Will the Lexus IS Coupe and Convertible be up to the challenge against BMW?

not with that wacky roofline on the convertible

Why the repost? didnt the same article appear like 2 days ago?

This is like the same thing over with different headline.

And try to start the war all over again with that crappy photoshop picture.

And I'm sure the new IS coupe will look 1000000 times better than that picture!

so what if it has two turbos, the IS350 is just as fast from 0-60. And im sure the Lexus will cost 3+grand less than the bmw, which is a real advantage. Throw in that perhaps a detuned version of the 4.6 liter, maybe use the old 4.3 liter and you got yourself a nice little coupe.

It's the character of the engine that makes it so great. Something true enthusiasts all know.

if you can afford to spend $47k for the second best car in the class then you can afford to spend $50k for the best one. And maintenance is free for four years too, there's most of the price difference right there.

How come the IS350 was more expensive in the edmunds comparison then? The IS is not a cheap car, I don't expect this convertible to be much less than the 335i.

There is no way to tell at this point wether or not the non-existing IS coupe & convertible will be more impressive than the 335 coupe/cabrio...Pointless article at this time.

I don't know,,yet.

i think lexus and infiniti have the best chance to compete with the 3 series. its hard to say if the 3 series buyer will jump ship to lexus i highly doubt it but i think the IS will give bmw a good run for the money but i also think bmw will still have great handling. i just hope no matter what outcome it is the battle is close. at least owning a IS coupe wont be that bad.

Is coupe i like that idea.

Cough-new Audi A4-cough.

"But if anyone can do it, we think Lexus has the best chance of anyone."

They're TOTALLY missing the point. You can't beat BMW. Audi and Mercedes also never tried because they appeal in other ways. Audi is for the conservative driver, a bit boring but still very safe. Even the newer generation of Audi's (S5, A5, TT and even the R8) still have that typical Audi feel to it. The feeling of quality and safety. Mercedes on the other hand is more aimed at pure luxury and comfort. BMW is sporty in every way.

So, why do Lexus and Infiniti try to copy or mimick BMW?

1) Lexus IS copying the Germans since 1989
2) the IS model is not best in class, the 3-series is
3) IS-coupe?

The only nice Lexus that I can remember is the first GS300 with 2 turbo's. The exterior was designed by Italians and the interior wasn't THAT bad.

Agent001

I wonder why you are not banning this Toyotaman clown. You know he cant be serious. Except ofcourse if you want flamewars......

Did this fool say 'get BMW out of business'? LOL. I so needed that laugh, so thanks for that joke, camryman.

BMW and the 3 series has nothing to worry about; it consistently outsells the IS and that'll continue even if toyota throws their hat into the coupe/HT ring. Their little one-trick-pony (drag-racer) is more a challenger to the c-class, since the G and A4 are the only competition.

lexus overall i think is closest to mercedes not bmw or audi. i think that lexus wants to be more like mercedes with luxury but also want the handling dynamic of a bmw. that my opinion. only difference between lexus and the rest is the price. lexus does not cost an extra limb. and for that it has been popular.

"lexus overall i think is closest to mercedes not bmw or audi. i think that lexus wants to be more like mercedes with luxury but also want the handling dynamic of a bmw."

Exactly. But the high-ups at Lexus need to realize that you can't be everything for everyone. If Lexus wants to be a luxury brand, they should BE A LUXURY BRAND. If Lexus wants to be a performance brand, they should BE A PERFORMANCE BRAND. It's just too hard to be both. And although all four of the big luxury makers (BMW, Audi, M-B, Lexus) have been blurring that line, none of them are perfect at doing both.

And one thing you must consider about your pricing argument: the IS350 was more expensive than the 335i in the Edmunds article...

I really don't care as I have included only the 2008 Cadillac CTS and 2008 Mercedes C-Class on my shopping list for that class of car. The Mercedes because all my German cars have been Audis so far and I want to try the Mercedes. The Caddy because my first car was a Caddy and the 2008 CTS is probably the best value in its class.

As many Audi cars as you've had, I'd wait until the new A4 comes out... it will debut at Frankfurt in September.

SL?

What is the point of this article? Stupid.

Well there has to be A IS COUPE / CONVERTIBLE before we all weigh the pros and cons. Till then ..

I actually think the current SL's roof is much better integrated than the last-gen SLK's, because the SL IS a rounded car! It's, at least, not nearly as awkward as the tops on the EOS/3 Series/G6 (and all those "other" four-seat hardtops)...