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16K views 104 replies 20 participants last post by  Lord Cadillac 
#1 ·
This new Lexus flagship will feature a 4.6-liter V8 engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

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#8 ·
Regardless of everything, get in a Lexus LS430 and Drive It - and you'll realize that just about everything else on the road is inferior...

"The LS 460 climate control system measures not only the interior air temperature, but through sensors in the seats, the body temperature for the occupants to create the optimum environment."

The LS430 has oscillating air conditioning and heating vents. I'd driven one around for a short time - and at one point I'd taken it to the dealership as the vents didn't seem to be oscillating all the way back and forth. After close examination, they told me it was because the vents actually stay in the range of whichever side is needing the hotter or cooler air. So what looked to me like the vents getting stuck was simply the car "knowing" to keep the vents in one specific area.

And before you say the dealership was just BSing me - I tested their theory with the air conditioner on. With the temperature on very low, the vents did stick to whichever side of the car needed more cooler air. When I raised the temperature, the vents began to fully oscillate from left to right again...

Sure, that's one silly feature that's not very important (to you - but it is to me and many others) - but all these silly little features add up.

Another example is the sound-deadening material they use inside the car. Did you know that the coating over all the wood grain has a special chemical that deadens sound? Like I said, all these little interesting things add-up to make the Lexus LS, the Lexus LS.. I can go on and on and on about the amazing things this car does. I wish Cadillac would buy one, study it, and start impressing me this way...
 
#15 ·
...from familycar.com:

There are many thoughtful touches inside and outside to make life easy, from the power seat belt height adjusters to the duplicate power seat controls for the passenger seat that are within easy reach of the driver. The driver can easily pre-position the passenger seat so that if the last passenger had the seat reclined, the next passenger won't fall back unexpectedly when entering. Small touches, but nice to have.

Another optional feature that elicited wows when the LS460 was announced last January was a system that would allow the car to actually park itself. You simply pull up to a parking space and place the Intelligent Park Assist system into self-park mode. After that, all you have to do is keep your foot lightly on the brake pedal. The car will do the rest, automatically steering into the space for a perfect park each time.

All long wheelbase models will include power rear door closers, so the rear seat passenger shouldn't have to reach out in an undignified manner to close the door.

* Six titanium cone speakers will be arranged across the dash
* a woofer will be located in each front door
* three speakers will be in each rear door
* four satellite speakers will be in the rear roof pillars
* a woofer will be located in the rear package shelf.

Standing start to 60 miles per hour is a blistering 5.4 seconds, which beats many high end performance sedans. The LS460 will get 19 mpg for city driving and 27 mpg on the highway. With eight forward speeds, you could spread the ratios out to have a lower first gear for improved off-the-line acceleration, and a higher top gear for better fuel economy on the highway.

The LS600h L is expected to be the quietest car ever made. It is so quiet that engineers had to go back to the drawing board to redesign all the electric motors and switches because they were becoming noticeable for the first time.

Lexus will also make available a new Advanced Pre-Collision System as an option for all LS models. This system is so advanced, it will even detect pedestrians. Two small cameras mounted at the front of the car, in conjunction with millimeter-wave radar, are sensitive enough to detect not just large metal obstructions such as cars but also smaller nonmetallic objects, such as humans.

A third camera, mounted on the steering column, monitors the driver’s face. If the camera sees that the driver is looking away for a few seconds or more, and something is in the car's path, then it alerts the driver first with a warning chime and a flashing light. If that doesn't get the driver to react, the system can begin to gently apply the brakes on its own. The system will also reprogram the steering ratio to quicken the steering response. While all of this is happening, the system automatically cinches up the passenger restraints and prepares the brake system to respond with full force when activated by the driver in anticipation of a possible impact.
 
#16 ·
Well........um........yeah, I don't think we'll be seeing anything like this from Cadillac for a while. As in, 4 or 5 decades. This sounds more extensive and luxurious than an S-class. I'm quite anxious to see one. I'm also wondering if it really gets 29 mpg highway. If it does, and I'm sure it will be in the mid-20's at least, this will really be a dream-machine.
 
#17 ·
Well it looks as though the S Class may be u-surped by the LS460 as the king of the luxury sedan..
 
#27 ·
My grandfather bought a new GS430 and the dealership invited him to their dealership after they had closed and my grandfather met the owner of the dealership and they setup a private little party with wine and cheese. All of the management staff was on hand and the owner of the dealership handed my grandfather the keys and he was on his way. It's stuff like that that would make a person want to do business with them again and again which he has. He bought my grandmom a LX300 and then traded that in and got her a new LX330.
 
#58 ·
My mother had a similar experience. She ordered online a new IS350. But she traded in her e500 (due to electrical problems) about 2 weeks before the IS arrived. So they gave her a GS300 for free for 2 weeks plus let her test drive a couple of the new models! And when the IS finally arrived, they gave her a giftbasket, and the owner personally came and shook her hand. Had her come to his office, gave her this nice gift basket, it was really special treatment! When I bought my cadillac, I didnt even get window cleaner. I ordered it, it arrived, someone called 4 days after it showed up, and the salesman hurried me out of his office because he had customers!

If Lexuss had offered a stick in the IS350, I might be driving one now.
 
#30 ·
The IS convertible and IS coupe need to hit the market NOW to sustain Lexus's sales position, because BMW and Cadillac are #2 and #3, and their success rests on the 3-series and CTS, both of which are highly profitable and emphasize sport over luxury.

As marvelous as I believe the LS460 will be, its unimportant in terms of sales competition and the bottom line. The supersedan is meant to be a low-volume halo product for showcasing technology. Seldom do sales become anything fiscally meaningful, as their purpose is to build credibility for the brand.

[MB is now #4, and you can guess where MB's customers went after their quality decline.]

The most noteworthy change in the luxury market is the sudden importance of ENTRY luxury and SPORT luxury. Back in 1990, Lexus and Infiniti arrived with full size sedans as their primary products, but with the passing of time, a more youthful, more aspirational public went for cars like the 3-series, CTS, and G35. The Lexus IS never gained much steam, but sales are slowly growing with the latest generation. Infiniti's rebirth came from the $30,000 G35, not from the opulent '02 Q45, which was a massive sales failure.

Young people are less likely than their parents to prolong their joy or make sacrifices, which means they will spend NOW for as much luxury as they can possibly have. And naturally, being young, they'll want some sport with their luxury. As a result, cars like the DTS, LS, and S-class become less important and less relevant.

Perhaps, once my hair is gray and my bowels lose their ability to hold my stool in, I'll change my mind and lose interest in cars like the CTS and XLR. When that happens, I'll let you know, and you can take my new Lexus for a spin.
 
#31 ·
The IS convertible and IS coupe need to hit the market NOW to sustain Lexus's sales position, because BMW and Cadillac are #2 and #3, and their success rests on the 3-series and CTS, both of which are highly profitable and emphasize sport over luxury.
Cadillac only has one convertible and that costs $70k which is their only coupe as well so the IS will not be in the same class as the XLR so they wouldn't be direct competitors and if you want to think of it like that then the IS Vert and coupe will destroy the XLR sales without hesitation
 
#35 ·
Don't get me wrong I like my amenities. I want heated and cooled massaging seats, because I like having my rear toasted on a cold winter day, I like having it cooled on a hot summer day, and massaged after a long day. I can actually use and appreciate those features.

But an 8spd transmission is something that isn't going to benefit me in any real way, other than me being able to brag about it.
 
#38 ·
It's not just about the number of gears for bragging rights, think about it this way. Would Lexus do something just for bragging rights? Probably not, after all, it's Lexus. There's a reason this thing will be able to get at least 25 mpg on the highway, probably more. The Lexus might not NEED 8 speeds, but if it keeps the engine at that perfect rpm at the perfect time for great performance and great mileage, it's the perfect feature.
 
#40 ·
The New LS is raising the bar to unprecedented levels. They have a model that parallel parks it self!

Plus they will be offering a hybrid model - The LS 460h L which will have 12cyl. performance ( 460 HP ) with 8cyl. fuel economy.... AWD at that.

My small write up and pics on my web page:

Maddox Computer Systems - Low Scola - Automotive
Lexus, nor Toyota has ever used a V12 powerplant. The Lexus LS 460L and Lexus LS 600h L is no different.

Btw, it runs an 8spd transmission for better acceleration through 1st through 3rd and 4th through 8th are for economy. It is said that this 8spd transmission has less moving parts and is 10% lighter than its 6spd predecessor. Maybe Cadillac should think ahead a little bit more and they'd be much farther along in the market place.
 
#43 ·
The Lexus LS 460L WILL be the Fleetwood Brougham of Lexus.. This is why I created that "Cadillac/second rate" post. Cadillac needs to start thinking on their toes and being the first to do this and that or they're going to be looking up to cars that people consider boring...
 
#47 ·
just my 2cents lexus builds an incredible car. cadillac finally builds an incredible car in 05 --sts-- BUT the ugly 05 ls430 is still worth $40k+ today. i bought my 05sts v8 awd for $28k. my 95 ls400 (better looking than the 430 imho)has 175k miles and is still worth $7-8k whats a 95 caddy with the same milage worth? $1-2k maybe? sad because i love caddy's... i was a caddy master tech for 6yrs and a tech on them for 12. made great money. $100k+ a yr so do the lexus techs--nothings perfect--- but lexus fixes there problems not mask them --official gm warrenty policy-- if the customer does not have a complaint about it don't fix it.-- and that is what i heard for 12 yrs before i got out of the car buisness.. gm is reaping what the seeds they planted and sending customers to lexus.. i will buy a ls460 in a couple yrs as the overall quality will be better. and i won't take a financial bath when i sell it...but i still love my sts and caddies! ps. fwiw i'm 38years old. write one check for every car i buy and will buy many more cars (hopefully)! ! !
 
#48 · (Edited)
What do you guys think of the exterior design of the new LS460? I think it's boring...looks like a Camry. Doesn't have the upright, formal, handsome somewhat arrogant look of the 1st gen LS, especially the 97-00 models.
The new LS460 carries that new Lexus design language, in other words, they're speaking german, so basically, they're following this new trend among other automakers where everything looks like the new Bangle BMWs. Lexus shouldn't look like BMW's, especially the 5 Series! Lexuses should look like mini Mercedes Benzes, but not the new "wannabe BMW" Mercedes models, but the much more formal '90s W140 and W126 models...squarish, upright, formal, elegant and timeless.

1998-00 Lexus LS400, one of the best looking luxury sedans ever, and japan's finest looking car ever.



2006 LS460, it looks like a damn 545i!



Just for comparison, here's the new 5 series and the new Camry..

 
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#50 ·
It's not just Lexus, it's all of the asian car brands, but that's probably a good thing, because we've seen what happens when they try and come up with their own designs.
 
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