How Lexus earned their reputation

Sending a message from the top

The year was 1987 and the domestic automakers had finally resigned themselves to the fact that the Japanese were here to stay. What began as a trend in California and was perceived as consumers' knee-jerk response to the gasoline shortages of the '70s had taken root across the country. To the domestic automakers' dismay, even after gas prices stabilized, cars such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla continued to gain share not only on the West Coast, but also in small Midwestern towns that traditionally bought American.

Although the loss of share was daunting, the domestic automakers believed their problem was self-limiting. "Okay," they thought, "Americans may have fallen in love with small economy cars from Japan, but the Japanese will never be able to sell a large car in this country." And this was a comforting thought, because small cars were a loss leader for domestic automakers. Their real profits came from the larger, option-laden vehicles, which they felt were immune from Japanese attack. And so the executives from the Big Three went to bed at night content that although they may be losing the battle for small cars, they would still win the war for corporate profits and market dominance in the end.

Full article here

Hyundai - 4/2/2006 9:24:21 PM

+1 Boost

blog.... From the European TV Show 'Top Gear'... When reading this, keep in mind what mjames said about what Europeans think about Lexus': "Go anywhere in the world other than the U.S. and see how your little Lexus stands. The Europeans know cars and Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, etc. are nothing there."

Top Gear Awards
Jeremy Clarkson - And we'll move it on to the ugliest car of the year. And, the nominations are:

The SsangYong Kyron:

<http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/4721617840650363.JPG?0.49228685379163306>

Richard Hammond - Ugh..

Jeremy - The SsangYong Rodius:

<http://www.nullprozent.at/images/ssangyong/Rodius.jpg>

Richard- Ewwww...

(Whole crowd in disgust and laughs)

Jeremy - And, look at this one, the SsangYong Musso!

<http://vne-resource.iol.co.za/30/picdb/6/8/32056>

(Whole crowd goes 'Ahhhhh!' in disgust)

Jeremy - That really is a moose! OK, so which one's won it?

It's the BMW 3-Series!!!

<http://www.carpages.co.uk/bmw/bmw_images/bmw_new_3_series_26_10_04.jpg>
(Actual picture shown in show)

(Whole crowd claps and cheers for well over 10 seconds)

Richard - It is. The thing is just so dull. It's just some car. It's just 14 foot of car.

Jeremy - Yeah, well it is. You'll buy it like curtain material. 'I want a BMW, about 15 feet long.' 'You'll want the 3-Series.' It's just dreadful. An appalling car.

-End of Transcription-

New Transcription from Top Gear:

Lexus has yet again come up with a car that will seriously rattle BMW's cage. It makes the 3-Series look like a rip-off

'After years of trying, someone's made a car that conquers the Three'

January 26, 2006

Features

Pistols at dawn

Watch out BMW, the new Lexus IS is gunning for the 3-Series. And it's good... very good indeed
It's down to badge snobbery. No longer do you have to opt out of BMW 3-Series ownership armed with a caveat.

You don't need an excuse, any inter-pub conversational armour, because the new IS is the car that will make Lexus a force to be reckoned within the UK market.

Think about it; where the small Beemer has become a subdued and almost awkward design study, the Lexus has blossomed, thanks to the new 'L-Finesse' design language.

Where the old IS200 threatened to make inroads, the new car punches above its weight, only lacking the Pavlovian buying response from the general public that the 3-Series has long laid claim to.

'Where the old Lexus IS200 threatened to make inroads, the new car punches above its weight'
The BMW might have the edge in 10/10ths excitement, but I buy an executive saloon to drive every day and a car that is as near-as-dammit silent will pay dividends 99 per cent of the time. Standard kit is lavish, ride is exemplary and the execution of build superlative.

You could argue that the wheels are too small, there's no diesel option and that bits of it can look a little plump.

In answer, I'll point you towards the forthcoming Sport model riding on 18s, and the imminent release of the IS220d in the UK - a diesel engine more powerful than that in the BMW 320d.

As for the plump bit, get used to it - 'flame-surfacing' and 'new edge' are so last year. It's won a Top Gear award because, after years of trying, someone's made a car that conquers the Three, but not by apeing BMW values. It's gone its own way and it's a better car for it."

Also, "The less hardy marketeers have already sloped off down the pub to get slowly drunk and sing secret corporate karaoke songs about the good old days when Lexii were merely confidence-boosted Toyotas and BMW could sell you a bent piece of angle iron and we'd all pay extra for the rust.

You can imagine it, because it's very hard not to be impressed with this new IS250. And very hard to imagine that when the early-adopter atmosphere of the noughties gets a handle on the whole anti-hero image thing, BMW is going to have to try much harder to sell you a car. And the chaps at Lexus are going to be very happy indeed.

Tom Ford (TopGear)"

Hyundai - 4/2/2006 9:25:28 PM

+1 Boost

Here is another transcription from the show. I will preface this by saying that I have not exagerated any of the following with my own words. The "actions" that I have added in between dialogue, which is word for word, are exactly what had happened on the TV program Top Gear.

Each episode on Top Gear, it seems, Hammond and James give cool ratings for cars on the “Cool Wall” (Ratings: Sub Zero (best), Cool, Uncool, Seriously Uncool (... worse)). They pull out pictures of the subject car and discuss what rating to give it and where to put it on the Cool Wall. Here is what happened when the 3-Series was discussed:

Jeremy: What have you got next?

Hammond: I’ve got the BMW 3-series.

Audience Member (shouts): It looks like a Nissan.

Jeremy: It doesn’t look like a Nissan, it looks like 15 feet of car.

Hammond: It is. It’s just “some car”.

Jeremy: ... Some car. I’m sorry, do you know what? First time ever. (drops the picture of the 3-Series on the floor.)

Hammond: Can’t be bothered…

Jeremy: Can’t be bothered....

Hammond Laughs.

Jeremy (continues): ... to put it on the board.

- Whole Crowd Cheering and Clapping -

Hammond: It’s just some car!

Jeremy: It is mild cheddar.

Hammond: It’s a lump of car.

Jeremy: Thaaat’s what it issss…….

Crowd Clapping and Laughing.

From another episode of Top Gear, Hammond describes the interior: This dash used to curve around like the cockpit of a fighter plane, but now it’s as straight as a piece of celery, and just as interesting... In twenty years that car [the Z4] will be remembered as forward thinking, but this car will be remembered as, well it won’t be remembered... As a machine, it’s fantastic. The engineering might be great, but the snob value of the badge is even stronger. But there’s a problem with that; the very reason you buy a BMW; because it’s exclusive and different; well it just isn’t, not anymore.

Now, they love the way the car drives (and it is justified), but there is a whole lot more to a car than the way it drives, and shame on the people who think that if you don’t buy a BMW, you must not love driving! There really are other options. Competition really is a wonderful thing.

Hyundai - 4/8/2006 12:12:16 PM

+1 Boost

The IS 300 was a better driver's car than any BMW 3 series was.

I have a challenge for you, boss. Take out an IS 300 and drive it back to back with a BMW 330i. I don't want to hear any bullshit comments from you about how it is not worth your time, etc, etc, until you actually drive it. If you come back and say it drives like crap, we all know how credible of an opinion you have.

I don't think we owe boss anymore of our time.