i agree.

2 things...
1) 80k is the new 50k.
2) agree 'can afford' and 'physically afford' are different than 'willing to shell out' but if you look at the first quote in the latter light i'd say it's true. i mean i could 'afford' a veyron if i sold my house, but i am not willing to do that.

ok but there definitely are people who are willing to shell out for an LC who would absolutely under no circumstances be willing to shell out over 200k for an amg even if wouldn't make any difference to their overall financial situation, so price does matter, regardless of whether someone can afford it, but maybe we're just saying the same thing in different ways.

 

Probably you know more than me in detail how it works but that is besides the point. Point is what you get in end product and always will be. All I know is that Lexus is stuck with very expensive RWD HSD that doesn't offer many benefits in fuel efficiency and performance when compared to it's gasoline counterpart nor when compared to diesel competition. It's just too damn expensive to save you money on gas, straight line performance is as same as V6 version (in Europe its even worse to compensate for more fuel efficiency) and handling is compromised due to added weight and balance.

Lexus RWD HSD was fresh decade ago but they did not improve it, they didn't even manage to get it to third generation until LC500h. This generation GS450h was supposed to get li-on batteries but it didn't, so technically it was 2.5g. It' too complex of a setup with very little benefits. Changes they made in LC500h is the most they did since 2006 450h technology debut.

FWD HSD is a lot more affordable and makes more sense.

 

This is getting off topic. The entire point another poster was trying to make was to clarify why people are interested in a LC500h over the v8 and who they might be.

 

I don't think we are that far off topic. We were comparing what type of demographic would be buying an LC vs an S-class V12.

 

The 2nd generation (GWL10) powertrain added an Atkinson cycle design to the powertrain which gave it a 35% improvement in fuel economy. That's pretty significant vs the first gen which only had Otto cycle. If the LCh can manage mid to high 30mpg's, as well as an increased EV range and EV mode operation at high speeds of up to 87mpg now verses the current GSh and LSh's 62mph full EV, I'd say Lexus will have succeeded. Would be nice to see the next GS hybrid get this multi-stage transmission.

2011 GS450h 22/25/23 mpg
2013 GS450h 29/34/31 mpg
2018 LC500h 31/37/XX mpg estimated*

 

The key term is "willing to shell out". We all make decisions what we are willing to pay for, it's not that we cannot physically make these purchases, so to say "we cannot afford them" is not accurate.

And 80k Isn't the new 50k, its the new $60k

 

You and I, however, are economically fortunate enough to be able, if desired, to shell out the needed cash for a vehicle in this price range. We live in what is one of the highest-income areas in the country....comparable to places like Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and parts of Connecticut and New England. (I could easily afford a vehicle like that myself, but, in general, until now, have preferred not to spend that much on a car).

 

We're off topic, my point was just when thinking about the demographics at play here, we shouldn't assume that people are choosing to buy the LC because they cannot physically afford to buy some Mercedes that costs a lot more.

People arent buying a car every dollar as much as they can physically spend when they buy a car of this caliber.

 

30 city and 38 hwy as predicted/est by Car & Driver.

 

I was trying to get at the mind set of the LC hybrid buyer

If you can't pay for it, you are out to start

I am saying the the LC hybrid buyer does not look for the HP spec first when considering the car, whereas the fill in the blank 65 AMG customer is more likely to be

 

I get what you are saying. Fair enough. However, I don't see why the hybrid buyer would not look at HP specs or at least the performance at this price point. If the LCh is priced the same or more than the 5.0, why would a person want to pay more for less power and less performance? LCh was made for the Europe while the LC500 was made the for USA. That is my way of looking at it.

 

Is higher gas mileage less performance?

Some would say it is higher performance?

My NSX hybrid has about the same horsepower as a 570S and gets better gas mileage, so to me, that is an element of better performance.

I was recently having a chat with some folks who could not understand why some one would pay over $1000 per square foot for a new condo down town.

For most folks, they will be looking for a lot of square feet (akin to your horsepower point) for their dollars, and a smaller set of folks want certain aesthetics and price is not the relevant factor.

I see the LC hybrid as a car that will be selected by the latter group.

 

I've seen a number of people who just had to have that car (or had to keep up with the Jones'es)....even if they didn't have enough left in their pockets to have a cup of coffee with LOL.

On the LC, I don't see it directly competing with most Mercedes coupes, which, to an extent at least, seem to target a different buyer-base.

 

You have conveniently spun it. The LCh is more "efficient" yes, you could say it has more performance from a MPG standpoint but there are pros and cons of both the LC500 and LCh. There is an efficiency attached to the performance of the LCh. Add more power, you will lose some efficiency.

 

since you mentioned this, please explain what you mean?