Lexus Design. The Audi Look?

[Chris Skelton]

How many folk like the new design philosophy at Lexus, where the cars all look the same, only bigger?

The IS, GS and LS all have the same frontal look; it's just like Audis were (are? can you tell a 4 from 6 from 8 at 20 paces?) and also, the way Citroens seem to be getting with the big-Chevron front on C4/5 /6s.

In our Lexus past, the cars all had distinct looks of their own. (O.K. the LS was a bit TOO close to a Merc.....)

Anyone else bothered?

Personally, I like the traditional limo look of the LS 400 series.

Driving an IS250 recently, kept having to almost remove my head to get in, because of the 'slopy' design. Hope the LS460 is better/easier-to-get-in?

I appreciate the increase in gadgets, but sometimes changing looks aren't always better?

Is it me, or are all cars getting to look similar, just because they all now utilise LED/wrap-around headlights that grow into the bonnet/wing area? It'd be nice if someone took a different tack and had their own 'look'?

[Mark W]

I like the fact that all the cars look the same and it gives the marque an identity that you can relate to - no matter what model.

Plus, if you lie the look of one - you'll more than likely like them all - so the only choice you have to make is size of vehicle (and cost)

When a manufacturer changes the looks of a car it typically takes a few months (years?) to get used to the new design and quite often people dont like the new designs immediately and prefer the "old" shape.

However, after time, when you have become acclimatised to the new model - you look at the old model and think how dated it looks.

Manufacturers are always going to favour the look that appeals to the majority of people - so similarities are always going to occur......theres also the fact that the majority of manufacturers are all owned by the same group now anyway and to reduce R&D costs they are going to re-use designs across their ranges where possible. We no longer live in the days of multiple independent manufacturers :(

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

You got to remember - the Lexus's started as Toyota cast off's for a few years, and the marque is still building it's image...it clearly wants to distance itself from Toyota as much as possible, so it's always needed it's own face...and one of the reasons why I never considered the old IS...

Just look at Fords, VX's, Mercs, Chryslers etc, they all have a corporate brand/image/look about them...like a family trait!!

Also - as far as the old LS was concerned - it has tried to steal sales from Mercedes...

[maneesh]

Tighter regulations on pedestrian safety and the increasing pressure to make cars more fuel efficient is in part responsible for taking manufacturers down the route of a corporate "slopey" look.

[Chris Skelton]

What I'd love is for Lexus to make something that was really 'futuristic', a limo version of the Mitsubishi 'i', say!

When Citroen bought out the DS in 1955, it looked SOOOO different to its contempories.Would be nice to REALLY go 'WOW!!!

Last time anyone thought 'outside the box'? Renault Avantime?