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

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#14782 of 24700 Re: Hybrid MPG [houdini1] by syswei Apr 13, 2006 (5:54 am)
Replying to: houdini1 (Apr 13, 2006 5:32 am) I believe Lexus has brought down the MPG claim for the LS460 from mid-20s to low-20s. I too wouldn't expect great MPG from the LS600hL.
#14783 of 24700 Re: Lifestyles of the rich and famous [designman] by tagman Apr 13, 2006 (6:29 am)
Replying to: designman (Apr 13, 2006 5:20 am) So, are you putting your deposit on the $150K Panamera Turbo S or what? Firstly, I can't imagine there is any urgency to do anything yet, but I remind myself of a true story about the Boxster when it was first came out. There was a small amount of information leaked out about it many years before it was actually produced, similar to the Panamera situation. I placed a deposit more than three years ahead of production. I was so early in doing so that the dealership folks didn't really even know what I was talking about, which surprised me a little, as I expected them to be up on everything. I was in line for the first Boxster, but as it finally got closer to reality, it was at that point that I started making the real choices in how to equip the vehicle. Allthough ultimately underpowered, it was amazing to have the early edition for awhile. If I move forward with the Panamera, I'm sure that once the real engine and feature choices became real, I would make them. I am still not completely certain about my direction here, and I have to admit that I am also interested in a BluTech S-Class, but there is no real animal as yet. Merc seems to think that a hybrid BluTech may be in the works, and that would be interesting indeed, don't you think? For some reason a different bug may be biting at me. . . a nice two-seater. (SL? . . . new upcoming Acura HSC?) So, I either let that bug bite or I get out the "Raid" and put an end to it. TagMan Replies to this message: designman (Apr 13, 2006 8:13 am)
#14784 of 24700 How Come No Discussion Of The Masserati Quatroporte?.... by psychdoc Apr 13, 2006 (6:33 am)
...Like driving a four door Ferrari. And "only" ~$100k, it's really not stratospherically priced.
#14785 of 24700 merc1 by syswei Apr 13, 2006 (6:39 am)
You seem to hint that the Germans going to do gasoline hybrids before they do diesel hybrids. Why not go straight to diesel hybrid? Replies to this message: merc1 (Apr 13, 2006 9:28 pm) stevekilburn (Apr 13, 2006 9:40 pm) merc1 (Apr 13, 2006 9:43 pm) and 2 more...
#14786 of 24700 Re: 2002 Acura RL [houdini1] by lexusguy Apr 13, 2006 (6:44 am)
Replying to: houdini1 (Apr 13, 2006 5:45 am) Did you mean ES330? The 350 is brand new, and if Lexus dealers have any, I'm sure they arent handing them out as loaner cars. I would agree that the old RL was a more entertaining ride than the old ES (I think only Buicks are more boring) but performance sedan? Not quite. Replies to this message: houdini1 (Apr 13, 2006 12:06 pm) lexusguy (Apr 13, 2006 8:16 pm)
#14787 of 24700 Re: Infinity Q 45 [houdini1] by lexusguy Apr 13, 2006 (6:55 am)
Replying to: houdini1 (Apr 12, 2006 12:27 pm) The Q45's problems are too numerous to count. It looks like Joan Rivers from the front, and the rear is copied from a last gen A6. It handles poorly, its slower than every other RWD competitor, and it has the same awful "minivan" centerstack as the first generation M45. In a stroke of brilliance, they put the cassette player! right in the middle of the dash, while burying the CD changer in the glove box. What's not to love? Replies to this message: designman (Apr 13, 2006 8:04 am)
#14788 of 24700 Re: Infinity Q 45 [lexusguy] by designman Apr 13, 2006 (8:04 am)
Replying to: lexusguy (Apr 13, 2006 6:55 am) It looks like Joan Rivers from the front… Wow. If you were a client of mine I’d have a REAL hard time picking up perception and preference cues with that one… …and the rear is copied from a last gen A6. Ditto²
#14789 of 24700 LS600H HP by ljflx Apr 13, 2006 (8:09 am)
The statement about HP was vague and one has to wonder why. They could have ballparked it and said 430-440 or 430-450. Could it be that they are trying to still get that switch into the car that enables the driver to choose MPG or HP. Maybe 430HP is the lowest possible level. With a car like this you need to think outside the box. Something is going on here and the vagueness indicates that some important decisions on the car are still pending. The car is due in the showrooms next March - so there's no need to make everything crystal clear this early in the game. Tagman - put myself on the list for both the LS460L and the the LS600H. My fear is that the L may be in short supply also - similar to the shortage of ultras in 2001. Syswei - I'm still thinking AWD is an option in the LS460L but not in the SWB version. Drfill - in the internet age press releases this early in the game become free market research tools. Replies to this message: designman (Apr 13, 2006 8:27 am)
#14790 of 24700 Re: Lifestyles of the rich and famous [tagman] by designman Apr 13, 2006 (8:13 am)
Replying to: tagman (Apr 13, 2006 6:29 am) For some reason a different bug may be biting at me. . . a nice two-seater. (SL? . . . new upcoming Acura HSC?) Quite a swing from the SL to the Acura. I’ve got my antenna up for the latter.
#14791 of 24700 Re: LS600H HP [ljflx] by designman Apr 13, 2006 (8:27 am)
Replying to: ljflx (Apr 13, 2006 8:09 am) This technology is very convoluted. It’s not easy to give and parse performance specs with hybrids. You have two power sources working at various times (actually three with AWD) and a variety of electronics and transmission devices. When are the electric motors working alone, when are they working with the engine, when is the engine working alone? Plus the characteristics of the electric motors vs engine are extremely different. In the end the empirical data will put them in their place—the split times for acceleration. If the LS hybrid can get into the sub-5 second 0-60 range, perform with that consistency above 0-60, and get considerably better mileage than its ICE counterparts then it will be very successful indeed. Until we see this, I wouldn’t worry about the specs. Is the Rx400h a performance/economy success? If so, the LS hybrid will also be a success. I don't know about that price though. Then, consider that these vehicles are being designed around the Toyota/Lexus formula. I'm curious to see what the BMW, Mercedes and Porsche engineers come up with when they get their hands on it... and that is happening right now. You know, these are some of the best performance engineers in the world, so don't sell them short, not for a minute. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, we'll see how this develops. I don't think anyone can read those tea leaves accurately right now.