From Auto Spies comes this new information (although some of it not totally new):
http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e...e000143915.cfm

Also, check out the links for the HPX concept car, which is said to contain styling cues for the entire Lexus line. Usually this site is very accurate with theif information.

The LED headlights sound really cool!

HMMM, interesting. Good find Alewifep.

I question the whole I drive setup that is on the BMW 7 series. The 7 series sales are really hurting because of that and its so so styling. In the end it was just too complicated to operate and full of electronic glitches.

It looks like Lexus is using the GS and HPX as a launching pad for new things/features like the I drive, LED lights, AWD drive system and than possibly reintroduce it into the LS430

Here is a link to the HPX concept which will be making its debut at the new york auto show which happens to be starting today. I will try to head on overthere at some point and snap up some real shots of the car.

http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/...iew&artid=9162

I will be there this Saturday myself. The overal boring styling trend from Lexus has been disturbing for all of us CLers because we don't want to see our beloved GS look like the ES!

Hopefully, and me thinks that this is true, it seems as though Lexus is gong through a sort of a change to make some really attractive, high technology cars. From this same site, I have heard about a remodel on the LS430 in the near future, even though it is a relatively new model.

While I want to see the new GS NOW (lease comes up in September), perhaps it is a blessing in disguise. It would be great to see a truly compelling, beautiful car, to compete with the current crop of competitors. The E-Class is not selling as well as they had hoped in the US, and it is partially because it has nice, but boring styling. The new 5 Series is going to be as controversial as ever with its styling. And I don't expect much from Audi.

Lexus has typically been behind on the technological innovations, but we possibly could be seeing a change in that.

I hope that's not what the new headlights design will look like. It just doesn't have the sporty/aggressive look to it like the current design. It looks just like the ES and to me the ES looks very SOFT. I think the GS needs to have the sporty/aggressive edge look to set it apart from the crowd, not a big brother of the ES.

The new Benz E500 is pretty nice but has anyone hear the AC blower when it's cranked on max power??? My buddy just bought an E500 and when he was leaving, he turned on the AC to max and holly cow, I thought the thing was broken!!! The AC blower sounds about as loud as our vacuum cleaner!!! On our GS, when we crank it to the max, we can barely hear the blower motor. But the new E500 sure looks a lot better than the old E430.

I know everyone seems to think that but the data doesn't back it up.

7 Series Sales
1999 18,233
2000 16,619
2001 13,389
2002 22,006

Seems like though folks might have issues with it (iDrive, Styling, etc..) they are selling quite well.

Can't believe I fall back on Six Sigma training...

Drew, when do yo think you might head out to the show???

i saw this article also, i like the styling of the HPX but I can't see lexus getting rid of the quad light set up on the GS. Since its a concept, there may be a few toned down ideas that will make it to the GS.

BMW sales figures and quality varies inversly.

Like I mentioned before, people are more likely to be irrational buyers when new technology come out, without thinking about the consequences.

After all of the gloom and doom about the 7 series, the first year sales of the new body style have sold very well, but have had a ton of quality issues. But, the new E-Class is also loaded with first year problems. As always, quality is an issue with the German cars. I personally like the look of the old E better in some ways than the new one. I definately like the old CLK over the new CLK. Either way, they both have boring designs, and after driving the new E, I thought it was very soft and weak in the knees.

In terms of the I-Drive, it becomes a sticky situation. As more and more complexity is introduced in to cars, and more and more options and customization possibilities exist, you need to design some type of system to control some of these functions. But it was overkill in the 7, as it takes many movements just to change the station on the radio. A median exists to take care of both needs.

Globe: My point is that, independent of our individual likes and dislikes, the car maker will do what sells. As an example to complement the 7 series, IMHO the current ES exterior is ugly, especially compared to previous genreations and the current Camry but I'm in the minority and the sales are rising. If Lexus believes they can make sales rise by making cars styled like that they will do it. They'll sell more and they will lose me as a customer.

Care to back that up with unbiased data?

After driving the new 7 series BMW for a week, I wouldn't take it over my GS400 in an even trade. The new hi tech stuff and the I Drive is not all that bad. What I didn't like was having to bend over so much to just get in the driver's seat. I also managed to turn on the windshield wipers at least four times, when reaching up to the transmission shifter. I guess I'm a slow learner in getting around a poor ergonomic design.

for sales figures, please read above

for problems, visit www.bimmer.org

First of all I think there is I-drive that works and I-drive that don't. I saw a test where they compared BMW 7 and Audi A8. They where thrilled with Audis I-drive and terrified with the bimmers I-drive. Lexus is known to be a do it right company. I'm sure that they will have a smart interface instead of complicated ala bimmer.
/Fredric

Like I said... care to back it up with unbiased data?

What you have are anecdotes, that would be the same kind of "data" that Drew probably used to say that the current 7 series isn't selling that well. How about actual defects / car or some other statistical measure of quality over the years?

Not saying you might not be right but I prefer a real sampling of data (bimmer.org owners aren't that) over anecdotes.

Edit: FWIW I hopped on over to JD Powers and compared (Perhaps not unbiased but as good as I could think of at this point). It seems that Quality has gone downhill over time with the 2002 model standing out as quite a bit lower. So inversely proportional? Nope! Steadily declining with a noticeable decrease in 2002, yep. BTW: That's initial quality the newer cars seem to be holding up better in mid-term quality. Lot's of data if you go looking for it.

Data is your friend.

Is this the new GS?