Lexus Aims For at Least 500,000 Units Globally for 2007

Lexus will probably make that figure globally, becuase most of the US are status mongers and really only care about comfort. Lexus provides a relativly inexpensive way to show off the bling and does provide comfort. In the more demanding markets they are going to have to up the ante like the LS460 did to compete.

Better watch out if they dare to replace bling with real innovations they will turn into a true "Premium Maker".

Caltrans- They are figuring out real quickly the cars designed strictly for the American market don't do well abroad. Actually they are trending more to a Euro style which is typically more appealing both in performance and overall marketability.

"Toyota Motor Corp, Japan’s top automaker, aims for global sales of at least 500,000 units for its luxury Lexus brand, helped by the new flagship LS sedan, its president said yesterday."


500 000 units!?!
They could sell only 500 000 LS Models without the other ones. The new LS is UNIQUE.
And about Lexus and Toyota. Soon pretty soon Toyota is gonna be the leader in the world of Automakers and almost nothing cannot stop them It doesn't matter if GM and Ford make an alliance or not. Who cares!?! If they make good cars they will sell more than Toyota but they don't. So now the KING is Toyota and for me the only one oponent is DaimlerChrysler!!!
Yes, and now you could laugh at me, but soon you will see that only Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Mercedes and Maybah having the right politic.

Soon to be number 1 in the world.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. Lexus rules!

I don't think they can honestly meet this goal. Adding a bunch of smaller engines and cloth won't do wonders overnight.

Brand building is the key. They have it in the US, but globally, most people have not even heard of Lexus. And those that do know of its relation to Toyota and will hold back preferring to spend their cash on a known luxury brand.

And before you Lexus trolls attack me, this isn't a rant or a flame. It's logic and speculation.

are infiniti and acura as well known around the world as in america? or is lexus the only japanese make to only sell well in america?

anyway i see DCX as a major competitor over the next decade. the american brands went retro to reinvent itself. and with MB lending tech support like ESP and adaptive speed control. the aspen, nitro, caliber, new sebring sedan, and compass should not be considered "retro" though.

Acura and Infiniti are only sold in the US. Infiniti recently began selling in Russia however. But that's it.

Lexus is currently only sold in NA,The Middle East, Europe and Japan.

They Just started this year, before that they were known as upscale Toyotas.

I love the success that Lexus is having but I would hate for Lexus to become TOO common. Two major reasons I will most likely choose the GS 350 over the 5 series is because I see about 2 or 3 5 series per block. They are far too commmon in my area. Another reason is because although the BMW has a more athletic stance, I never plan on taking my car to a racetrack. I only need to get from point A to B somewhat quickly, peacefully and safely. Good job Lex, keep up the good work, you already have half my family hooked.

they can do it blind!

oh yeah... that reminds me... i was watching jeaprdy today and alex asked:
what automaker's slogan is "the relentless pursuit of perfection" I shouted to my grnadma... oh oh LEXUS!!!

-someone said mercedes-benz, the other said oh oh who is bmw. -and someone even said jaguar! jeez!!!!

BMW530i,

But remember, if Lexus sells smaller engines in Europe they'd have to source it from Toyota. People wouldn't pay more when they can get the same engine in a cheaper car. Mercedes and BMW can get away with it because they don't have parent companies.

Good luck...

00JT,

But remember, if Lexus sells smaller engines in Europe they'd have to source it from Toyota. People wouldn't pay more when they can get the same engine in a cheaper car. Mercedes and BMW can get away with it because they don't have parent companies.
=======================================

They SHOULD source engines from Toyota if they're not willing to develop their own smaller engines. And they don't have to advertise that these engines are from Toyota. ;)

And sales for BMW/MB/AUDI will be way above those of Lexus in 2007 since they're not exactly standing still.

And Lexus still has to figure a way to convince the folks from europe, middle east, Japan that they're somebody.

Agree with DarkOneForce. Too many people assume (aka Lexus fans) that the Germans are not doing anything and won't improve. That's a mistake. ;)

BMW530i, many people also assume that Lexus wont improve. Lexus has been playing the catch up game since it was introduced into the industry by toyota and IMO, has been doing a pretty damn good job. It strives so hard because they know they have alot to prove, more so then BMW or Merc when new models are introduced. Lexus has a fan base but I feel that if their interiors looked like some of the 3 series interiors w/out nav, they would fail miserably.

Darkforce, the very fact that there doing so incredible and have barely penetrated the markets of europe, middle east & their very own country shows that "the sky's the limit".

That being said, I honestly dont have a preference although as I have said before, I may end up with the new GS. I would hate to see one company completely dominate the market. When the competition stops, the incredible products stop being produced. We would all just end up with over priced vehicles with little or no appeal. It has been said many times in this forum and to disagree would be to prove your ignorance. If you cannot atleast agree that Lexus is an up and coming force to be reckoned with, atleast agree that, to an extent, it is Lexus that is forcing these major companies to become more refined, MORE RELIABLE, and offer more for the $$$. Many companies have outright said they will work on thier reliability & BMW is now beginning to offering the HP it should have in its last few sedans. Yes, Lexus is improving, and so is the rest of the industry. Everyone wins. Thank God for healthy competition.

Justbrown,

The issue here is GLOBAL SALES. And if we're realistic, Lexus is in an inferior position when it comes to this aspect.

IMAGE here is important, and Lexus don't have one outside of the US. This will be the main drawback for the image-conscious global world. Image in this case means a long history to draw upon.

well well , it so seems to have fallen in my hand , but i actually have the document that shows and tells wht's going on over @ lexus co., and the offical dates of the cars that will be coming soon to a dealer near you .... including the new gs460 , and a future new sum new cars that are from concepts they have on the sites photo gallery ...... any body wanna know sumthin ? hit me up

BMW, it's true what you're saying. But it's also more than that.

They have to expand their line up, and their dealer and service network, and not to mention the production facilities.

Next to the image problem, they lack models or variants of models. And the lack of established dealer and service network also means poor resale value.