...a number of people are not convinced that this new LS shaked the automobile world from what we've seen today. Looks is always subjective. Personally, I really like the overall design but not falling in love. The new S Class looks a bit older now. The body looks short though, maybe it's because of the big wheels and tires. I agree with some of you that we expected more. But, we still have no informantion on the engine, the interior and especially the possible cutting edge technology that will be incorporated into this car. When all of those are revealed then maybe it is 1989 again.
The side profile is identical to what we saw today. The front headlights are not, and I think the production version will look a lot closer to the autospies shot, though of course could change.
"Toyota insists that the LF-Sh hybrid concept unveiled here in Tokyo is only a concept, but since it obviously follows the same design ethos as the production GS and IS, albeit interpreted much more conservatively, we'd venture that it gives us a good look at what the next LS will look like in production. Although it's not as voluptuous as its smaller siblings, its extensive use of convex and concave surfaces is far more interesting to look at than its predecessor."
now, these autospies shots are worth paying attention to...
Some of those links are showing the previous LF-S concept car, not the current one. Let's not get confused. Easy to tell them apart - just look at the side mirrors; in the old concept car, they swept up from the front.
After reading the various posts the past 12 hours or so concerning the new and very impressive LS, I have one hanging question. Is this a hybrid version or is it not? If this is the hybrid version, will it be available in 2006? I own a 2004 LS and I love it. However, as soon as the LS hybrid is avaiIable, I am going for it with no questions asked. But it has to be the hybrid. My wife and I also own the RX400h and we appreciate everything about this vehicle including the fact that it is environmentally friendly. I am no longer interested in purchasing a plain gas engine vehicle.
IMHO, this new LS (prototype/production) is a grand slam hit !!! Lexus has done it again, and I can already see MB execs calling an emergency board meeting soon to discuss this new LS.... Would the 2007 S-class get more tweaks before it gets here ? I'd bet on it. Would the 2007 LS get more tweaks before it gets here ? I'd bet on it too. But that LS is close to production, and is a winner at least in my book. Put me on the buyer's list.
OAC - couldn't agree more - this is a spectacular car with great balance of sport, statliness and luxury looks - all the things we both said last night. The only reason - to me - that Lexus doesn't say this is the car itself - is to make final tweaks. MB on the otherhand has said that's the car itself and I believe it's already being sold in Europe - not that I care. It's funny about the reverse of course here - the 7 and S look bloated and the LS looks sleek.
Obviously shows IS resemblence. Aggressive front fascia. But conservative in the hood and grille.
A little Aston Martin in the taillights.
Glad the Japanese news site showed better pictures of the profile. Looks small on Lexus Auto Show site.
The hood seems to have a protruding dome over the grill, from a side view.
Very strong from the A-pillar back. Kinda puts those fender flares on the S-Class in perspective, eh? Rear 3-quarter shot simply the best. But how it sweeps from hood/fender to A-pillar seems a little off to me.
At least the Buick days are over! Clearly better than the S and 7, if not the A8.
From looking at the pix that syswei linked in I believe this car - as good as it looks in photos - will be a lot more impressive in person. The meeting of the lines were more noticable in those pix and - in my experience - cars like that always look even better in person and up close.
Frankly, I'm glad the LS does not have the GS's bulbous, doughy rear end.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that most people who buy the LS want a full size back seat, and a large trunk. From the pictures, it looks like Lexus managed to design a good looking car that still has good rear seat head room, and a nice deep trunk - without cutting down too far on the glass line a la 300C, or going "bulbous" on the butt a la 7. Much better than the compromises they made on the GS on these issues.
I'm still waiting to hear designman's take on this. Do we need to post a specific request on the HELM forum?
The grill is too big, and the taillights too small and square. I liked the 03-05 A8, not feelin' the makeunder.
The LS has aggressive, sport sedan styling, in comparison to the other Full-size Germans.
I KNOW you all won't agree, but I see a 545i with a less polarizing front-end.
I KNOW the 5 is universally hated for it's new threads, but I have always liked it. Aggressive, strong profile, swept head/taillamps, nice wheel/tire package, little fender gap, sits low.
The concept is somewhat longer and wider than the current LS (1.8" in each dimension), and this is presumably the SWB. Also, 1.6" longer wheelbase and 1" shorter height than the non-air-suspension current LS.
This LS is a head turner ! You cannot fail to notice it among a crowd of other cars.... It certainly has a balance of sports-luxury-elegance and status BEST among the current styling of the high-end lux sedans, imo. This is why the LS should do real well in the market. Add in AWD, hybrid and LWB versions and you have a real aggresive Lexus plan to really put a hurt to its competition, at least in the NA market.
It's a nice car. For those of you who claim the tail lights are derived from the 5 series, if anything, they are derived from the ES but even that's a far stretch. The new LS is an evolution over the previous vehicle that's for sure, but not a revolution in the upper luxury segment by any stretch and will not win any style awards.
All we can hope for now, is that Lexus can deliver on the Hybrid promise (RX400h has been a disappointment in the fuel economy stats based on NY Times and other publications' road tests).
The Lexus hybrids will deliver power not fuel economy. They've said this a number of times and the link you posted earlier said it also. Technically it's as if you are buying a bigger engine but getting slightly improved mileage. It's not like you are paying more for the same exact car in hybrid form and then you do a return on investment to see if it is worth it. The power and extra standard features are part of the price. I'm amazed at how so few people understand this. If you jump from an S430 to a S500 you pay a $7-10K premium + a gas guzzler tax and get reduced efficiency in gas for the tradeoff of a bigger engine. If you go to the LS600H you'll be paying the same premium and get similar highway mileage and improved city mileage with a lot more power for about the same price premium.
The new LS is an evolution over the previous vehicle that's for sure, but not a revolution in the upper luxury segment by any stretch and will not win any style awards.
Will be nice to be apt and put IMO in the above.... Surely you cannot claim to be speaking for everyone. And you certainly haven't seen the car in person to make such claims.... Pictures often don't do justice to some cars.... Why not wait for more things to come about the LS before you pronounce it dead, eh ?
Gary, I am following all of this with just as much interest as everyone else around here. However, I usually don’t like to give opinions based on first impressions. I like to digest the new designs a bit. But right off the bat my opinion is that this car has both good and bad things going. I suppose I’ll whip up a dissertation soon enough. I can tell you right now, it’s not the next Duesenberg with regard to styling.
I get a kick out of the “89 all over again” bumper stickers pasted on the Kool Aid buckets.
I don't think you should assume the concept represents a base car. A base car is likely swb, 4.6L gas engine. The high end is likely 4.6 or 5.0 engine, plus hybrid, awd, lwb. In between, it isn't clear how many other variants there might be.
It'd be misleading to show the 199" swb car with AWD and hybrid. Remember this is a big intro into the Japanese market so they will almost certainly not represent something that won't be available in that form. I think you'll see hybrid and AWD mated to both the SWB and LWB models.
I suppose I’ll whip up a dissertation soon enough
OK, I guess I'll have to wait with bated breath. Until then, I guess I'll have to live with the hints of "good and bad" and "not the next Duesenberg".
I, for one, do not think this is the exact production car. For example, I would not be surprised to see the front grill changed, and no one has been able to tell me what the third bulb in the headlight is for. Hey, maybe it's like razor blades, and we'll soon find ourselves in a competition between manufacturers for bragging rights as to who has the most bulbs (I think Infiniti may be winning this contest as to rear lights already).
In any case, I hope you will comment on how it has evolved from the previous LF-S concept car - and whether for the better or worse (in your no-need-to-be-humble opinion, of course).
Based on what they did with the GS (only one engine gets hybrid treatment, and only the 350 gets an awd option) and IS (only the 250 gets a MT option, or an AWD option), I think Lexus is still trying to limit the number of variants of each model, because having too many is not generally a good economic decision. Possibly that will change with the LS, but I have my doubts. We'll see.
I posted a few days back that two separate reps at my local Lexus dealer told me last Saturday that the new LS would be out in late April. When I questioned them on this date (as opposed to next Fall) they said that the April date had been announced at some sort of dealers meeting in California. Would like to hear anyone else with any info post on this, since I figured that the GS450h would be next out of the box, probably in April and that the LS would be a year from now.
“In any case, I hope you will comment on how it has evolved from the previous LF-S concept car - and whether for the better or worse ”
I found the LF-S to be very interesting but this LF-Sh backs off. As I mentioned in some other corner of Edmunds, I think Japanese styling is definitely taking a lead and will define the future. The problem in my opinion is that they just can’t seem to nail it down.
While in Japan in June of this year, I read in a Japanese mag that the LS would be available for sale next year August with a base price of Y10 million (~$80K US). That may be in the Japan market though ! My hunch is that it will be here sometime b/w April and September.... hedging, I know
Lexuses always have high resale, regardless of how much better the next generation is. They know a Lexus is reliable and prestigious luxury that'll go to 200K and beyond.
That is the delivery date I got from LONGO LEXUS. They really couldn't say anything about configurations or specs, but that it would be available in some form in Sept 06.
I would expect the lights to possibly change to a more conventional two beam design for the standard production vehicle. Did anybody notice the blue hallows around the 3 front projector lamps? Maybe these will stay for the LS600h top of the line variant.
I would also expect the grille to change as it does not appear to have enough open space to allow for a large enough volume of air to move through the radiator. I would not expect twin radiators at the two lower vents as their proximity to the front wheels seems to prohibit such a design. I would guess that the current grille actually is covering the production version of the grille.
I would be interested to hear from our Japanese friend who was attending the pre-show reveal to give us his impressions of seeing the car in person.
MB has got to be gathering the crew that designed the CLS and contemplating a crash effort to refresh the new S. The LF-Sh is beautiful. Everyone can comment about how it looks like this or that, but we all must admit Lexus has stepped up their game worldwide and finally positioned themselves to challenge automotives elite encumbants.
Hardly, MB is not rushing to refresh the S class, it is the luxury vehicle by which all others are judged. The CLS has beautiful lines and an imposing design, while the S class looks very elegant and luxurious. The new LS is steps ahead of the outgoing model in terms of design, but I wouldn't make a bold claim to say MB should refresh the new S. Let's give the number one luxury maker on the planet some respect, shall we? They do make beautiful cars, albeit with some glitches lately.
It's not going to be easy to sell that MB S for a big price with that LS hitting the market so soon after its debut. If the S hits a price problem than it trickles right down the whole line of maiinstream cars. You've got a lot of problems with MB pricing already given the real low residuals. Takea look at a $62K LS from 2001 vs an $77K S430 from the same year. Guess which costs more today. The LS even prices out higher than an S500 in my zip. Now they are matched or surpassed in both design (easily surpassed in my opinion) and technology by a less costly, better built and much more reliable vehicle. I'd look at it that way rather than just a visualy styling issue. If I were MB's CFO I'd be hoping that LS is priced through the roof. But it won't be. So in additition to all the other problems that already exist I'd be mighty worried right about my top sedans future pricing if I were in that job.
Hi all, well iam writing for the first time here, so plz webmasters tell me if i violate the rules, anyway, today we saw the next generation LS hiting Tokyo autoshow, this car is really nice, sexy, and gorgous, it has all what a car need to be the ultimate luxury car. iam here just to clarify some points i heard here and there, first of all, u all saw the pics posted here or on lexus website, but those lexus haters that can not see their beloved germans MB, and BM, being kicked this time, and harder than any other time, comparing this to other luxury car is not fair for lexus, they did extremly great job with this one, unlike the previuos LS (which i like by the way) but there were many ppl said that it copied S class, i didnt think so by that time, but now, those ppl showed that all they want to say or all what they can say, is that lexus copied, they can not imagine that lexus is creating new things, I argued with a lot of ppl about this, they keep asking me what lexus did or creat that wasnt there, at first i was replying but now i found that those ppl can not even think that japanese are builing a luxury car, a car that dominated the intial quality awards by JDP. Today i showed a friend of mine, the new LF-Sh (LS) pics, he said ohh, lexus are copying BM 7! i said what the hell, where is the 7 in here, this is purely LF design, anyway, for those ppl think lexus copied other cars i will post pics that will clearly show the none sense resemblence they are speaking about, the only resemblence is that lexus, BM, and MB all have 4 wheels, a platform and engine with trany! :P
First the gogous LF-Sh:
the ugly bangled butt BMW 7 series:
WHERE THE HELL IS THE RESEMBLENCE!!, Is this a nice car for lexus to copy??, you can see the trunk is so different, the taillight formation is also hugely different! open ur eyes ppl. this lexus will kill ur bimmer! and the already dated MB "NEW" S class:
and here the 5 series for those sick ppl that can compare it with the upcoming LS:
This is what the LF-Sh resembles THE GS
THE IS:
i hope u saw what all those cars share!! not the design, but all of them have red taillight!!!
thats what i wanted to say, and by the way if u said lexus copied BM, MB or any other car u will not change anything, becoz lexus dominates.
concering the interior, we really hope not to see the same mistake MB did with the S class "the BMERIZED interior" lexus is known for making the best interior and believe me, u gona see the best one
p.s: out of curiosity, where is lexus rear window mounted antenna? i couldnt fine one? all cars with navigation have it, u can see BM, MB, but this concept doesnt have it, does this means they hide it some where, or they dont need it becoz of a new system? or simply this is a concept and we will have the antenna in the production model? who knows?
The profile, & the beltline, the butt.... Looks like a very Toyotaized 7 to me. But don't get me wrong, I'm a big Lexus fan - I have one, and I'd buy this one. I'm just sayin', clearly to me, they're smoothing over Chris Bangle's designs.
Hi I am back Wow, it seems this forum has literally I posted my last message about two days ago and I am not all that surprise that there would be more good discussion about the LS as time progresses; especially after the fact that Toyota has once again done a speculator job on both the exterior and interior design of the vehicle where someone have already express their strong intension to purchase one of those and drive it back home! Having said that, I am now, as promised, offer my initial findings and impression of the vehicle while I attended the pre-screening 2 days ago and you will be surprised that some of the info I am going to present would really surprise you all. -The first thing I am going to discuss was on whether both the concept’s exterior and would closely resemble the production version? And from my discussion with a number of my old colleagues who still works in Toyota during the auto show; I am very pleased to report that the production version would have at least a 90% resemblance from the concept vehicle that many of you are now commenting about. Obviously; some of you might want Toyota to perform some exterior adjustments on the concept before they roll out to the marketplace by next summer. However I find the vehicle was good enough shape to sell in the market where any major changes on it’s exterior would simply destroy the overall elegance and spottiness of the vehicle itself. And I already expressed such concern with my colleagues; they too agree that it would be best to make only minimum changes on the concept exterior before it begin to roll out from the assembly line (sorry that I am begin to run out of time) Surprise #1: the nice beautiful full aluminum grille that many of you are looking at would only be found on the LS600h production model. Other models such as the LS500 and the LS460 would not have this nice looking grill, but instead would have the normal grill that’s much like the traditional ones you saw in many Lexus vehicles. Okay since I am about to head off for another meeting, I will continue my discussion tomorrow or the day after, depending on my schuldule. If you do have any questions, please do post them in the forum and I will see if I am able to answer them. The next topic will focus on the pricing, the release date and hopefully if I have time available, to discuss how do my overall impression of the vehicle. See you all soon T. Kiyonaga
Ok the new LS is much improved, but why is that Mercedes and only Mercedes is going to have trouble selling their cars when a new Lexus comes out? Lexus is trying to become its own brand with a styling direction, yet all I'm reading here is Mercedes this and Mercedes that. Can't Lexus do anything without its most ardent fans chanting Mercedes in every sentence? All that lease mumbo jumbo ain't mattered one bit in the sales of the current S which is still neck and neck with the 7-Series for the best selling European car in the segment, despite being the oldest car in the segment and your dire predictions of the same thing back in 2001 when the current LS came out. You said the same thing back in 2001 and the sky didn't fall then because of new LS and isn't going to fall now. Just like you guys are waiting for the new LS, there are Benz owners that are waiting for the new S-Class as well. Dealers have taken orders for the new car already. All this talk about Mercedes knocking of 20K from the price of the new S, making last minute tweaks (despite the car being on sale in Europe already), how the new is already dated (yet no one on here in the U.S. has yet to see the car in person) and what Mercedes execs are doing is just plum ridiculous fantasy. How do you know what the risiduals will be on the new S or how its built from the pics? Every single review so far has said that Mercedes is no longer in the business of making cheap interiors, in short the new S is a whole world better than the old one. Just because the current car has suffered in that area doesn't mean the new one will, especially if it is built as good as the European press has said it is. We'll see what the U.S. press has to say.
The new S-Class will sell just fine as will the new LS, both cars have a huge following...so I just don't get the hysteria here. The S-Class is going to be bought all over the world, you know something Lexus is trying make happen. If anyone has to worry it will be Audi, BMW and Jaguar. They're the ones with nothing new to combat the two brand new and best selling cars in this segment, but even still they will still sell cars also.
With that said, the new car is a huge improvement of the lame duck design of the 2001-2006 model. The new LS is just upsized IS250/350 and doesn't really make it a standout imo. Sure it looks better than the old car, how hard could it have been to surpass that car's looks. There is no detailing or anything just long slabs of blank sheetmetal, just like on the IS. Kinda like a supersize boy racer, hardly the "classic" luxury look you rave about on the current LS. It kinda like the GS, sleek but has no real character, again imo. It definitely ain't no "knockout" like an A8 or the previous S, at least in pictures.
"With that said, the new car is a huge improvement of the lame duck design of the 2001-2006 model. The new LS is just upsized IS250/350 and doesn't really make it a standout imo. Sure it looks better than the old car, how hard could it have been to surpass that car's looks. There is no detailing or anything just long slabs of blank sheetmetal, just like on the IS. Kinda like a supersize boy racer, hardly the "classic" luxury look you rave about on the current LS. It kinda like the GS, sleek but has no real character, again imo. It definitely ain't no "knockout" like an A8 or the previous S, at least in pictures."
Even if your opinion is a far cry from the general consensus (LS fans and non-fans, alike), much can be said for previous (especially current) generations of MB - "blank sheetmetal," along with lackluster prestige (as opposed to Lexus).
Knockout. A8. What a joke. Somebody's a fan of "Transporter 2."
Even if your opinion is a far cry from the general consensus (LS fans and non-fans, alike), much can be said for previous (especially current) generations of MB - "blank sheetmetal," along with lackluster prestige (as opposed to Lexus).
Yeah sure in the past they did, which is where Lexus got their deisgn for the current LS. Mercedes doesn't currently sell any 1980's or early 1990's designs today unlike someone else. I don't see anything even close to such bareness that the IS and LS have in Mercedes' current designs. Sure all big cars are going to have some expanses of metal, but it doesn't have to be blank and characterless.
Yeah I think the A8 is a knockout in terms of exterior/interior design this segment, you don't...opinions may vary.
Really shows the State of the Union (except for the A8, the uncrowned style leader in this segment).
Merc, the paradigm is definitely shifting to the East (Far, Far). It hurts to admit it, but going to Worldwide numbers shows desperate times call for desperate measures.
I am not throwing dirt on the current S-class, even with it's modest volume and disappointing reputation for quality (J.D.Power on the S-Class: "No Comment")
Judging from the recent post, the New S doesn't stand for Super, sad to say. And the BMW-borrowed dash doesn't provide any silver linings. The fender flares are bordering on hideous. And who approved a sinking beltline? FGS, raise the beltline, drop the flares, add a boneline, and you've got a tasteful upgrade with a Maybach knock-off "boot".
I haven't been trolling the S-Class forum, so I don't know if it will be a $90k and up car, of if it will continue to TRY to field a competitive $75k car, but I know you will hold Lexus' lower price point against Lexus.
As I said before, the paradigm is shifting, now.
The LS, IMO, will start at $65k, and rise right through the low to mid $90's, and the S will definitely be a direct competitor. Excuses at this time next year will be few and far between.
I wouldn't care to be a Mercedes Exec late next year when sales are flat, and the LS enjoys a 30% YTD increase.
Maybe I'll check out that forum, but hopefully you can sell me on the virtues of the New S at some point. I definitely need to be shown the light because that is one dark room right now, my friend!
I think I've been fair, and have criticized Lexus LS styling (and IS' new Product mix, to the point of forum banishment :confuse: ). But if Lexus hasn't made the Perfect Storm, it is darn close, like Hurrican Rita to Houston close.
I know this town was breathing heavy then!! :surprise:
But we're partyin' like it's 1989 tonite!! Go 'Stros!!
Benz, BMWs, and Audis will sell no matter what. People go for prestige over quality. I personally love the new look of the LS and personally believe it will gain recognition in Asia and Europe therefore skyrocketing Lexus sales. The new S class is better in many aspects than the one it replaces without a doubt. BMW, of course being a true driving machine will also see it's sales and prestige climb. Audi, I'm not too sure about them. They do design nice cars though(just get rid of the huge grilles). But for the LS, I see a new champ and maybe a King in the making.
Not behind the 7, but the facelift was pretty painful.
I dig it, but not so much.
CHANGES FROM LF-Sh to 2007 LS:
1: Wheels. Obviously not chrome or 20". 18" standard, 19 optional. This will increase fender gap, and reduce the road-hugging, sporty look the concept has.
2: Headlights. Shouldn't be to dissimilar to the IS. No Q45 multi-beams, but no '98 LS Quad Muppet eyes either.
3: Taillights. Will be toned down and not as slick.
4: Grille. Again more conservative. This may help. The grille I'm not fond of.
5: The exhaust. Obviously it will not come through the bumper. I'd expect a more aggressive release than what we have seen the last decade, which is no exhaust pipe at all, covered by the bumper. A return to 1989 would be most welcome here.
Dubs don't hurt this ride! Base 17's will. I still am shocked when I see a $56k LS with 16" wheel covers!
Comments
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5583&categoryId=
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5581&categoryId=
The side profile is identical to what we saw today. The front headlights are not, and I think the production version will look a lot closer to the autospies shot, though of course could change.
Also, this from automobile mag..
http://automobilemag.com/auto_shows/tokyo/0511_lexus_ls/
"Toyota insists that the LF-Sh hybrid concept unveiled here in Tokyo is only a concept, but since it obviously follows the same design ethos as the production GS and IS, albeit interpreted much more conservatively, we'd venture that it gives us a good look at what the next LS will look like in production. Although it's not as voluptuous as its smaller siblings, its extensive use of convex and concave surfaces is far more interesting to look at than its predecessor."
Anyway, why bother looking now that we have something official from Lexus?
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5684&categoryId=22
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5687&categoryId=21
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5686&categoryId=21
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5685&categoryId=21
Some of those links are showing the previous LF-S concept car, not the current one. Let's not get confused. Easy to tell them apart - just look at the side mirrors; in the old concept car, they swept up from the front.
In June this year, while in Japan, I posted this on this forum....
oac, "2007 Lexus LS" #251, 9 Jun 2005 11:42 am
And then sometime later, with help from nexuslexus, this picture sketch of the next LS was also posted, according to a car mag in Japan (CarMode):
nexuslexus, "2007 Lexus LS" #327, 17 Jun 2005 5:42 pm
Compared to the real one here:
IMHO, this new LS (prototype/production) is a grand slam hit !!! Lexus has done it again, and I can already see MB execs calling an emergency board meeting soon to discuss this new LS.... Would the 2007 S-class get more tweaks before it gets here ? I'd bet on it. Would the 2007 LS get more tweaks before it gets here ? I'd bet on it too. But that LS is close to production, and is a winner at least in my book. Put me on the buyer's list.
A little Aston Martin in the taillights.
Glad the Japanese news site showed better pictures of the profile. Looks small on Lexus Auto Show site.
The hood seems to have a protruding dome over the grill, from a side view.
Very strong from the A-pillar back. Kinda puts those fender flares on the S-Class in perspective, eh? Rear 3-quarter shot simply the best. But how it sweeps from hood/fender to A-pillar seems a little off to me.
At least the Buick days are over! Clearly better than the S and 7, if not the A8.
Great job, Lexus!!
DrFill
Let's not lose sight of the fact that most people who buy the LS want a full size back seat, and a large trunk. From the pictures, it looks like Lexus managed to design a good looking car that still has good rear seat head room, and a nice deep trunk - without cutting down too far on the glass line a la 300C, or going "bulbous" on the butt a la 7. Much better than the compromises they made on the GS on these issues.
I'm still waiting to hear designman's take on this. Do we need to post a specific request on the HELM forum?
The grill is too big, and the taillights too small and square. I liked the 03-05 A8, not feelin' the makeunder.
The LS has aggressive, sport sedan styling, in comparison to the other Full-size Germans.
I KNOW you all won't agree, but I see a 545i with a less polarizing front-end.
I KNOW the 5 is universally hated for it's new threads, but I have always liked it. Aggressive, strong profile, swept head/taillamps, nice wheel/tire package, little fender gap, sits low.
Mercedes is in some real stuff now!
DrFill
Good job, Lexus...
All we can hope for now, is that Lexus can deliver on the Hybrid promise (RX400h has been a disappointment in the fuel economy stats based on NY Times and other publications' road tests).
So it looks like the "base" SWB version will definitely have AWD and also be a Hybrid??
Am I reading this right?
Thanks
Will be nice to be apt and put IMO in the above.... Surely you cannot claim to be speaking for everyone. And you certainly haven't seen the car in person to make such claims.... Pictures often don't do justice to some cars.... Why not wait for more things to come about the LS before you pronounce it dead, eh ?
I get a kick out of the “89 all over again” bumper stickers pasted on the Kool Aid buckets.
;-)
OK, I guess I'll have to wait with bated breath. Until then, I guess I'll have to live with the hints of "good and bad" and "not the next Duesenberg".
I, for one, do not think this is the exact production car. For example, I would not be surprised to see the front grill changed, and no one has been able to tell me what the third bulb in the headlight is for. Hey, maybe it's like razor blades, and we'll soon find ourselves in a competition between manufacturers for bragging rights as to who has the most bulbs (I think Infiniti may be winning this contest as to rear lights already).
In any case, I hope you will comment on how it has evolved from the previous LF-S concept car - and whether for the better or worse (in your
no-need-to-be-humbleopinion, of course).I found the LF-S to be very interesting but this LF-Sh backs off. As I mentioned in some other corner of Edmunds, I think Japanese styling is definitely taking a lead and will define the future. The problem in my opinion is that they just can’t seem to nail it down.
A very beautiful color, and the design is very elegant overall, sexy, and is.
Lexuses always have high resale, regardless of how much better the next generation is. They know a Lexus is reliable and prestigious luxury that'll go to 200K and beyond.
I would expect the lights to possibly change to a more conventional two beam design for the standard production vehicle. Did anybody notice the blue hallows around the 3 front projector lamps? Maybe these will stay for the LS600h top of the line variant.
I would also expect the grille to change as it does not appear to have enough open space to allow for a large enough volume of air to move through the radiator. I would not expect twin radiators at the two lower vents as their proximity to the front wheels seems to prohibit such a design. I would guess that the current grille actually is covering the production version of the grille.
I would be interested to hear from our Japanese friend who was attending the pre-show reveal to give us his impressions of seeing the car in person.
MB has got to be gathering the crew that designed the CLS and contemplating a crash effort to refresh the new S. The LF-Sh is beautiful. Everyone can comment about how it looks like this or that, but we all must admit Lexus has stepped up their game worldwide and finally positioned themselves to challenge automotives elite encumbants.
First the gogous LF-Sh:
the ugly bangled butt BMW 7 series:
WHERE THE HELL IS THE RESEMBLENCE!!, Is this a nice car for lexus to copy??, you can see the trunk is so different, the taillight formation is also hugely different! open ur eyes ppl. this lexus will kill ur bimmer!
and the already dated MB "NEW" S class:
and here the 5 series for those sick ppl that can compare it with the upcoming LS:
This is what the LF-Sh resembles
THE GS
THE IS:
i hope u saw what all those cars share!! not the design, but all of them have red taillight!!!
thats what i wanted to say, and by the way if u said lexus copied BM, MB or any other car u will not change anything, becoz lexus dominates.
concering the interior, we really hope not to see the same mistake MB did with the S class "the BMERIZED interior" lexus is known for making the best interior and believe me, u gona see the best one
p.s: out of curiosity, where is lexus rear window mounted antenna? i couldnt fine one? all cars with navigation have it, u can see BM, MB, but this concept doesnt have it, does this means they hide it some where, or they dont need it becoz of a new system? or simply this is a concept and we will have the antenna in the production model? who knows?
thats all from me, Love
Lexusi...
Wow, it seems this forum has literally I posted my last message about two days ago and I am not all that surprise that there would be more good discussion about the LS as time progresses; especially after the fact that Toyota has once again done a speculator job on both the exterior and interior design of the vehicle where someone have already express their strong intension to purchase one of those and drive it back home! Having said that, I am now, as promised, offer my initial findings and impression of the vehicle while I attended the pre-screening 2 days ago and you will be surprised that some of the info I am going to present would really surprise you all.
-The first thing I am going to discuss was on whether both the concept’s exterior and would closely resemble the production version? And from my discussion with a number of my old colleagues who still works in Toyota during the auto show; I am very pleased to report that the production version would have at least a 90% resemblance from the concept vehicle that many of you are now commenting about. Obviously; some of you might want Toyota to perform some exterior adjustments on the concept before they roll out to the marketplace by next summer. However I find the vehicle was good enough shape to sell in the market where any major changes on it’s exterior would simply destroy the overall elegance and spottiness of the vehicle itself. And I already expressed such concern with my colleagues; they too agree that it would be best to make only minimum changes on the concept exterior before it begin to roll out from the assembly line (sorry that I am begin to run out of time)
Surprise #1: the nice beautiful full aluminum grille that many of you are looking at would only be found on the LS600h production model. Other models such as the LS500 and the LS460 would not have this nice looking grill, but instead would have the normal grill that’s much like the traditional ones you saw in many Lexus vehicles.
Okay since I am about to head off for another meeting, I will continue my discussion tomorrow or the day after, depending on my schuldule. If you do have any questions, please do post them in the forum and I will see if I am able to answer them. The next topic will focus on the pricing, the release date and hopefully if I have time available, to discuss how do my overall impression of the vehicle.
See you all soon
T. Kiyonaga
The new S-Class will sell just fine as will the new LS, both cars have a huge following...so I just don't get the hysteria here. The S-Class is going to be bought all over the world, you know something Lexus is trying make happen. If anyone has to worry it will be Audi, BMW and Jaguar. They're the ones with nothing new to combat the two brand new and best selling cars in this segment, but even still they will still sell cars also.
With that said, the new car is a huge improvement of the lame duck design of the 2001-2006 model. The new LS is just upsized IS250/350 and doesn't really make it a standout imo. Sure it looks better than the old car, how hard could it have been to surpass that car's looks. There is no detailing or anything just long slabs of blank sheetmetal, just like on the IS. Kinda like a supersize boy racer, hardly the "classic" luxury look you rave about on the current LS. It kinda like the GS, sleek but has no real character, again imo. It definitely ain't no "knockout" like an A8 or the previous S, at least in pictures.
M
Even if your opinion is a far cry from the general consensus (LS fans and non-fans, alike), much can be said for previous (especially current) generations of MB - "blank sheetmetal," along with lackluster prestige (as opposed to Lexus).
Knockout. A8. What a joke. Somebody's a fan of "Transporter 2."
But, then again - to each his/her own.
L
Yeah sure in the past they did, which is where Lexus got their deisgn for the current LS. Mercedes doesn't currently sell any 1980's or early 1990's designs today unlike someone else. I don't see anything even close to such bareness that the IS and LS have in Mercedes' current designs. Sure all big cars are going to have some expanses of metal, but it doesn't have to be blank and characterless.
Yeah I think the A8 is a knockout in terms of exterior/interior design this segment, you don't...opinions may vary.
M
Really shows the State of the Union (except for the A8, the uncrowned style leader in this segment).
Merc, the paradigm is definitely shifting to the East (Far, Far). It hurts to admit it, but going to Worldwide numbers shows desperate times call for desperate measures.
I am not throwing dirt on the current S-class, even with it's modest volume and disappointing reputation for quality (J.D.Power on the S-Class: "No Comment")
Judging from the recent post, the New S doesn't stand for Super, sad to say. And the BMW-borrowed dash doesn't provide any silver linings. The fender flares are bordering on hideous. And who approved a sinking beltline? FGS, raise the beltline, drop the flares, add a boneline, and you've got a tasteful upgrade with a Maybach knock-off "boot".
I haven't been trolling the S-Class forum, so I don't know if it will be a $90k and up car, of if it will continue to TRY to field a competitive $75k car, but I know you will hold Lexus' lower price point against Lexus.
As I said before, the paradigm is shifting, now.
The LS, IMO, will start at $65k, and rise right through the low to mid $90's, and the S will definitely be a direct competitor. Excuses at this time next year will be few and far between.
I wouldn't care to be a Mercedes Exec late next year when sales are flat, and the LS enjoys a 30% YTD increase.
Maybe I'll check out that forum, but hopefully you can sell me on the virtues of the New S at some point. I definitely need to be shown the light because that is one dark room right now, my friend!
I think I've been fair, and have criticized Lexus LS styling (and IS' new Product mix, to the point of forum banishment :confuse: ). But if Lexus hasn't made the Perfect Storm, it is darn close, like Hurrican Rita to Houston close.
I know this town was breathing heavy then!! :surprise:
But we're partyin' like it's 1989 tonite!! Go 'Stros!!
DrFill
Not behind the 7, but the facelift was pretty painful.
I dig it, but not so much.
CHANGES FROM LF-Sh to 2007 LS:
1: Wheels. Obviously not chrome or 20". 18" standard, 19 optional. This will increase fender gap, and reduce the road-hugging, sporty look the concept has.
2: Headlights. Shouldn't be to dissimilar to the IS. No Q45 multi-beams, but no '98 LS Quad Muppet eyes either.
3: Taillights. Will be toned down and not as slick.
4: Grille. Again more conservative. This may help. The grille I'm not fond of.
5: The exhaust. Obviously it will not come through the bumper. I'd expect a more aggressive release than what we have seen the last decade, which is no exhaust pipe at all, covered by the bumper. A return to 1989 would be most welcome here.
Dubs don't hurt this ride! Base 17's will. I still am shocked when I see a $56k LS with 16" wheel covers!
DrFill