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Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24697 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 3:09 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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.
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for the money paid and given status of the Lexus brand, its customers would want more distinctive styling and less resemblance to Toyota vehicles. If Lexus can do it with the interiors, why not the exteriors? |
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 16, 2006 6:29 am) Your point? Was BMW sweating and struggling with their Acousitic engineering and soft leather engineering. Imagine that? Actually yes. BMW charges extra for the privillages of have real leather (not even all that soft) and higher end accoustics (not even all that good by compeition standards). They are on the option list along with bigger engine and sport suspension. Space ship? I thought BMW's primary design goal is sticking to the ground. Levitation or partial levitation is a bad thing for automobiles.
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Replying to: brightness04 (Oct 16, 2006 6:36 am) Just as you had said in a previous post: BMW is a firm of marketing geniuses. Why not charge more when you can charge more? Why give it away for free when your customers are most willing to pay extra for leather seats, metallic paint, a auto tranny and an improved audio system that is not even considered as good as the standard stereos of its competitors? BMW is certainly not in the business of giving away things. At least not as good in giving away things like their competitiors.
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 16, 2006 6:42 am) |
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Replying to: merc1 (Oct 15, 2006 9:39 pm) LS and S class are the main volume seller of the respective platforms, whereas SC and SL are more of a spin-off. It's a bit like the 5 vs. M5 or E/S vs AMG variants. One is for volume sales, whereas the other is a bit of a marketing tool. I always wondered if M5 or E/S AMG ever made money for either of the car makers. For a first attempt, SC has not done too badly for Lexus. On the other hand, Lexus probably has realized by now that a car like Z4 makes far more money for the company than something like the SL. The key is how to sell a not too expensive model in a lot of copies without diluting brand identity. BMW has shown the way in the past couple decades. |
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For all its shortcomings in the U.S., Audi performs strongly elsewhere. Its brand is strong in Europe, where Audi's are seen as equals in image and performance to its better-known competitors and command similar prices. Audi has also moved aggressively overseas and has become the most popular luxury car in China. Overall, the company expects to sell 890,000 cars this year and is aiming for 1.4 million by 2015 - a position from which it might be able to claim luxury car leadership. Overseas the Audi brand is as strong as BMW or MB. But not necessarily in terms of luxury. The one reason Audis have a strong image overseas is based on their understated designs , their renowned top notch "fit and finish interiors", unique technologies, perfromance and last but not least their understated image . No the last words on the above paragraph are not there in error. In the past Audi has never tried to out-Bling their more ostentatious and conventional competitors like BMW, MB and Lexus. In fact Audi's understated image is one reason why I think Audis are far more successful overseas. People living beyond our shores are less concerned about image than us North Americans. (MB sold luxury for decades in Europe while every street there is covered with MB taxis). Just imagine what would happen to MB and Lexus sales if every other taxi is a Benz or Lexus in North America? The image of Audi is strong overseas mainly because they are considered a maker of good performaing cars for people who do not seek security and acceptance with establish luxury marques like BMW or MB. Although I am not denying there are image seekers overseas, they're just not as prevalent there as they are here in North America. And that is the reason why Audis sell better overseas. I prefer BMW cars over Audis but at the same time I prefer the low profile marketing of Audis. In fact an Audi is an anti-Lexus. An Audi is all substance with little image. While Lexus is all-image with little substance. To prove my point have you seen or heard the latest ads from Lexus. The Moments ads and in Canada there are ads "About the Most Important Things in your Life". Unfortantely both those ads have nothing to do with Lexus cars. As I said Lexus is all about image and little substance (and what little substance there is I still cant find )  SOURCE:FORTUNE link title |
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 16, 2006 7:58 am) Very big statement, dewey. If you are going to go down that path . . . here's another way to put it . . . Lexus is all sizzle without the steak, while Audi is all steak without the sizzle.  Good luck. TagMan
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Replying to: tagman (Oct 16, 2006 9:25 am)
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Replying to: unknown (Oct 16, 2006 5:00 am) One, Lexus had much higher expections of GS than Infiniti of M, I think, about 3 to 2. M exceeded expectations, GS fell short. Two, initially, GS outsold M by quite a lot. Now, they're even. Three, GS is doing its customary sales nosedive right on schedule, but still has a way to go. It did it twice before! |
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Replying to: dewey (Oct 16, 2006 7:58 am) Internal errors and missteps on AoAs part in the US, does not represent the core of Audi substance or culture in terms of its premier status on a world scale. Plenty of "sizzle" in an R8, S6, S8, RS4, upcoming RS6 (now being tested in Germany -debut Geneva 2007 with 530-550 bhp), and the list goes on....
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