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eddiea1

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Posts posted by eddiea1

    Is 220d

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    yeah the very same 4 pot diesel. imo its ok for the Avensis but a little unclassy to have a 4 cylinder diesel in the IS220.... but in these times of economies of scale and limited platforms / engines / lots of models I guess they couldnt justify a whole new 6 cylinder diesel for the Lexus.....

    2006 Is350 To Have "over 300 Bhp"

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    Is Lexus Sexy Enough To Seduce Europe? 

    Lexus will amp up its cars' pizzazz and ditch the understated styling

    Since Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM ) Lexus division first broke into the U.S. luxury market back in 1989, its recipe for success has been plain and simple: Lexus' vehicles are understated outside and comfy and quiet inside. And its dealers bend over backwards for customers. While long-established names such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz (DCX ), Audi, and Cadillac battled each other by adding more horsepower and by pushing the limits of styling, Lexus made conservatism its virtue. Americans loved it, buying enough posh cars and SUVs to make Lexus the best-selling luxury brand in the U.S.

    But Lexus' lead isn't all that it appears. More than half of the vehicles it sells these days are SUVs, at a time when demand for big SUVs is slowing. Factor that out, and Lexus actually ranks fifth in luxury passenger-car sales in the U.S. Most ominously, an increasing number of luxury-car shoppers are voting for speed and handling over a soft ride. Says Eric Noble, president of Car Lab, an Orange (Calif.) consulting firm: "Boomers don't have a taste for cushy the way the previous generation does."

    Lexus, in short, needs to take on the German car companies. That explains why it's about to shake things up. On Mar. 3 at the Geneva Auto Show -- in BMW's Swiss backyard -- Lexus will show off its new IS 250 and 350, luxury performance cars styled to look as if they were molded from a single piece of metal. The IS 350 and the just-launched, aerodynamic GS 430 sedan are the products of a push to make Lexuses faster -- and faster-looking. Lexus boasts that these cars' performance will rival that of BMW's Ultimate Driving Machines. They're also going to jack up prices. The IS 350 will cost a few thousand more than its predecessor. The $43,000 GS 300 and $51,000 GS 430 are about $2,000 more expensive. An exotic sports car with a price tag of over $100,000 may even be on the way.

    Not coincidentally, Mar. 3 is two days after BMW plans to unveil the latest version of its 3 Series sedan. Lexus executives vow to steal even more BMW and Mercedes owners in the U.S. and eventually challenge those brands in Europe, where Lexus barely registers today. Says Group Vice-President Dennis E. Clements: "It is our intention globally to become the preeminent luxury car."

    Can he pull it off? It's unwise to bet against Toyota. The parent company's market share is growing in Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, Lexus widened its U.S. sales lead over BMW last year, to almost 30,000 vehicles. Its dealers routinely rank first in J.D. Power & Associates Inc.'s customer-satisfaction survey. And the brand beats all other luxury names when it comes to consumer aspiration, according to California firm Strategic Vision Inc.

    SILENT AS A TOMB

    But pizzazz has never been Toyota's strong point. The bulbous SC 430 convertible is the closest thing to a styling statement from Lexus; it sells a modestly successful 10,000 cars a year. Toyota flopped with its attempts to draw sports-car fans with the MR2 Spyder, which hit the market in 2000, and the Supra sports car before that. The Supra no longer sells in the U.S., and the MR2 will make its exit after this year. "Lexus equity is tied up in cars that are tomb-quiet, not in [their] performance," says Daniel Gorrell, a partner at Strategic Vision.

    Lexus cars were styled cautiously on purpose. Executives saw comfort and reliability, not fashion, as their selling point. In some cases, the cars were created by Toyota engineers, who operated without a styling motif to make the cars look as if they came from the same family. But two years ago, Toyota built a Lexus engineering and design center in Nagoya, Japan. The brand now has several hundred stylists and engineers feeding ideas from satellite studios in the French city of Nice and in Southern California.

    That new design effort is key to the emerging European strategy. Make no mistake: Selling cars in Europe -- especially to Germans -- will be Lexus' biggest challenge. The brand sold just 25,000 cars there last year and has a target of 65,000 by the end of the decade. Compare that with BMW's sales of 573,000 cars in Western Europe, up 11% from 2003.

    It doesn't help that up till now Lexus has not offered high-performance diesel engines. This will change with the new IS model, which comes with an optional 2.2-liter diesel. But Lexus is relying on its cutting-edge hybrid gas-electric technology to deliver a performance boost. It remains to be seen if diesel-loving Europeans will take to the new technology. Rivals aren't too worried for now. "We are taking them seriously," says BMW Chairman Helmut Panke. "But right now, we have one global competitor, and it's Mercedes."

    Lexus has much more at stake in the U.S. In passenger-car sales it trails BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, and even Honda Motor Co.'s (HMC ) Acura division. And Lexus has performance issues. The current IS 300 struck out against the BMW 3 series and other cars selling for $30,000 to $40,000 because it was smaller and, in some cases, underpowered. Its V-6 engine kicks out 215 horsepower, but rivals such as the Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35, and the 3 series all sell optional engines with at least 225 hp. The new cars promise to pack much more punch: Lexus says the V-6 in the new IS 350 will have well over 300 hp, and the new GS 300 and GS 430 have at least 245 hp.

    THE STRETCH MODEL

    Clements says Lexus isn't trying to become BMW. The new cars will offer all-wheel drive, and craftsmanship will still be a priority. (Even in lower-priced Lexus vehicles, all wood in the interior comes from the same tree, so the grain matches.) Still, the styling makeover will be even more pronounced when the new flagship LS 430 sedan hits the market in two years. The most expensive LS 430 now sells for $74,000, but Lexus plans a stretched, $100,000 version to compete with Mercedes' tony S500 and S600 sedans. Dealers have been told to expect a production version of a Formula One-inspired sports car near the same price.

    Can Lexus sell cars for six figures? If they deliver the performance that Lexus is promising, surveys indicate buyers will pony up the additional cash. "The Japanese have always played it safe," says dealer Kenneth Meade of Meade Lexus in Lakeside, Mich. "But if you want to run with Mercedes and BMW, you have to have style and performance." For Lexus, this is no time to get comfortable.

    http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/02/lexus/1.htm

    Is3000 20,000 Service £385 @ Lexus Hatfield

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    I was merely pointing out the price differences that there are.

    I know that mate, sorry I should have put a :winky: after the sentence. Youre right of course - Hatfield is probably more expensive due to location

    Whereabouts in London are you? I think I paid about £450 all in for my 20K service (included brake pads and some other stuff I don't remember) at Edgware Road, might be worth giving them a call if its not too far. Also try Woodford, the service guy there is brilliant

    im near Watford, Edgware Road is about half an hours drive away I will definitely give them a call

    I reckon Ill need new brake pads as well :driving:

    Daimler-chrysler Sold

    in Lexus General Discussions

    Posted

    Kuwait Investment Authority took a 7.2% stake in Daimler Chrysler's stock. You would be surprised at how many of the UK FTSE 100 Kuwait Investment Authority is also a major shareholder :geek:

    Just been announced that Damiler-Chrysler have been sold to the Emirates -Dubai bank.......

    i knew they were going down the pan, shortlly after they bailed out Chrysler......

    im happy really, one less grip on the automotive industry by the Germans :)

    Is300 Vs Is200

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    The fuel consumption is terrible around town. It really is much more thirsty than the IS200. As soon as you get above 50mph and turn cruise on there is very little difference. I am getting about 420 miles per tank where as I used to get 450.

    I run my IS300 on Optimax and Ive never managed to get more than 350 miles out of a tankful..... :angry:

    Inflating Tyres With Nitrogen

    in Wheels & Tyres

    Posted

    I was reading the Which magazine web site which said that you can get longer tyre life if you inflate your tyres with Nitrogen.

    Anyone else done this? Is it worthwhile?

    There are the obvious things you can do to prolong tyre life – fortnightly checks and driving sensibly. But what about filling your tyres with nitrogen?

    Nitrogen has been used for many years in Formula 1 cars, the aircraft industry and road haulage, where consistent performance is paramount. Nitrogen makes up about 80 per cent of the air in tyres anyway, but getting rid of the other 20 per cent – oxygen, moisture and other contaminants – makes a tyre’s performance more consistent and predictable. For motor racing and the aircraft industry, knowing exactly how much the gas in the tyre will expand as it heats up helps ensure maximum efficiency when everything else is driven to its limits. Hauliers caught on to the fuel efficiency benefits of running with consistent pressures. Removing the oxygen also reduces oxidisation of the rubber, which can lead to premature ageing and blowouts. Many of these benefits apply to your car, too. And there’s an extra one. Air-filled tyres gradually lose pressure – not because the tyre has a puncture, or because the valve is faulty, but because the oxygen leaks through pores in the rubber. Nitrogen’s molecular structure means it’s less prone to permeate rubber, so pressure is maintained for longer. A number of tyre outlets sell nitrogen (see www.uniflate.com), charging around £1.50 to fill each tyre.

    Tyres

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    I just got new tyres on my IS300 last week, after I nearly lost control of the car in the wet a few times. Its got 18" tyres so Id been dreading the time I would have to change them for some time now.....

    well the Lexus had done 17,000 miles (mostly motorway) on them which is pretty good but I knew that the rears were pretty bald so Id better get them changed

    I was running the Pirelli Pzeros 225/40 18s but after reading the tyre tests in Autocar a few weeks back I decided to switch to Goodyear Eagle F1s. Apart from the look of them they knocked the sh*t out of every other tyre for wet weather performance and noise levels.

    Only downside is the cost - they ended up costing me £745 fitted for 5 tyres. However the improvement in noise levels is worth it. Apparently they are a harder compound than the pirellis so should last even longer. Dunno how much they will be for the 16 or 17s - quite a bit less than the 18s but they are worth looking at

    But having spent so much on tyres I now have to stay in at home and just live on soup for the rest of the month.... oh well the things we do for our cars.

    :ph34r:

    Is200 To Rav 4? Opinions Please

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    I had a RAV4 before I got my IS300 - Mine was a 2003 VX in balearic blue

    The VX had pretty decent equipment - it had Leather, electric everything and for a 4X4 was very nippy and handled well. I wouldnt go so far as to say it was like a car but not a typical landrover or Jeep type handling. I found you could chuck it round corners pretty quick and it was fun to drive.

    Of course you can get shedloads of stuff in the back - I went to buy a new appliance from Currys the other week and had to get it delivered - when I had the RAV I bought a washing machine and just had them load it in the back......

    not sure I could go back to the RAV4 after a Lexus IS300 though.....

    although when I see RAVs I still think theyre really nice looking motors

    Is300 With 2 Bikes On Roof

    in Lexus IS200 / Lexus IS300 Club

    Posted

    true but then you cant get into the boot so that is a massive pain,

    I looked at getting a towbar fitted and towball carrier but that seemed to cost a fortune so in the end settled for the Thule roofkit

    the other problem was that the bikes are both mountain bikes with funny shaped frames so the rear mounted carriers would have needed more special adaptors as well.

    well anyway I guess I just have to put up with the extra fuel consumption - I'll just have to make sure I take off the roof rack when im not using it

    :crybaby:

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