Lexus’ Tricked Out to the Max LS460
Driving enthusiasts have come to expect more and more technological features equipped with their new cars. Just one generation ago, getting something above an AM radio was considered a bonus, but today there are so many electronic devices out there, that motorists expect more…a lot more in fact. Lexus is about to push up the ante a bit more by introducing its all new LS-460, a car that has been electronically “tricked out” to the max. If you thought your personal computer had power, just wait: the LS-460 will likely have you beat by a high tech mile.
Lexus to Launch Performance Division
Mercedes’ AMG division and BMW’s M division — performance versions of each German automaker’s luxury line — will soon have competition from Lexus with the Japanese brand offering their own performance division which has been dubbed F for fast.
The first car to get the F designation will be the IS, a 425 horsepower sedan with a starting retail price in the low $50,000 range. Toyota, the company which owns the Lexus brand plans on introducing the new model at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show with the first IS-F models making their debut in showrooms by December 2007.
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Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, IS-F, Detroit Auto Show
LA Times Critic Pans New Lexus Model
Not everyone is in awe of Lexus, Toyota’s premium brand. Sure, the make routinely comes out on top of the prestigious J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction surveys and many people now consider the brand to be the benchmark by which all other luxury brands are to be judged. Yet, one Los Angeles Times writer has dismissed the all new 2007 Lexus LS 460 for going too far over the top.
In his article titled, “Passion Takes a Back Seat” Dan Neil remarks that the new Lexus model has too many features that really do not matter. In particular, he takes a swipe at the model’s self parking feature by remarking –
While others may report this breathlessly, you’ll allow me a hearty, unstifled yawn. First of all, any technology that further enables the decline in minimum driving competence is untimely, at best. Second, the system requires that the parallel spot be 6.5 feet longer than the car (23 feet for the standard-wheelbase LS 460). I don’t need a computer and a rearview camera to dock in such a huge space. A white cane and a Labrador service dog would do just fine. Also, the car takes forever to achieve this bit of parking prestidigitation. I’d be on my second latte by the time the LS finally put out its mooring lines.
Neil goes on to say that Cadillac, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have much more of an appeal to consumers than Lexus, a brand he says is as interesting as a public golf course.
Of course, Neil’s swipe at Lexus is a bit unusual but it may underscore what other consumers already feel: there comes a time when too many gadgets can take away from the driving experience.
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