Why the Lexus GS death rumors aren't surprising
For months, rumors have persisted that the Lexus GS is dying, to be replaced in the lineup by the ever-growing ES. After spending some time with one, we can't really figure out why it hasn't happened sooner. For a long time, the smaller, less expensive, more efficient front-wheel-drive Lexus ES has been growing in size and dominating the rear-wheel-drive GS in sales. As customers move from sedans into crossovers, Lexus' five-car lineup of the CT, IS, ES, GS, and LS is looking a bit too crowded.
From behind the wheel, the GS fails to convey any sense of excitement or occasion. It's simply a shoulder shrug of a car. When competition like the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class offer both refinement and a decent infusion of fun, it's hard to make a case for the Lexus. The ES isn't any better, but with a base price of $39,895 it's a far more reasonable proposition than a $47,305 GS. Our test car was starting to show its age, as the competition has long sailed by when it comes to noise, vibration, and harshness. Lexus quiet this GS 200t was not.
All that said, it seems that customers have already spoken. In 2016, Lexus sold 58,299 ES and 14,878 GS. That's not an insubstantial divide. In fact, the ES is the automaker's second-best-selling model, only behind the RX, which moved 109,435 units. The ES even outsold the smaller, less expensive IS sedan. The RX, like the ES, is heavily based on already existing Toyota platforms. Having a Lexus-specific platform seems to have no sales benefit.
Customers want crossovers like the RX and NX, not big sedans like the GS. Enthusiasts might love models like the old inline-six powered GS 300s of the '90s, but they aren't exactly lining up for new Lexus performance products like the IS F, GS F, or RC F.
(AutoBlog.com)
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
An All Time Epic Sale Promotion Fail
The strange and unlikely story of 100 identical Ford Mustang convertibles
A Christmas gift guide gone wrong, and a whole fleet of misfit toys.
You're now wondering, as we were, why a dealer would need or want 100 matching manual-transmission GT convertibles. The answer has to do with the 2015 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. You may be familiar with the limited-edition cars sold through the annual holiday catalog – stuff like Hennessey Vipers, Astons with special paint, and this past year's glittery Infiniti Q60. They're generally regular-production cars modified with unique paint and other touches, offered in limited quantities and often coinciding with a model's introduction. For 2015, it was something a little different: a Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition custom Mustang with a supercharged, 700-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and an elaborate body kit. A total of 100 were to be offered. Neiman's limited-edition Christmas cars tend to sell out in a matter of hours or even minutes. Not this one.
There were some problems. The original Neiman Marcus listing described the car as having all-wheel drive. Being a Mustang, of course, it did not. We immediately questioned the description and soon found that this was, in fact, a rear-drive Mustang like all the others before it. (The corrected catalog entry is still available on the Neiman Marcus site.) That may have turned some people off, especially if they were reading the printed version of the catalog and called to order a mythical all-wheel-drive pony car. The price may have also had something to do with the relative lack of takers: $95,000 for a custom-painted Mustang with a roll hoop, a hard tonneau, wheels, tires, exhaust, and lowering springs, plus a two-day Ford Racing School course. That's a roughly $40,000 premium over the base car.
It's not clear exactly who was responsible for the conversions or how Russ Milne Ford was originally involved. Neiman's catalog entry mentions SMC Productions LLC as the seller, and the body kits were sourced from Classic Design Concepts in Troy, Michigan. Most of the parts, aside from the tonneau and roll hoop, match those included in CDC's Outlaw kit for 2015+ Mustangs. Until recently, SMC Productions had a one-page website that basically mirrored the description from the Neiman Marcus catalog, but the domain registration has since expired. We emailed the address on that page looking for answers but did not hear back.
(AutoBlog.com)
A Christmas gift guide gone wrong, and a whole fleet of misfit toys.
You're now wondering, as we were, why a dealer would need or want 100 matching manual-transmission GT convertibles. The answer has to do with the 2015 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. You may be familiar with the limited-edition cars sold through the annual holiday catalog – stuff like Hennessey Vipers, Astons with special paint, and this past year's glittery Infiniti Q60. They're generally regular-production cars modified with unique paint and other touches, offered in limited quantities and often coinciding with a model's introduction. For 2015, it was something a little different: a Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition custom Mustang with a supercharged, 700-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and an elaborate body kit. A total of 100 were to be offered. Neiman's limited-edition Christmas cars tend to sell out in a matter of hours or even minutes. Not this one.
There were some problems. The original Neiman Marcus listing described the car as having all-wheel drive. Being a Mustang, of course, it did not. We immediately questioned the description and soon found that this was, in fact, a rear-drive Mustang like all the others before it. (The corrected catalog entry is still available on the Neiman Marcus site.) That may have turned some people off, especially if they were reading the printed version of the catalog and called to order a mythical all-wheel-drive pony car. The price may have also had something to do with the relative lack of takers: $95,000 for a custom-painted Mustang with a roll hoop, a hard tonneau, wheels, tires, exhaust, and lowering springs, plus a two-day Ford Racing School course. That's a roughly $40,000 premium over the base car.
It's not clear exactly who was responsible for the conversions or how Russ Milne Ford was originally involved. Neiman's catalog entry mentions SMC Productions LLC as the seller, and the body kits were sourced from Classic Design Concepts in Troy, Michigan. Most of the parts, aside from the tonneau and roll hoop, match those included in CDC's Outlaw kit for 2015+ Mustangs. Until recently, SMC Productions had a one-page website that basically mirrored the description from the Neiman Marcus catalog, but the domain registration has since expired. We emailed the address on that page looking for answers but did not hear back.
(AutoBlog.com)
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