Fantastic point. Simply fantastic. Yes, M and AMG and S/RS provide that HALO that makes 1 series drives and C-class hatchback drivers feel good about themselves!!

The "h" is a great, different step but the media will want more of the same, i.e Lexus needs a much rumored "GT" line.

 

That is a surprising ommision. I know they are very reluctant to have their name and brand on many items, maybe they asked to be excluded?

 

Definitely agree with you Sick. Would be amazing if Lexus had a high performance division.

 

Don't they have one? I thought it was that L-tuned division.

 

Lexus is new world (robots that don't make mistakes) new money and egality. The prestige described in marketing terms in this thread has never been in the Lexus philosophy, far from it. Lexus has earned the respect it has in the marketplace where it counts. Its association with Toyota here in the states is a positive one. Lexus has moved Mercedes closer to its style than the original emulation of Mercedes S Class in the first LS.

Mercedes was the most influential car co and at one time epitomized quality. Lexus passed Mercedes in sales in the US five years ago and never looked back. Last year Lexus led Mercedes by about 70,000 units. This prestigious brand is selling for below invoice here in Montgomery County, Md which a top ten area for per capita income in the US. Mercedes did the damage to itself when it ventured lower in price to attract more volume with the 190E or baby Benz. I worked for MB a few years after that. The C Class has also diluted their prestige but ironically the E Class and S Class have been plagued with computer issues for 5 years now and the elite are P'd off. The Three Pointed Star has lost its luster.....Wait, the Smart car is coming to the rescue?

BMW has an excellent image of sport/performance and is the only challenger to Lexus really in the US. Lexus outsold BMW by about 35,000 units last year. They too suffer from all sorts of electronic gremlins. The 3 series is their bread and butter and is the standard from which all other sport sedans are measured in their segment. They are sexy. BMW's have the best selection of factory wheels and large sizes too. Their interiors are a different story. The I-drive is a joke. They are associated with young upwardly mobile professionals as the car of choice...

Lexus doesn't try to exclude so it will never be a snob. It truly cares about the customer not as a conquest but as a relationship. Prestige can only carry you so far and then substance is called for. Lexus is the only Luxury hybrid producer. Why? Because they spent the money to develop it first. Europe likes diesels. They don't sell well in the States. Diesels emit Dioxin. Hybrids barely emit anything. The Euro Prestige brands do not have an answer for the LS600hL. They must just sit there and watch...

In closing, Lexus may not have old world prestige but they have plurality. Lexus makes the most money too. Prestige can be ephemeral but the Swiss will not take it on deposit. Prestige is a braggart and a bore....

Rock

 

^^^
Well said. I think there's a flip side to prestige, and one which I think includes arrogance, inflexible thinking, and being mired in the past as opposed to looking ahead towards the future. I also think there's a bit of a culturally superior attitude in some of the alleged attributes of 'prestige.'

 

well put, rock, i agree with you. it's funny coz' in socal, the way i see it, the old prestige is what you see in beverly hill where all the old people drive, old boring cars, etc... and if you talk about all the new money, you see people drive very different cars in newport beach. that's much refreshing imho

 

L-tuned is no longer in existence. It was nice in theory though, but the L-tuned accessories were mostly cosmetic...no real performace upgrades.

I had the L-tuned body kit, suspension and exhaust on my last GS. And trust me, it was not even close to a "high performance" vehicle like a M or AMG model.

 

i agree, the l-tuned idea was kinda failure imho. even the body kits were far from "obvious". i hope when lexus come out with some "sport" division again it's going to be more head to head with amg or m

 

only enthusiasts would care about the existance of a performance trim like M AMG and S, I wouldnt be surprised if the typical joe schmoe didnt care if their manafacturer had a performance line or not they just want the badge. I feel only car drivers will see and appreciate a performance series, not car buyers, theres a difference b/t them

 

my sis has the E46M3 with the baby seat pretty much "permanently" attached to the backseat. Her work is only 10 min away from home and she always drive at or below the legal speed limit... She was going to even get one with the competition package..

Edit M3

 

It's all about exclusivity. A friend of mine has a '06 E55. Does she care about performance? Nope. She wanted the AMG since the E320/350/500 are so common here in So. Cal.

I highly doubt most AMG/M buyers really care about the pushing their cars to the limit. For better or worse, it's about having a MB or BMW that is distinguishable from the average MB or BMW model.