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On The Outside Looking In: Has Lexus Bit Off More Than It Can Chew?
To anyone even casually observing the current battle in the midsized Premium market has got to wonder what the heck is going on. Just a few years ago, the top contenders were boasting 300hp and battling it out the on the track for the honor of the fastest “uber sedan”.
At that time, Lexus rocked our world with the announcement of both the LF-A and the IS-F would be contenders in both the “uber sedan” and exotic marketplaces. A bold and significant move from a company that dramatically needed to boost it’s performance image. While many a Lexus aficionado stood up and took notice, something was also missing. The target audience, primarily the contention of German makes really didn’t take notice, much less make comment. Where they simply just arrogant, or did they know something, Lexus didn’t?
Looking at it a bit further down the road to 2008, maybe the Germans did know something. Lexus has consistently like clockwork quoted the IS-F at “around 400hp”, and the LF-A at “around 500hp” respectively. These figures were comparable in the industry with the leaders at that time and a constant source of assurance to their fan base, but now landscape has changed dramatically.
The IS-F will debut later as a 2008 model, but both the 2008 Audi RS4 and the 2008 BMW M3, prime competitors in this market will boast 500HP each, up a full 100HP from the estimated Lexus figure. Even if the 3rd contender, the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG simply maintains status quo for 2008 of over 470HP it will still have a minimum of 50HP more than the IS-F at it’s debut. Needless to say the IS-F will have an already difficult task made even harder, and possible be hopelessly outgunned from the get go. Not a good move for Lexus.
The LF-A faces a similar issue. The Germanic HP war is in full swing, and we are now seeing the new M5 and the RS6 entering 2008 with 600hp each! The RS6’s twin turbo V10 power plant is destined for the R8 later that year about the same time the LF-A hits the street with around 500HP. Other contenders in the exotic market will run close to 600 hp as well, including some models of the not so exotic Chevrolet Corvette. Not only could the LF-A place towards the bottom of this list, there is a real concern that a LF-A might be out gunned by a German sedan or even worse a station wagon. Oh the carnage that would result if that would happen.
While I honestly believe Lexus should stand proud by these designs since there are a significant leap forward for them. I wonder how the Japanese giant will be able to compete against such massive figures. Are Toyota power plants as capable as the Germans, or is Lexus banking on a reliability reputation to boost them in the category as it did in the 90’s? Who knows, but I can hardly wait for the debut of each of these models because only then will the fireworks begin.
My, what difference just a few years makes.