value" is not a metric for a flagship product. In fact the two products are usually (but not always) on opposite ends of the brand's pricing scale.

 

Lexus plans 2nd 'flagship' model to augment LS sedan

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand is planning to launch a 2nd top-of-the-line "flagship" model to accompany a new generation of its LS sedan, the head of the brand's U.S. operations told Reuters on Wednesday.

"We need a flagship. It doesn't have to be a sedan," Jeff Bracken, Lexus division general manager, told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry conference.

Bracken would not say what type of vehicle the 2nd flagship Lexus would be.

Last month, Automotive News reported that Lexus is readying a full-size coupe. Late last year, Lexus trademarked a pair of names: LC 500 and LC 500h. They are widely understood to be coupes based on the rwd LS sedan.

Sales of large luxury sedans such as the Lexus LS and BMW 7 series have slowed in recent years as affluent consumers have shifted toward luxury SUVs.

Rival luxury automakers have been winning customers with vehicles such as Tata Motors' Land Rover brand, the Cadillac Escalade from General Motors and large SUVs coming from the German luxury automakers.

The SUV surge has prompted even luxury brands with no history of selling SUVs, such as BMW's Rolls-Royce, to develop models to compete in the super luxury SUV segment.

U.S. sales have been supported by a prolonged drop in gasoline prices. Average prices at the pump on Tuesday were $2.63, down 25% from a year ago, according to the AAA travel group.

"In addition to the LS (a large sedan), there could be another flagship in our lineup," Bracken said. "We'll define what it is in January."

Lexus also is looking to strengthen its SUV lineup by offering a version of the midsize RX SUV with a 3rd row seat. An RX with room for 7 or 8 passengers is the No. 1 request from U.S. Lexus dealers, Bracken said.

A new RX is due this fall but will not have a 3rd row seat.

"We don't want to wait for a next generation" to add the extra seating row, Bracken said.

 

the flag ship is the LS but the bread and butter vehicles are the ES and RX.

A flagship vehicle is the higher performance model that has lower sales but consumers aspire towards.

The bread and butter are the high selling vehicles. Some consumers buy them for the badge on front and have no clues about the engine or performance.