Like we told you, the battle begins on March 3rd!
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."
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