Thoughts on this?

 

Horrible....in every aspect.

V.

 

Looks cool but typical SEMA build that's incomplete and doesn't work. I still prefer V8 over TTV6 but I wouldn't be mad if both existed.

 

It’s a little too riced out for me (wrx trying too hard kind of vibes) but interesting none the less
glad they could squeeze some power out of the v6 kind of like how the m3/m4 (in-line6) do .
I like raitis videos.

 

But honestly they didn't. I has to run on E85. So, what does it do on premium gasoline? A whole lot less I'm sure. I'm unimpressed by power numbers on alternative fuels

 

I'd take it if it were given to me, and then I'd tear a lot of it apart. Not a fan of the blend of functional and non-functional CF; would have been nice if they'd just gone all in and done it right. A lot of things just aren't aesthetically pleasing, either, though some full shots out in better light might lessen that.

Point is even if this does mean something special to come with a true high-performance F-Sport lineup or an IS F revamp it won't matter how meh or magnificent it looks or how well it does or doesn't perform if they never show it to the people who would love to buy it. At least this time factory forced induction seems enough of a given that aftermarket kits will be easier to get, install, and maintain vs the situation now for the F.

I do like that Lexus is trying to keep some hype alive but they do a really bad job of keeping people brand aware. I get fed Mercedes ads all the time online and I happen to come across far more ads for every luxury brand's sport models regularly in mags and whatever else; I almost never know what Lexus is doing unless I search for it myself or a channel feeds it to me. Never saw a single IS F ad during its run and I've yet to see anything for the IS 500. Actually I didn't even know the F existed until I happened across it here when I was thinking about either a 200T or a 350.

Either way, I don't know who handles Lexus' marketing and ad spend but whoever they are they've been bad at it for over a decade now. They keep forgetting to tell anyone who would buy that they have something tempting for sale.

 

^^^I don't watch much TV and I've seen a TIN of ads/commercials on the IS500 the last 12-16 months... especially the LC500. I think they've done an awesome job with marketing the last few years. The ISF and GSF def didn't get much coverage.

V.

 

Maybe the fates are conspiring against me. I see ads for pretty much everyone in the segment but Lexus. The only thing I ever catch from Lexus are the "December to Remember" & other generic ads or targeted ads for their SUVs. Even in random mags I pick up it's been the same. Also aside from people who run in this circle, how often do you hear someone mention Lexus is on their radar when they're looking at performance luxury? I initially looked at Mercedes, BMW, Infinity, Audi, and so on, and was even considering going to American muscle. I'd seen Lexus cars in racing events but literally either never came across an ad for anything sporty they offer or any performance channels, traditional or online, reviewing or touting the benefits of a single Lexus model.

There may have been additional issues but the F's sales numbers and the fact i didn't know it existed until I came here don't speak to a magnificent marketing campaign, nor does me not having seen a single 500 ad despite my search history around it.

Edit: just as a fun semi fact-based anecdote I decided to take a look at submissions in r/CommercialsIHate by car brand. Lexus wins by a mile for all-time. As another aside, guess which mostly non-luxury Japanese automaker also takes best-in-class for submissions? That's right, it's Lexus' parent company, Toyota!

https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...ihate&size=500

This will only parse properly for you if you use Firefox or a markdown add-on in other browsers, so if by chance this kind of tech isn't your thing you can just open it in Firefox and see the results.

Another quick point I looked at was threads over in r/Cars. Lexus is behind over there when it comes to mentions around performance, hp, and so on, whether as a starting point for discussion or people looking for performance vehicles.

https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=500

though Lexus performance-related posts do seem to be pretty well-received when they show up:

https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=100
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=100
https://api.pushshift.io/reddit/sear...=cars&size=100

Might play around later and do a sentiment analysis of Lexus vs other brands but I'll probably have to stick to post titles as the comments can devolved into a lot of different comparisons that don't necessarily relate positively or negatively to the main brand being discussed.

Quick takeaway is Lexus is perhaps well thought of by those who know them, but they don't appear to be as well-known when it comes to luxury performance or often considered in that conversation.

 

Store-brand Seth Myers is selling it pretty hard. I understand it's a SEMA show-build, but too much exterior carbon for me.