Lexus Plans Sport Version Of LS460, But Will Be Enough To Ride On Mercedes Coat Tails?

Sport version of the LS460? Talk about an oxymoron.

— HSCenterconsole (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 12:56:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 12   

Umm, I think there's already been an SZ (Who can forget the Alfa Romeo SZ?)....

— Carboy (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 12:58:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 7   

Welcome back David969,
Handling is actually more about driving than seeing...
Lexus LS "sport" will be as sport a as 1993 Ford Aerosport.
A nice body kit and stacked exhaut pipes, woo-hoo

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:21:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 11   

— MSP6:

| Lexus LS "sport" will be as sport a as 1993 Ford Aerosport.
| A nice body kit and stacked exhaut pipes, woo-hoo

How can you opinion a car that does not exist yet?

— MrBratwurst (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:27:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

One thing for sure, Lexus LS460 handles more SAFELY than Mercedes S550, BMW 740, Audi A8 and Infinity M, look at test below, braking on the curve:

http://www.56.com/u49/v_MTU0MzQ0NDY.html

— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 3:26:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Brat, because all Lexus fanboys are doing so, including you.

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:33:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

All the window dressing of sportiness without the sportiness. Will the LS customer base (60 yrs old+) even care for this?

— PlanB (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:36:17 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Please, it just another attempt for Lexus to OVERCHARGE for a model that does not stand up to the competition. HELLO IS-F

— fatandsassy (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:38:43 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

"The LS isn't sporty enough."

Lexus begins offering a sporty version of the LS.

"Um, well....the LS still sucks."

No matter what Lexus does, it will never be enough for 009 and the usual anti-Lexus dudes here.

My question to has always been, if you hate Lexus and are happy with the European/American competitors in the luxury segment, why the hell do you care about every little thing Lexus does?

Ah well. There I go using logic again. I know it has little value in a place like this.

— answer (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 1:44:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Correction : "a car that IS" not "a car that are is"

Sorry

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 2:02:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

A sport model LS460?!?

The LS460 just made the cover of Blimp and Driver.

:-O

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 2:21:21 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Well, its an attempt against the S AMG, S8, but I doubt it will match them from handling wise. If Lexus wants to make true sport cars then they need to talk to Nissan to get some their sport soul into their lineup.

I'm sure this LS sport will be a great car but won't beat the S AMG, nor the S8.

Now, lets see if BMW will come up with an M7.

— Designer1 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 2:23:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

OMG They are not giving it more power...God Damn them! Cooperate greed and a bunch of dealer installed Gobalegook... A Sport LS460 is like having a Sporty Hurse on your way to the grave!

— pennfootball (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 2:45:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

LS sport would be nice, in fact even more variants like V6 LS are welcome. I think by sport it doesn't mean the LS sport would rival S65 or S8 but the S500 AMG and A8 S line package which here in middle east outsell the standard variant.

S500 AMG sells almost 2 times the standard S500. So a good move by lexus.
S65/S63, S8s are differnt though for those Toyota will have to make 600BHP engines, V10s... etc

JUGNU

— JUGNU (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 2:50:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Why?

Maybe Lexus is just realizing that M-B still sells AMG versions of EVERYTHING and that BMW is planning to release an M7 variant of the 7-series? Now knowing that BMW did the seemingly "unthinkable" by releasing the X5-M & X6-M SUVs earlier this year, anything's possible.

— dumpsty (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 3:11:15 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

It's pointless for them to have an Sport version of any of their cars while they are using the L-Finesse design language. The L-Finesse is all about ergonomics, comfort, and smooth lines.

On the next LS, they can make it a little sharper, tighter, and have the sport version on the long wheel base. Leave the standard wheelbase alone because it was alienate the market, but for the S-Class buyer, offer something a little stiffer than the touring package.

When Lexus introduces their next generation of cars, they have a huge opportunity to change their image. A sportier IS, with an IS350 manual, a GS manual (if it's still around) and stiffen up the ride to make it more distinguished versus the ES, LS Sport, and have better handling on the RX. For what Lexus aims to achieve, they do a fantastic job, yet they need to know when the appropriate time to be trying out new things is, and that is not now.

— adamsaf723 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 3:51:37 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Its gonna take more than a body kit for LS to compete with the S-Class AMG. Lexus is smart. They know that the old folks that buy these things wouldn't know the difference. Why add better brakes/suspension when a body kit will trick them into believing that the car is an AMG equivalent?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 4:03:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

really? that makes no sense.

the LS is a super plush, softly sprung car with the handling characteristics of a town car. perfect for the retiree set (average buyer is 62). who would buy this car?

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 5:34:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Hell, I'm a Toyota fan and I think this will flop. Take the Camry SE for instance. The fender flares and trimmings look shiteous....almost a if it were done by an amateur or added as an after thought. With the exception of the Supra, Toyota has not proven to me that they have full mastery of the sporty concept. Lets hope this new LS460 will change my mind.

— delan (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 8:17:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

Delan, you forgot the IS300 and the IS350 and IS-f variant. The IS300 out-handled E46 sedan 328, 330 variants, due to the fat that it was targeted at the E36 and the E46 was softer than the E36. When the IS350 came out, it out accellerated the 330i E90 (which had 255 HP). BMW then came out with the 335i, regained it's crown...don't know if they had the TT I-6 already planned or if it was reactionary.

The IS-F, whereas has not beat the M3 sedan in performance, except fuel economy, has won over many people, and those include those stuffy hard to impress English magazines, Car, TopGear,etc.

So maybe they haven't proven it to you, but IF BMW considers them a threat, and they are winning over the staff in Euro magazines with the IS-F, maybe, just maybe, they know more than you about the "mastery of the sporty concept".

— Inline6 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 9:57:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

I have no idea what you guys with these comments are talking about. I just spent the last 10 minutes reading nonsense comments about camaros and toyotas. Forget about BMW, and the rest, Autospies is simply asking "Can the Lexus LS compete with a Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG?" My answer is NO. Sure Lexus can create the horsepower, but it just wont be a match.

— yoyo123 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 10:56:27 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

I dont hate Lexus but the finesse and quality Mercedes-Benz puts is the best. Please see some videos, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XMlLgl79ek
(in german)but you can see a good look of the quality AMG assembly line, i am sure at Lexus, it just isnt quite like this.

— yoyo123 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/23/2009 11:01:11 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I understood the sole purpose the GS was kept alive was its supposed sportiness. I remember 001 raving about the GS450h performance vs. BMW 5 series. Now Lexus decides they want to pimp the LS ??? I don't get it.

— JWalkerLegrande (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 8:24:14 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Yeah, I'm glad Lexus waited to see how well the FWD based crossovers from Mercedes and BWM would do before Lexus would build the RX.

And gladly Lexus is waiting to see how hybrids are going to sell at the other luxury makes before they decide to build a hybrid.

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 12:20:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

"Lexus waited to see how well the FWD based crossovers from Mercedes and BWM would do before Lexus would build the RX"

Do you know what the hell you're talking; Neither BMW nor Mercedes make a FWD crossover and never have (Mercedes lone FWD car is the A class and BMW has none). The ML320 did come out before the RX came out a full year before the X5.

— theoptimisticpessimist (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 8:15:48 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

This link is for theoptimisticpessimist

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4566319.stm

— Invisible (View Profile)

Posted on 6/25/2009 9:53:27 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

SZ badge? what does that stand for? super zippy?

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 1:19:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

"Can the Lexus LS compete with a Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG?" My answer is NO"

who knows, maybe Toyota would drop the LF-A engine in LS and then LS not only compete with S63 but might beat S65 also. And it's quite possible too as the very advance engine of LF-A would not only be limited to limited edition LF-A.

JUGNU

— JUGNU (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 2:39:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Jugnu its not about 0-60mph or 1/4 mile, tuned up evo's and sti's are faster than porsches and ferraris, but that doesnt mean jack, its about the quality the car can withstand at 155mph for 2 hours straight, AMG is solely for the autobahn, think about how much heat and pressure the car produces with 600lbs of torque at 155mph per hour, internally AMG is one of the top engineers.

— yoyo123 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 5:57:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

AMG wasn't always Mercedes performance division, they recognized them as being the best at making the mercedes performance more performance oriented and now they are pretty much and in-house tuning arm for them. what people here don't seem to realize is that the SZ is probably a Japan only name for a kit on the LS. It isn't the LS-F. The article says nothing about performance enhancing so why would it be the LS-F? The SZ name was on the Toyota Supra before and that didn't help the engine any, it produced a better transmission for the Supra. Nothing about new turbo's or better suspension parts. Just a newer transmission. So why would this SZ version of the LS be the performance verision of the IS-F equivalent?

— freshseth83 (View Profile)

Posted on 6/24/2009 6:22:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Why don't they just call it the ZZZZZZZZZ ?

— DieselRules (View Profile)

Posted on 6/25/2009 12:46:50 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1