is that the LS in the piccy? It’s butt ugly! very very ugly. It reminds me of the avalon. They should have more radical design and less conservative ones like the new camry and the scion division.

i expect better from lexus nowadays with the new IS and all, but ugh whatever, the people that buy the LS dont give a **** about cars they just want something that moves them around and never have to take it in for service

Hybrid schmrybrid. Just another way Toyota tries to please people who don’t care about cars and who will believe anything. If anything, Lexus needs better performance from cars like this, like say, a V12. If they wanted to make a hybrid, fine, but they shouldn’t let a hybrid be the highest-end model like they are supposedly doing.

If a hybrid performs like a V12 (or better), with added benefits like lower emission and much better fuel economy; then why is V12 a better car? just because it has 4 more pistons? Design aside, model placement aside, why is a V12 a better choice? I just don’t understand.

I agree with Phil, model placement may be an issue. But from a logical perspective, I fail to see how a V12 is better, other than bragging rights. Then in that sense, a V16/W16 is better than a V12…no matter what engine it is, it will always be outdone by another one.

I thought it looked better than the last LS – I couldn’t believe how ugly that one was, and I can’t imagine how much market share they lost because of it. This one looks substantially better, more like the GS

Well, I was implying that the hybrid wouldn’t perform like a V12. And I don’t think it will, seeing how there isn’t even a performance hybrid on the market yet. A V12-like performance hybrid would be a big stretch at this point. It will happen one day, probably not too far in the distant future, but it’s hard to imagine one coming to fruition now, when hybrids are still a baby market.

Truth is, there isn’t anything to compare it to at this point. However judging from the specs that was released of the GS Hybrid (which is faster than the V8 GS430), I wouldn’t be suprised that the Hybrid LS is the same.

I’m still shocked on how the V6 GS Hybrid is faster than the GS430 V8, given it weighs more due to the batteries.

I mean it should weigh MORE because of the extra batteries.

Old people want luxury, not suicidal 200mph speed.

Go buy a hemi Dodge Charger if a big car with speed suits you.

BTW old people have more money than you, so old people have more say. just like old people vote in the US, and you don’t.

Toyota knows what they’re doing. No one can deny this, but the question is, what are their goals? In this case I think they’re trying to get people to buy that who want an expensive car which their concience tells them is easy on the environment. I have to admit the 8-sp tranny is pretty cool though. Actually the “electric turbochargers” make more sense in a Lexus than anywhere else I can think of, since the people who buy Lexi don’t know what cornering or high-speed stability mean (pardon the hasty generalization). Don’t expect to see any 12-cylinder engines from Toyota oh in the next 500 years. GO HYDROGEN!

Toyota already makes a 12-cylinder engine in Japan. Actually they already intalled it in a domestic vehicle a couple of years back.

Those “impressive new standards in styling” were taken from BMW. The silhouette of this new copycat, er Lexus, is spot on with the 7 Series. Except the 7 Series isn’t ugly. Look at this block. The headlights are heavy. It exudes “slow.” Not like the target audience cares, but still. And if you don’t believe me about stealing styling cues from BMW, look at the rear window. I think I see another Hofmeister kink! Lexus sorely wants to be BMW when it grows up. As for the reliability argument, I may have to take in a BMW to the dealership more often, but I’ll enjoy every mile that I drive to get there. Finally, hybrids are trendy and don’t help that much if focused on power. Diesels will take over. You’ll see.