DETROIT AUTO SHOW: Lexus New Strategy Is To Pick Apart The Germans At The High End

"The unit will expand U.S. sales by adding high-priced cars rather than by following German competitors racing to add sub-$30,000 models, said Jeff Bracken, the brand’s U.S."

Toyota/Lexus = Number 1 Automaker in the world. Truly, the best Japanese automaker that knows how to sell cars.

The Germans no longer are interested in maintaining the "prestigious" image that their brands possess but only making profits, meaning they are turning into new General Motors.

But I knew Toyota/Lexus would know that is a foolish strategy. I am just so glad to see Toyota being serious about making more sports cars and Lexus adding more expensive vehicles in the lineup.

More info xjug1987a does not know of the world auto industry - FYI:
Very few people on this board know that Germany is the biggest winner of the European Union. When the EU is expanding economically, German gets a lot of car and heavy machinery orders from the PIGS countries (Portugal/Italy/Greece/Spain) and other core EU countries. When EU is depressed economically, then the Euro currency is weak so Germany can sell its goods to the US cheaply. German has been taking advantages of her unique position within EU for quite a wide now and so has huge profits to continue to invest in its future car models. Japan does not have this built-in advantage since its currency has been so strong for more that two decades.

@JDMUSMuscle you sound like the kind of idiot Toyota markets to. I'm sorry I mean "Lexus" hope I didn't hurt your feelings there. The Lexus RC is nothing more than a tarded up Scion FRS. ToyotaLexus will forever appeal to the middle class who just want to feel "rich" the true elite and wealthy will never settle for junk that immitates their favorite prestige brands (Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz). Even Bill Gates bought his kid a V-Dub, yes Volkswagen as in Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti you get the picture. Lmao!!!! They didn't say "Gee let's go see what Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are offering" HAHAHAHAHA! You suckers just keep getting owned. Have a Rice Day Mr, JDMUS "Muscle" HAHAHAHA! You guys even give the Japanese a great laugh. ; D

They need to buy a high end Design Firm like VW bought Ital Design. Lexus cars are ugly, boring, appliances and this RC-F will be a limited volume to a specific crowd. It won't do much to change the "booooorrrring - but reliable" reputation they have for soulless cars.

RC will be priced at around 40k ~ 50k, as it is like an IS coupe.

RC-F will obviously be a limited volume to a specific crowd, just like how M4, C63 AMG and such are. Meaning they will "sell" anyway. Think.

And they are only boring to you, unfortunately (Did you go see an eye doctor yet?) Normal people believe RC-F is a gorgeous machine.

And the term "soulless" will be used on the German cars from now on. Do A3, 2 series, B class and such POS have "souls"?

@— xjug1987a you are absolutely 110% right. And beleive me the rest of the world knows it. The "Average Middle Class Joe" like JDMUSMuscle (Gotta Love That Name By The Way) Pfffff! only "hate" and envy german cars because in reality they are closet fans who can't afford one. and hate to be reminded that their "reliable" undercover Toyota's, Honda's and Nissan's doesn't gain the kind of recognition that Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even VW gets.Period. I mean yo I drive a Subaru WRX STi and I've been in the JDM scene for a while but just because I envy AMG's M3's and RS4's I don't go around hating on them because I know once I graduate and the pockets get fat I will happily walk into a dealership and buy my dream car. The German's (Mercedes-Benz) invented the car. Anything a Toyota, Honda, Nissan etc. has (By the way that includes silly Lexus', Acura's and Infinity's)The German car pretty much had it "First" like the turn signals built iton the door mirror housing just to give an example.

Also MB, Audi & BMW are established prestige brands, (key word "established") most car buyers would put them on their list, if they could afford one. The strategy of going down market is a tricky one but the CLA 250 (crappy though I think it is) has been a terrific hit thus far, in reaching the targeted demographic, conquest percentages and with transaction prices of over $35K which is the lowest MB will likely go. Would you rather have a MB/BMW/Audi or a Toyota re-badged Lexus? No answer is necessary. If Toyota is in fact #1 it just goes to show how many people there are in the world that like to drive refrigerators...

Laughable. Cadillac and Lincoln both were "established" brands in the past. But thanks to those brands going cheaper and cheaper, that ultimately put an end to them and forced them to restart.

And I can see you don't even know what "rebadging" means. Go learn English again.

I would much rather have a Toyota or Lexus than buy BMW, Audi or Mercedes. Don't assume everyone loves Euro junk, because not everyone worships Europe like you do.

Both of you guys don't know what you're talking about. I bought my 2011 InfinitiM37x and the $51K I paid for it was higher than the E class and the 5 series that everybody and their mom was wondering why I didn't buy. They really were thrown for a loop when they realized that I wasn't buying it to save money. You must have just come home on a furlough if you still believe that Infiniti and Lexus' business model is still "a better car for less" they've been over that for a while now. I don't hate the Germans whatsoever however if we're not talking flagship models, save the Audi A6, the Japanese own the Germans. Sorry buddy but I buy the best and most appealing car for the money not for 'prestige' which really is fake in case you haven't looked up the definition of prestigious!

The only thing laughable are your opinions. Japanese cars are rice rockets and they've never been in the league of established luxury cars from a purest perspective. MB/BMW/Audi/Cadillac/Lincoln all have the pedigree of racing and or rich histories of innovation. Japanese cars have always been copies of other cars albeit more reliable. They have no character, no beauty and again, only update or try to improve on what others have created. I'm no "lover of European cars" I've never owned a BMW but respect the brand. I've had 5 Mercedes and they're all impressive in their own way. My Audi A6 Quattro was simply amazing, however my ATS 3.6 is probably the best car I've had. I've never seen a vintage Japanese car go for $1M at an auction, no one wants them and no one values them... ok, "some people" do. They're simply not desirable unless you're speaking of the Toyota 2000 which is a true classic, but the only one.

Cadillac & Lincoln didn't build cheaper & cheaper they had legacy costs they could not control, forcing them to build substandard cars, thus their move to SUV's where they could make money. They'll be back but clearly are on an uphill climb, especially Lincoln. I've never owned a Japanese car because they're boring, they have no character and they're appliances without a soul. You may think they're awesome and I respect your view. Tell me that the Lexus ES 350 is not a Toyota Avalon? The GS is not a Toyota Aristo? You're pretty rude by they way you should change your profile pic to rising sun, you seem to be staring into it!

"Japanese cars have always been copies of other cars albeit more reliable. They have no character, no beauty and again, only update or try to improve on what others have created."

You really love to show your stupidity on the internet. Toyota has the reputation of making the most reliable SUVs, called Land Cruiser, which are used by the U.N. and the rich Saudi families. I wonder why they don't use other vehicles, instead of Land Cruiser? This is because Land Cruisers are proven to be the most reliable SUV in the entire world. Top Gear once even tried to burn down and destroy this Toyota truck, but failed to do so, as it still ran.

And I wonder why so many street kids in America love the Japanese cars, like Evo, STI, Supra, S2000 and such?

A professional Porsche driver (forgot who it was) once drove a Subaru (I believe it was Legacy or an STI model) and stated it is even better than his company's vehicle.

There is not a single supercar that is priced at 100k and can go out to take down most of European supercars. And yet, Nissan GT-R is.

And anyone who is intelligent enough about cars would know Mazda has the history of putting down amazing track records.

You think the Japanese cars are soulless because they are Asian. Simply based on your biased opinion that is based on absolutely nothing. I bet you have never bothered to even take a look at the history of the Japanese automakers, because they are not like the Koreans.

ES is a rebadged "Camry", not Avalon. It really shows a lot about how much you know about Japanese cars, son. And sorry, just because there is an ES does not mean the entire Lexus lineup is all just rebadged Toyota. Is BMW just a rebadged MINI? Is Mercedes just a rebadged Smart? That's right, think before you comment.

I don't need to change my pic to rising sun, as Japan (And China) already owns gazillions of the American debt, meaning it is as same as Japan owning the United States. My profile pic that you are looking at, is more like a flag of the colony of Japan (Truth hurts, doesn't it?).

I have always been a fan of the Japanese cars and respected the Japanese craftsmanship since I was a kid, and read a lot of history books of the Japanese automakers. But too bad, you think the Japanese are like the Koreans, just copying what the others do.

Well, whatever makes you sleep better at night. Stay ignorant.

And Toyota Aristo? That car does not even exist anymore, and that name was only used in the Japanese market, as there was no Lexus brand in Japan back then.

Come back again when you have driven a Japanese car or learned something about them, son. You are too ignorant to even talk about the Japanese cars right now unfortunately.

And the used Japanese cars are pretty expensive around here. Their prices do not really go down radically quickly.

But the whole depreciation on the German cars is pretty radical. A few years ago, I saw a 2008 Audi A6 being only around 19,999 dollars. And a relatively new Mercedes S class being at only 38,000 dollars.

I wonder why? This is because anyone can buy a German junk. But the whole maintenance costs a fortune.

Keep paying so much for the maintenance on your Mercedes or Audi, so that they can get richer.

@JD....you better check your facts...the ES is based on the Avalon - not the Camry.......WOOPS !!

If you are too dumb to respond, it may be better for you if you tried checking your facts first.

The ES was "always" built on the Camry platform, but it was not just about platform, but it was truly a rebadged Camry. The current gen model ES seems to share the wheelbase with Avalon, as it seems like it has got bigger.

But a rebadged "Avalon"?

Very few people on this board know that Germany is the biggest winner of the European Union. When the EU is expanding economically, German gets a lot of car and heavy machinery orders from the PIGS countries (Portugal/Italy/Greece/Spain) and other core EU countries. When EU is depressed economically, then the Euro currency is weak so Germany can sell its goods to the US cheaply. German has been taking advantages of her unique position within EU for quite a wide now and so has huge profits to continue to invest in its future car models. Japan does not have this built-in advantage since its currency has been so strong for more that two decades.

And — xjug1987a Nails again with a good piece of "Education" for moron muscle head. Lols. This is the kind of guy the Japanese not only laugh at but actually enjoy taking his hard earned wages. Hehe. That is the kind of guy that screams "Hey look at me I feel like I have Pedigree, prestige, and I feel like my bank account balance has nine zeros, check out the oversized nav monitor in my Toyota *Cough* I mean Lexus." There is a reason Celebrity's, Athletes, World Leaders, and Corporation heads buy Audi,BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche over a goofy looking Lexus. Just saying ; ) Zing!

Cobb, it's shame how a retarded child like you actually driv....no wait, do you? Are you even old enough to drive a car?

Exactly where in my comments states that I am proud to own a Toyota, or such? I was merely saying that the Japanese make efforts (Not only that, I am somewhat Japanese myself to begin with, so get the facts straight, kid) and are able to build cars that are priced right. xjug was fully putting down every Japanese automaker without a reason, and here you are, a moron who can not even understand (And most likely has some reading problems as well) comes and says something incredibly foolish.

If I were you, I would try reading the comments again, rather than just exposing my stupidity flatout. Oh wait, can you read anyway? I am serious, just wondering.

por, Germany is not the only one.

In terms of Europe, Switzerland's watch brands are completely unrivaled, as they are famous everywhere. Even though Switzerland is not even a part of the E.U., it is definitely one of the most important countries in all of Europe.

The United Kingdom takes pride in their luxury automobile brands, like Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and such (Even though many of them are now owned by Germany). And their novel books, basically literature, are famous all over the world.

And we know about Italy and France, their clothing brands and luxury automobiles. Bugatti, Ferrari and such.

People seem to only think Germany is the only one who is powerful. They are not thinking about those extremely powerful brands that many of the Western and Northern European nations take pride in.

What about the HS? It looked like a Corolla with chrome. Lexus "downmarket" project was in Toyota territory and a weak attempt to gain sales numbers.

HS is supposed to be a hybrid model, meaning more like a Lexus version of Prius.

The Only People who in the Royal Saudi Family who drive around in Toyota Land Cruisers is the Help and Servants. The ones who ride in the armoured ones are the Generals. The "Family" Rolls in Armored Mercedes-Benz Products like the Global Prestige S-Class, and G-Wagen, they have also been seen in GL's Cadillac Escalades, And Suburbans. Just like our President. So what does that tell you when they much rather put their Children and Loved One's in GM Products over Toyota. Just like in my Town the only people who drive Lexus's are the people who live in houses the size of a garage from one of the mega mansions on the golf course. And on that side mind you the Lexus's and Infinity's there belong to the House Keepers, and Assistants. Oooooh!!! Look Out.... ZING!!!!!

I am not surprised. As it seems 90% of world politicians seem to use S class.

And I myself trust GM products. Not as much as the Japanese cars, but I still like GM.

JS - I'll give you the S2000 and original RX-7 are sweet cars and no doubt Subaru builds cars "their buyers" love. Ive never known anyone that has owned a Subaru. The Honda Accord is probably one of the best cars ever made and is a terrific value. No doubt Godzilla is quite a car, what you don't seem to understand is what I think everyone else does. So, enjoy the Sake, you've done a fine job of winning us over to your perspective...

Why Accord? When I actually find Honda cars these days quite soulless? No, I am not joking. I am a fan of Honda, and I do not like how Honda is operating today.

I meant JD...

Very few people on this board know that Germany is the biggest winner of the European Union. When the EU is expanding economically, German gets a lot of car and heavy machinery orders from the PIGS countries (Portugal/Italy/Greece/Spain) and other core EU countries. When EU is depressed economically, then the Euro currency is weak so Germany can sell its goods to the US cheaply. German has been taking advantages of her unique position within EU for quite a wide now and so has huge profits to continue to invest in its future car models. Japan does not have this built-in advantage since its currency has been so strong for more that two decades.

Toyota - Altezza = Lexus IS, Toyota - Harrier = Lexus RS, Toyota - Celsior - LS400,
Toyota - Soarer = Lexus SC, Toyota - Windom/Camry/Avalon - ES 350.....

You do realize all these Toyota cars don't even exist anymore, correct?

Because Lexus brand now exists in Japan.

Oh and check the dimensions of the new RC they're almost identical to the Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ ....

By the way — xjug1987a I own a Subaru so know you know someone that does, LoL. And I can tell you that over 80% of us "Sreet Kids" (The way Moron Head describes us) would gladly trade up our STi's, S2000's Evo's etc. for a Porsche, Audi R or S models, and AMG's any day. Most of the time when we go to the track we show love,and give props to guys racing their M3's, S4's and 911's sometimes we challenge them for fun (we lose haha) but it's still fun, and a good time. Now look below as I pick apart the JDMUSmusclehead Moron some more ; D

As you can see, CobbWRX12 is a good example of badgewhorism. Owns a Subaru, and complains about it, and tells the others about how he hates his car (And loves the fact that he is beaten all the time. Wow, low self-esteem much?), and wishes he had a Porsche.

No one can be more pathetic than this trash. I bet you can't even get a girl friend, too, as you seem to have no pride in yourself. Do you think the Japanese cars are called tuners for no reason? If you want to win, then there are many options that you can choose from for your vehicle. If you are not interested in being fast, then don't even buy a WRX, kid. I bet you are one of those kids who thought that Subaru uses a Porsche "engine" because of the name of the engine.

Oh, just so you know, I own a Dodge RAM and Mitsubishi Montero. I do not use my vehicles to brag, but for practical purposes. But you are too childish to understand I believe.

Moron Muscle Head Said: “You really love to show your stupidity on the internet. Toyota has the reputation of making the most reliable SUVs, called Land Cruiser, which are used by the U.N. and the rich Saudi families. I wonder why they don't use other vehicles, instead of Land Cruiser? This is because Land Cruisers are proven to be the most reliable SUV in the entire world. Top Gear once even tried to burn down and destroy this Toyota truck, but failed to do so, as it still ran.”
Already Corrected Him on this one. ; )

Moron Muscle Head Said: “And I wonder why so many street kids in America love the Japanese cars, like Evo, STI, Supra, S2000 and such?”
The Truth:
This old Fart thinks he knows what us “Street Kids” of today are all about. Correction most of us JDM Rice Racers LOVE Audi’s, BMW’s, Benz, Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo etc. If we had the deep pockets we would be racing those not Honda’s, Toyota’s or Nissan’s as fun as they are to drive they really aren’t any comparison to the performance and overall prestige. ZING!

Moron Muscle Head Said: “A professional Porsche driver (forgot who it was) once drove a Subaru (I believe it was Legacy or an STI model) and stated it is even better than his company's vehicle.”
The FAT Truth:
All of a sudden he developed Amnesia and can’t remember the guy’s name. I happen to drive a Subaru and an STi at that, and I would proudly trade anyone for ANY, I mean ANY Porsche, even a Boxter or Cayenne. But I know that’s never going to happen : /

There is not a single supercar that is priced at 100k and can go out to take down most of European supercars. And yet, Nissan GT-R is.

The Truth:
VW has a few “Godzilla” smashers like the Veyron, Porsche Carerra, Porsche 911 GT3, Bugatti Veyron, and Lamborghini that Stock for Stock send the GT-r home with it’s tail between it’s legs. And don’t even get me started on mods. Any moded GT-R is as good as junk yars material once the mods start to fail (And at some point they will as all JDM Mods do, that’s a fact) this why 99% of GT-R owners leave them all stock. By the way Underground Tunings Lamborghini Gallardo will destroy any GT-R as does the Bugatti Veyron. And if the GT-R was “All That” you would see the Rich and Famous Balling around in one. But of course we don’t. ZING! ; )

Moron Muscle Head Said: “You think the Japanese cars are soulless because they are Asian. Simply based on your biased opinion that is based on absolutely nothing. I bet you have never bothered to even take a look at the history of the Japanese automakers, because they are not like the Koreans.”
The Truth Again:
So if they hate Ford’s, Chevy’s or Dodge, they hate them because they are made by white people??? Right. Moron Muscle Head = Moron Logic. Even Asian’s themselves buy German. VW has an even bigger market share in Japan than does Toyota. Let alone Honda, and Mazda. Fact is Asian’s have Good, Bad, and Ugly as does any other culture, black, white, borwn, arabs you name

Wow, this kid is something.

You mentioned Veyron twice. Something wrong with your memory? And what did I say again? "Price". Which one of those cars are priced at 100k? Veyron. Wow.

"And if the GT-R was “All That” you would see the Rich and Famous Balling around in one. But of course WE don’t. ZING! ; ) "

We? Who is we? You can't afford even a Mercedes C class, and you think you are one of those rich and famous? I feel sorry for you. I really do. I bet you are one of those kids who wishes he was born rich, but wasn't, so at least tries best to pretend one.

And if it were true, I would accept. But unfortunately, you are not very much well informed.

"A recent study shows that 25 percent of Japanese car buyers would consider a foreign car, “whether they buy one is another matter,” Maruta says."

Toyota is now aiming for 55% market share in Japan, as it now has around 45% of the market share. Not many Japanese people buy foreign cars. Use your brains. And Google.

There are many people who hate the American brands, as they were cheaply made. Nowadays, the American brands are not really even hated, but rather, ignored in many cases.

When the people buy cars, the cultural background is usually associated with it. It doesn't matter how good and nicely priced the Japanese car may be (Like GT-R), not many people would pay that much money for an Asian car. Ever wondered why GT-R is still not being the status symbol like 911? It has nothing to do with the performance of the car. It has more to do with the heritage, and the cultural background of the brand.

And how many rich people would want to be in a GM or Ford product? Maybe some Americans, but not the others.

And you can keep calling me a moron muscle head, as this clearly shows that you are most definitely a teenager. Most likely a child who just got a license and an old Subaru WRX that he got from his minimum wage job. I feel sorry for you.