Please merge this with the main thread about the eighth generation ES.

I am afraid Lexus will discontinue the LS and make the ES proper luxury car. That means the price will be 20 to 30% higher than the current generation.

That image is horrendous. I'll be in another RX when I'm ready to ditch the ES which may be never anyway.

And call it "Speculation continues" :):)

Out of 8 Teslas in our extended family, 2 of them have been vandalized here in southern CA in the last 2 months. One of the reasons I passed on a M3P (which was an insane value last month with 0% 5 year loan!) and got my IS500 instead. Really hope the ES doesn't jump in price to become the FWD flagship. Really don't want Lexus to become Acura+

Sorry about the vandalism. That’s completely wrong! Disliking a product or its management does not give anyone the right to destroy someone else's property. Makes you wonder, where have values and respect gone? :sad:

I don’t agree with TSLA managerial/political stance and have no plans to support them in any way as of now (regardless of price/offers). Nevertheless, it’s still a great product for those who find value in it, even as the growth in global EV sales has slowed and PHEV appear to be on the rise. If they don’t correct course soon, the company could face serious challenges abroad, with Chinese competitor BYD is swiftly eroding its global market share.

Anyway, good buy on the IS500! That's a beast.

We will see both.

Boat has sailed. Production of 7th Gen is wrapping up in the US soon.

Could there be any worse timing to be moving production out of U.S. rather than into U.S. to avoid tariffs.

The way I read it, it only says that production of the Gen 7 was wrapping up, not that production of the ES was moving out of the US. Unless, of course, imported components are of such a volume and value that it doesn't make economic sense to continue assembling the ES in the US. If you were planning on a Gen 8 for 2026, you'd be stopping the Gen 7 build too. Gotta have time to change the plant.

The 8ES looks like a RZ in sedan form, same front and rear end :(

I think I will end up preferring the look of the 7ES, which looks more classy, stately, luxurious, while the 8ES just looks futuristic. Not to mention the 7ES actually looks unique in the Lexus lineup and not just a design clone like the 8ES...

One of my favorite parts of the 7ES are the rear lights when lit, very unique design, breaks necks as well, but 8ES, wow we get a long strip, how inspired, like every other car brand is doing...

This was decided way back in 2021. And all the BEV batteries for the ES (as with the higher spec BZ4x and RZ) will be made in Himeji battery plant (Toyota now fully owns Prime Planet Energy). So it makes sense not to ship components all over the place. Himeji plant is already ramping up capacity for mass production to 13GWh.

I visited Himeji twice in the 1970's and climbed to the top of the castle. It may be the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Hard to imagine a huge factory in that area, but I expect the castle is too valuable a tourist attraction to allow anything ugly to be built within sight of it. And, being a castle on a hill, you can see for miles from the top.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hi...oASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...6078345527.jpg

The coupe like rear reminds me of the C6, albeit with a more angular treatment of the truck and front fascia. Under the skin I’ve always thought of the C6 as being in the same ilk as the ES.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...27171b1d2.jpeg

Toyota's North American Battery Manufacturing facility is now producing. I live in the county where it is located and is producing batteries now. To my eye Toyota will also eventually put a vehicle assembly plant on this site as this is a huge site and appears to be laid out for considerable future growth. The AI link below speaks of four (4) future vehicle assembly facilities on this site although there has been no formal announcement of vehicle assembly operations on this site.

https://pressroom.toyota.com/facilit...orth-carolina/

The AI summary:


The Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC) plant in Liberty, North Carolina, is located on an 1,825-acre megasite. This large facility is dedicated to manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The plant is expected to have 14 battery production lines and four hybrid electric vehicle lines, and will cover a total of 7 million square feet.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Location: Liberty, North Carolina, on the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite.
• Acreage: 1,825 acres.
• Size: 7 million square feet.
• Production: Lithium-ion batteries for HEVs and BEVs.
• Lines: 14 battery production lines and 4 hybrid electric vehicle lines.
• Timeline: Groundbreaking in 2021, with start of production in 2025.