Do you know what the inspiration for the new headlight design was on the 2007 Lexus LS?

What is it with Lexus and this board. I have never ever heard anyone say that a Lexus is an "enthusiast" vehicle. An unbreakable appliance, yes, but soulless none the less. Just as with this inspiration. It is not the container, it is the wiskey contained within that brings joy.

it's Lexus and BMW...

gettin old!

opus,
Machines don't have soul. They're mechanical. As for the Whiskey part. At least there's a table in the backseat of the new LS for the Whiskey bottle and a couple of glasses. ( and now for the boring feud)

No feud, and if you don't call it soul, call it a level of engagement, ability to be engaged, emotional appeal, whatever, but Lexus vehicles simply do not have it. They have everything else, just not an ability to inspire enthusiasm amongst enthusiasts. It is not about numbers, it is about a feeling, and Lexus does not seem to generate that feeling.

opus,
Well, if they're selling a lot of vehicles I guess there is a level of appeal, level of engagement, ability to be engaged. I mean, if there's people driving it there must be a level of engagement to a certain extent. For you to say Lexus vehicles simply do not have it, is like, asking a person why did you pay 100k+ for a MB? By all means, If you like a hard ride, buy a BMW, MB or even Audi - along with the glitches that comes with it. Lexus 'simply do not have it'. Its all about feeling, right? Well, I feel like purchasing an LS600H.

Another brand war

BTW the details on this car are really nice. I mean crystal lights, steering wheel buffed for 3 hours. Nice touch.

The crystal lights are supposedly supposed to light up the road 30-60 feet further than traditional HID Xenon headlamps.

lol all of a sudden there are like 10 posts about the new LS...im lovin it!

i agree with SSP350,

Opus, all of us lexus drivers have to feel some sort of attraction. I have no idea what you guys are talkign about when it comes to "not having soul" because i love my lexus and i think it handles great. Maybe not the best, but its sufficient enough!

I'm real tired of the head lights on Japanese cars with the way they sweep up.

It's getting old.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Hey EL34,

I'm also getting tired of all the BMW headlights..they're all getting old too. But then again, aren't all BMW suppose to look like that. What a bias comment that was. Same goes for MB...its what sets the car apart from one brand to the next.

lexuskindaguy et al
My final entry on this issue.
If you are saying you bought your lexus because you were emotionally pulled to it based upon its performance and engaging driving experience then you are amongst a very very small percentage of lexus owners. Most lexus owners are attracted to the bullet-proof reliability, the cost advantage over european competition, the resale value, technological innovations, etc... Find one automotive article that ever mentions a lexus having a greater level of driver involvement, performance communication, driver engagement than a BMW and I will admit that I am wrong. Until then, I stand by my statement.

Yet another example of Lexus' subtle yet refreshing approach to design

I say, as long as they illuminate the road ahead, I don't really care what they look like.

opus,
"Find one automotive article that ever mentions a lexus having a greater level of driver involvement, performance communication, driver engagement than a BMW and I will admit that I am wrong"

What is it with the BMW's and this so called "driver involvement"?? I mean do you guys actually get in a BMW with the pedal to the floor and take the first corner doing 60mph? Other than the car being direct, which only means stiffer suspensions, its got nothing else. The only real reason why some people will never buy Lexus is because BMW have been around a lot longer than Lexus and pretty much uninformed. I've learned my lesson with the German makes. I, like many other folks, thought BMW, MB, Audi, etc., were supreme automobiles. I started off with a 96 Audi A6, which by the way has to be the most uncomfortable car I've ever owned and the monstrosity ergonomically design flaws on the interior. Afterwards, I jumped on the BMW bandwagon and picked up a 2001 MB E55, which had the worst strut problems I've experienced in my life and not to mention the dealer couldn't even balance my wheels right. After my lease was up with the MB (thank God) I was on another hunt for a new vehicle. I had a friend who recommended I try Lexus after my lease was up. Went to the Lexus dealership and test drove a LS430. To my surprise, it was the most comfortable ride I've ever felt. Still, I thought this is what a Lexus feels like. I didn't know much about Lexus so I still went ahead and test drove the new 2004 E500 anyway. And to my surprise, I thought the Lexus ride was far beyond a more superior ride. The MB and BMW's cars are too stiff for me in terms of suspension, hence, more road feel. And I guess this is what "driver involvement" is. But to me this is just poor engineering, the rough ride and road noise..if this is what engages a driver, then by all means, this is what alerts the driver to be "engaged". Do you guys actually put your seat 90 degrees up when driving? I mean you guys talk about driving experience like it was the Grand Touring race, or Rallies for that matter. And this here is my last entry.

**MB bandwagon

Wow!

So many people seem to think that Lexus is a threat to their coveted Euro brands, it's funny.

Being an enthusiast is not about what you drive, but how you drive. Does the owner of a Ferarri have a more enthusiastic approach to driving than the owner of a Mustang, or does the Ferrari owner just have more money? Does owning a BMW automatically make you a better driver than Honda Accord owners? Common sense says no.

I'm sure there are people with the ability to make a 1980's Ford Tarus do things the average BMW owner would never imagine.

Please stop the bashing of Lexus because it cannot compare to what some other brands can do at the limit, because almost nobody will ever encounter those performance limits anyway. Those who do see those limits are usually emboldened by the badge on their car's hood and are about to crash anyway.

SSP350, thank you for your thoughts on this whole stupid "soul" issue. I posted last week, "Automobiles are machines. Machines do not have souls," and it has been my goal to repeat that mantra every time people start harping on souls. I appreciate that someone else gets it.

efoxs4, i didnt know that only certain people who fit into your narrow minded view were reading Autospies You said, "which not many people on this website want." How the hell do you know what people on this site want. What arrogance!! Or maybe you are just illiterate and can't read the posts by the many Lexus supporters. I will admit that between you, Plano and a few others, the posts are getting hijacked by this German bias. Much like Autoblog seems to have a domestic bias. But to just summarily dismiss readers who like Japanese cars is beyond reasonable.

answer

"Being an enthusiast is not about what you drive, but how you drive." Are you serious? So youre tryin to tell me that I can have more fun while drivin my Corolla than my BMW? What are you, a village person? You must have never driven a BMW(any model). And I dont think there is too many enthisiasts drivin Corollas.


G

answer

"I'm sure there are people with the ability to make a 1980's Ford Tarus do things the average BMW owner would never imagine." Go find out and tell us. One thing that taurus could do is peel out like crazy, is that rwally what you want your car to do?


G

Fact is I have driven every single BMW model released in the past decade save the Z8. I know what BMW does.

My point is that owning/driving a BMW or Mercedes does not make you a more passionate driver, let alone a better driver.

The number of BMWs or Mercedes that are actually driven to their limits is about the same as the number of Hummer H2s that leave pavement.

I believe a teenager in a Mustang GT could be much more of an enthusiast driver than an 80 year old man in a Maserati. It is more of your intentions and ability than your possesions. (This is always hard for the arrogant to understand.)

Can someone driving a Corolla have more fun than someone drving a BMW? You bet. Would I want my Taurus to peel out like crazy? Of course. Do I enjoy giving Porsche Boxsters a run for their money in my LS430? Every day. Will BMW continue to spawn arrogance and overconfidence? Always it seems.

answer- I think the reason is, to the German guys, Lexus is a imitation or a XEROX of many different brands. The whole German thing, is about precision and cutting edge tevhnology and being the first to market. There is a passion from these makers to become unique and push the envelope (both good and bad). Lexus copies the ideas and put their twist on it (sometimes a better twist too) and says “Here we are, we are JUST like you!” They feel that this puts them on the same level as Premium brands. Not true.

The fact is most of their engineering cycles are about perfection of existing technology, not pushing the envelope and bettering the future. Those fundamental differences separate the real innovators from the “also rans”.

If the leading marquees all went away in the 20’s Lexus would have the finest 4 wheel drum brakes know to man, but no disc brakes. The flat head engine would be of the utmost precision too. Air-conditioning would not have been invented but Lexus would have the most reliable side window vents around too.

You need innovators not copiers to make the marker a safe and better place. It is easier to improve and existing design than develop a new concept.

This argument is not about “crystal look” headlights, it is much bigger than that. Besides why would headlights need a drinking glass for inspiration? Optics should be the inspiration.

efoxS4- The reason the Lexus guys are here is because they are looking for someone to desperately tell them they are as good as the Germans. They have a nice car indeed, but for some reason they thing that copies of 3 year old technology puts them at the leading edge of design and innovation. If the Lexus innovations were college papers they would get an “A” for execution and a “D-” for originality. The term plagiarism comes to mind for some reason.

Plano,

A good car is a good car, there is no denying that. If we all played the who copied who game, then we can pretty much blame every automaker in the world for copying Mercedes since they invented the car.

Yet Lexus is trying to be innovative. Guess what happens when they try? They get put down. When we bring up they they were the first to offer:

8 Speed auto/ (German fan reply) "copied"
Dual Chamber airbag/ (German fan reply) "copied"

There is no end to this. Do Mercedes buyers not buy Audi and BMW because they didn't invent the airbag? No. Do they not buy Lexus for the same reason? No. Nowadays I feel that people that spend under 50k for a Mercedes only buy Mercedes because of the name.

It's good to have heritage, but when that becomes the only or main reason in purchasing a car heritage quickly becomes snob appeal. Here lies the German fanbase.

Lets face it guys. One man's meat is another man's poison, but what I don't like is when people try to misrepresent what their cars stand for.. Ostensibly, a few people on this site post comments without actually have actually driven any of these cars. Anyway, each car maker has certain characteristics that are reflected in their cars, and while these attributes vary from model to model, the overally themes generally hold true.
Benz - the quintessential Luxury car ( previously had great ride fit/finish, suberb build quality, Luxury toys etc..)..lost its way sometime in the 90s, but seems to be on the mend with the new S550, but has to work very hard to keep up with the competition. Still the best Luxury ride, especially on "very" bad roads (you won't read this in car mags, but trust me on this one)..
BMW- Great driver appeal, eye-catching designs, great sports performance, has okay, but not great interiors, used to have the best handling /sports/ performance package but Audi has now taken over. Still has the best overall driving feedback though..
Audi - Most improved of all Luxury car makers. Clean and classy styling, by far the best interiors and now the best all round (Luxury / performance / handling package). Much improved on total driver feedback, although BMW still has the edge here. Perhaps the perfect blend of what all other luxury car makers have to offer..
Lexus - Previously low on Power, but now has much improved performance, has good interiors and good luxury ride, generally known for having good reliability. However, has uninspiring styling, school bus handling, no driver feedback whatsoever, and lacks presence/character.. So it really depends on what you want in a car. If you "really" enjoy driving, good feedback, and a great handling / performance package, the Germans are the way to go or Nissan /Infinity if you want a Japanese brand that is years ahead of Lexus in both the styling and handling departments. However, if you're looking for a 4 wheel device just to get around; a device that's detached from the driver, poorly styled, lacks character, is void of any feedback and handles like a newspaper delivery truck, Lexus will be perfect for you. What kind of driver are you??

The new LS is ugly.
But its better than the previous one.
The rear of the car is the ugliest i've ever seen.
It looks like a honda!

Yes, it will be a great car...that is if you arn't driving it.

The BMW 7, A8, and S550 are way better picks in terms of fun factor and exterior design.

Will, you missed the point. The point isn't whether German car owners opposite lock their way to the grocery store or not.. Its the level of enjoyment they get from everything as already mentioned above. Lexus is a grotesque one trick pony. All you get is smooth and quiet to the point the driver nearly falls asleep...no excitement/nothing. The German cars also give you smooth, quiet and a lot more.. My A8L is as smooth as butter, but growls when you ask it for a little more and when you drop the shifter into S it becomes a completely different animal.. Regardless of the conditions outside rain, snow, dry conditions, curves, hills, you name it you feel connected to the car and highly confident that the car will deliver 110% and it always does.. I can always tell exactly what the car is doing. The typical Lexus car does not talk to you..Driving one isn't much different from using a washine machine, power washer or any other appliance.. you know its working and that's it. Every year I endeavor to go to at least 2 F1 races, and one of my favorites is the Montreal GP not just because of the event and the city itself, but because of the 6hr drive down in my A8L..sweet.. Hope you'll begin to get it, but then again it may be difficult..if you're sitting in a hard on the eyes appliance getting bored to death!!