Lexus for the New Generation

[Samurai_Jerk]

TOKYO - 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.

"The Lexus hopes to grow into a younger premium brand for Japanese of the 21st Century with new values," he said.

Yahoo! News

[Charles]

Looks familiar.

[Red Floyd]

That was the second movie that came to mind. The first being Akira.

[canman]

That if you want to buy an original Lexus, imported from the US you are looking at a mark up of almost one million yen. For the same freakin car. That is why Toyoto is on its way to becoming the number one car manufacturer in the world. Sell them the same shit, with a slightly different title and charge them up the whazoo for it.

[Charles]

That was the second movie that came to mind. The first being Akira.

I don't see the resemblance.

[Samurai_Jerk]

That was the second movie that came to mind. The first being Akira.

I don't see the resemblance.

Please don't post pictures like that. Pencilslave might get a hard on.

[Charles]

Please don't post pictures like that. Pencilslave might get a hard on.

Yeah, and you reposted it.

Lexus is clearly influenced by Syd Mead's classic design from the movie TRON. And it's not surprising, everyone was influenced by his work in films like Star Trek, Blade Runner, Aliens, etc. Syd is well known in Hollywood for his futuristic vehicle designs, as well as his art direction. But what people don't generally know is that Syd Mead was primarily responsible for the mechano obsession in Japanese anime, he was one of the creators of Gundam. Syd was active in Japan about the time that Akira was written, he was very influential in establishing the futuristic look in Japanese comics and cartoons. I can also vouch from personal experience, since Syd was one of my clients, that he's a really nice guy.

On the other hand, Akira is just a mish-mash of badly drawn crap, copied from the work of people like Syd Mead, with a few misunderstood story themes swiped from American SF writers like Phil Dick.

There's the problem in a nutshell. You can either go to the source, or get secondhand crap.

[gkanai]

That if you want to buy an original Lexus, imported from the US you are looking at a mark up of almost one million yen. For the same freakin car.

I could be wrong but I don't think that there are any Lexus vehicles produced in the US at the moment.

Yes, I'm sure there will be a premium for the Lexux brand. What I'm more interested in is the dealer network. That's what Lexus really stands for. The dealership experience. If Toyota Motor Corp. can influence the way cars are sold in Japan via Lexus in Japan, then it will be an effort well worth the cost.

[Red Floyd]

Maybe I shoulda been more specific. It looks kinda like something that you would see in Akira, not just Kaneda's motorcycle.

[Charles]

Maybe I shoulda been more specific. It looks kinda like something that you would see in Akira, not just Kaneda's motorcycle.

Maybe I shoulda been more specific. Just because something looks futuristic, sleek, and red, doesn't mean it has anything whatsoever to do with Akira.

The entire world does not revolve around anime. In fact, it might shock you to discover that some anime stylings might have been derived from an American designer.

[kotatsuneko]

but they make said designs look better