High End Luxury Cars

24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM

You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ-Series, Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Volkswagen Phaeton, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CL-Class, Sedan

Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.

A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.

Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.

Outline

Messages Page 1266 of 2471: 1; ...; 1263; 1264; 1265; 1266; 1267; 1268; 1269; ...; 2471; Prev; Next; Last

#12644 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [dewey] by tagman Jan 08, 2006 (4:19 pm)
Replying to: dewey (Jan 08, 2006 2:54 pm) WOW! True situation. The 3-series is indeed the bread and butter car, but which model represents the ultimate BMW? The 3? The M3? What then?
#12645 of 24700 Re: 2005 sales [lexusguy] by brightness04 Jan 08, 2006 (4:21 pm)
Replying to: lexusguy (Jan 08, 2006 4:01 am) Very well said, both Lexusguy and Oac. Lexus is the ultimate system integrator (the fundamental role of a carmaker). Other companies don't copy any specific Lexus product because they know damn well it's near-suicidal trying to compete against existing Lexus forte head-on. At the same time, everyone is trying to copy Lexus/Toyota manufacturing techniques . . . in the off chance that Lexus/Toyota should fumble, they may get a break to pull ahead. I'm sure some day that will happen too; Lexus/Toyota won't stay at the top for ever, but for now and the forseeable future . . .
#12646 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [ljflx] by tagman Jan 08, 2006 (4:25 pm)
Replying to: ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 2:18 pm) Tagman - I'm not a fan of model replica... So this cookie cutter stuff is not for me... We agree totally on this, ljflx. As I mentioned, Mercedes is apparently going to break out of this approach with the new upcoming models, but it definately appears, unfortunately, that Lexus is entering into this to a greater extent with its newer models. We'll see what difference it makes, if any. TagMan Replies to this message: ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 4:33 pm) tagman (Jan 08, 2006 4:43 pm)
#12647 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [tagman] by brightness04 Jan 08, 2006 (4:30 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 11:49 am) For what it's worth, comparing the back seat of a car to the seats in a private jet was actually started by some MB boffin at a Maybach product intro a few years ago. Kinda interesting, considering "riding on the clouds" has a distinctively negative connotation for some euro lovers nowadays . . . never mind that's the ultimate goal of H.E.L.M since the days of 1906 Silver Ghost . . . almost exactly 100 years ago! Replies to this message: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 4:35 pm) ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 4:46 pm) tagman (Jan 08, 2006 5:37 pm) and 4 more...
#12648 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [dewey] by ljflx Jan 08, 2006 (4:30 pm)
Replying to: dewey (Jan 08, 2006 2:54 pm) "BMW would lose the vehicle that defines what BMW was and still is all about: Exciting small enthusiast sport sedans" You know that is substantiating a statement made yesterday - that being the 3 is not truly a luxury car. I'd disagree with your statement on smaller size being key. If BMW driving dynamics were what I was looking for and my needs were a large family sedan than the 7 would be the car and the class leader of BMW in my eyes. Replies to this message: dewey (Jan 08, 2006 4:44 pm)
#12649 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [tagman] by ljflx Jan 08, 2006 (4:33 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 4:25 pm) Tagman - I haven't read what you are saying about class differentiation with the S and the rest of MB. The S has been the lead changer in the MB model line-up so I'd expect the E and C to be cookie cutter copies within a few years. Have you seen something to the effect that this go round will be different? Replies to this message: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 4:43 pm)
#12650 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [brightness04] by tagman Jan 08, 2006 (4:35 pm)
Replying to: brightness04 (Jan 08, 2006 4:30 pm) So sorry you missed the point by a country mile. The plane remark was fine. It was the level of drunken excitement that was humorous, and that was the point . . . not the comment itself. Replies to this message: ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 4:46 pm) tagman (Jan 08, 2006 5:37 pm) ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 5:53 pm) ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 5:57 pm) and 2 more...
#12651 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [ljflx] by tagman Jan 08, 2006 (4:43 pm)
Replying to: ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 4:33 pm) Yes, this is interesting. The obvious new S-Class is now a given. We know what it will look like. But what is interesting is that the early information that has been leaking out about the E and C indicate that they may not follow the look of the S quite so closely this time. And you are right that we would have expected them to be smaller replicas. It is highly conceivable that they will not, however, and they will have more individual attributes.
#12652 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [ljflx] by dewey Jan 08, 2006 (4:44 pm)
Replying to: ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 4:30 pm) disagree with your statement on smaller size being key. If BMW driving dynamics were what I was looking for and my needs were a large family sedan than the 7 would be the car and the class leader of BMW in my eyes. It's definitely not what you are looking for and I pray that the BMW 7 series does not ever resemble the driving dynamics that you seek in a Lexus. I dont mean that in any negative way whatsoevr. I am just trying to say that it would be tragic if Lexuses began to drive like BMWs and BMWs began to drive like Lexuses because if that was the case then many customers of both these marques would feel alienated. You know that is substantiating a statement made yesterday - that being the 3 is not truly a luxury car. Absolutely right. The 3, especially the M series is the ultimate driving machine and not a ultimate luxury machine. Anyone believing otherwise are deceiving themselves.
#12653 of 24700 Re: Getting Drunk over the Lexus [tagman] by ljflx Jan 08, 2006 (4:46 pm)
Replying to: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 4:35 pm) Don't know why people think a new model will or has to put others out of business. That is way over the top and inconceivable. The American market has 3 key/dominant players in the large high-end lux sedan segment and it will be that way for the forseeable future. I think the new LS and the new S will cut Audi back to a 1500-2000 a year car though. Great cars can lift the entire segment up and that's what we want. The competition holds in price points and the consumer wins. We don't want a one car segment here. Replies to this message: tagman (Jan 08, 2006 5:37 pm) ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 5:53 pm) ljflx (Jan 08, 2006 5:57 pm) tagman (Jan 08, 2006 7:44 pm) and 1 more...