http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases...T2006033087530

 

Thats right ladies and gentlemen, the next generation LS460 is going to be available as a premium hybrid. Wow!

 

with mid 20's mpg and V-10+ level performance no doubt.

 

price of 60k+ ish?? eeek!
but its beautiful

 

I was reading about 400-500 hp a while ago... could be something to give the M5 a run for its money?

 

With that much power it could be!

 

wonder if it will have the 'handbrake, handbrake, etc' method of turning off the electronic nanny like the IS. (or if the nanny will be as intrusive as on the IS)

 

M5?!?! hello....Mercedes S550, BMW 7 series, Audi A8. That is the class of cars the Lexus LS competes with. Its not a performance car, its a luxury sedan..maybe a performance luxury sedan. It probably will be very fast, but the fact alone that it is quite bigger and as a resulty much heavier means it wont have M5 performance.

 

oh yeah...it should be around the 500hp mark. The 4.6L V8 alone makes 380hp. It is supposed to be powered by a 5.0V8 + electric motors. looking at the engine to motor power ratio in other lexus hybrids, it'd be AT LEAST 500hp...


yeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwww

 

I've heard: "...the rear seats recline..." (i.e. Maybach...)
Dope!!!

 

the gs450H has well over 500hp combined with the gas and electric motors. wonder what the hell they're gonna put in this thing.

 

I believe that only the long-wheelbase version of the LS, the LS-460L, will have the reclining rear seats. In addition to those, the car has 4 individual climate zones, massagers in the seats, heated & cooled seats, a rear seat DVD entertainment system with Mark Levinson processing and a 9" screen, and a rear cooler (champagne, anyone?).

This will defintely be the one to have. And if the Hybrid is in the $60K range, M-B and BMW may as well hang it up. Of course, they shouldn't, but the LS has always been the best value for the money in this segment, and that won't be changing anytime soon. Hell, the entry-level S-class starts at $90K, and the quality is junk. At least the 7-series is still screwed together properly, but it does have that awful, awful iDrive - not to mention all the ugliness.

Enjoy the shots!


A comparison of the normal wheelbase LS (left) and long wheelbase LS-L (right).


Thought I'd throw the large shot of this back seat in here. Look at that interior. Brilliant.


Cockpit. Classic LS evolution.


Nice shot of the rear. Good lines, and clean design, I think.

LATER, all!

 

Thats hot

 

Those dang tail-lights... Not to my liking @ all....

Perhaps it'll look better in person

 

The Japanese luxury brand will make a flagship statement like never before with this thing.

It most definately won't have "M5 power" but it will make 7-series and S-class buyers think twice, especially if they are aware of the sub-par reliability of the German marques.

Then again, if you're spending that much on a car, does the reliability matter that much? Let's be honest, does Mr. Country Club want to show up for a round of golf in a Benz or a Lexus...I'd say Benz (his loss unfortunately).

 

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!

What you say is absolutely 100% correct. . . and many Lexus owners miss the point. . . and then again, so do Benz owners.

Lexus has always been the better car (although BMW has always been superior in the performance (or at least the perception of performance) aspect). However, most people spending 90k on a car aren't exactly thinking about the investment, since cars are poor investments all alike. Furthermore, the typical Benz owner can afford some maintainence and repair. I believe that the "smarter" buyer would opt for a Lexus, but when you want prestige, that stupid three pointed star on the the front can't be beat. It doesn't matter if it's a damn over dressed rental grade C class, it still impresses people, simply because it is a Benz.

Lexus is gaining in the ranks (as is the price). The comparative bargain slowly reduces itself over time (which is a part of the reason why Lexus is successful). Luxury means premium, and premium isn't supposed to come cheap. . . that's what Acura, Volvo, VW, and that entire market is for. There is a reason why the RL isn't flying off the shelves!

But next to the competition, the LS460 is a winner. . . however, the fact of the matter is that Benz is going to be around forever, no matter how badly their quality lapses.

And there is a reason why Lexus doesn't aggressively compete with BMW. . . they have the same market share as Apple does in computers. . . which is tiny to say the least. Apple was tanking as a company, prior to the Ipod, might I add. BMW owns their market, which is a small niche market. It's not very profitable to dump large sums of money into a market dominated by one company.

The RX and ES are the big money makers at Lexus. . . the LS is just the icing on the cake. . . more than anything else, a tool to help sell more ES's and RX's.

All this IMO, of course. Don't get me wrong, I love Lexus, and would choose one over anything else (for my personal use). But if I need to pick up a client, I'd want an MB S500.

 

I work at a Lexus dealerhship and I'm looking forward to seeing these things. They're real nice looking, from the pictures, and I would definately take one over a Benz or 7-series. But they're not going to be around $60K. The current LS430 is close to $70K, I've heard close to the $100K range for the L model, and less for the standard, comparable to the current, probably $70K-$80K. They look great though, even now it's my favorite out of our cars. TRAC off...

 

It's definitely true that MB has more percieved prestige, and it will probably continue to be that way for ever. Lexus will improve in that area as they continue to age. The fact is however, not all rich people are stupid. Reliability is an issue, not for the cost as most of you would percieve, but the inconvenience, and that is a fact. People with money hate an inconvenience, even a minor one.

 

always liked how the LS keeps it simple on the outside....the new design looks awesome. and that interior is sick for the price.