http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050519/...e/japan_toyota

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will open 150 dealerships in Japan to promote the luxury Lexus brand which is successful in the United States, but is still largely unknown to most high-end car buyers here.

Toyota is eager to strengthen its image by promoting the Lexus in Japan, where most luxury car buyers still prefer European brands like BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Takeshi Yoshida, overseeing Lexus development, said the brand will differentiate itself from European rivals that boast a historical legacy by appealing to younger buyers who aren't afraid to assert their Japanese identities and sensibilities."

 

Will the be charging more for the Lexus brand?

Unless they introduce new models under Lexus brand, I can't see people paying more for, lets say, the Lexus LS430 car which is beings sold right now as Toyota...

 

well, this means the death of the Toyota Altezza, and the birth of the Lexus IS350 in Japan.

apc and other ricers will have to update their terminology.

 

what for? the term altezza lights applies to the current altezza/IS. the new IS doesn't have the same type of lights.

 

The Toyota Altezza was the name of a Japan-market sedan that was later exported to the USA and rest of the world as the Lexus IS, with a bunch of different engine choices.

Pretty much the whole Lexus lineup as we know it is some kind of Toyota in Japan. The LS430 is the Celsior, SC430 is the Soarer, and the ES330 is the Windom. SUV-wise the LX470 is the Land Cruiser Cygnus, the GX470 is the Land Cruiser Prado, the RX330 is the Harrier.

Now the previous two generations of the Lexus GS have been sold in Japan as the Toyota Aristo, but the Toyota Aristo has been discontinued. The Lexus GS has, I believe, already been shown at the Tokyo auto show as a Lexus rather than a Toyota Aristo, and is going to be the first car sold as a Lexus in Japan. It's also worth noting that the new GS shares its mechanicals with a car that's been out in Japan for a while now, the Crown Athlete.

I believe that as Lexus rolls out new models, they will become Lexuses (Lexii?) in Japan and their JDM Toyota counterparts will fade away. So in that sense, perhaps the Altezza is the next one up on the chopping block, because the IS is the next Lexus to be introduced after the GS. Who knows.

 

are the toyota counterparts of lexuses here as luxurious?

 

They're pretty much identical except for being right-hand drive and badged as Toyotas. There are some different engine choices as well. Just as an example, here's the interior page for the Celsior (a.k.a. LS430):

http://toyota.jp/celsior/interior/index.html

 

Now we are going to have a harder time explaining to ignorant people who still thinks that Toyota didn't make Lexus and Lexus is so much better/different than Toyota.

"Now, Lexus is going to be sold in Japan, and you said they were already there. How wrong you were!"

"But, but, they had their identical Japanese counterparts until they were all changed into Lexus."

"Yeah right! Lexus rules! Toyota sucks!!!"

"Fine. You leave me no choice; I'll destroy you."