2006 LS Long Wheelbase

[pcpoon]

With the next generation of the LS on the horizon, is a long wheelbase product along with the stanard wheelbase product going to be offered for the Lexus LS ever? Possibly even bring a 12 cylinder engine too.

[TheScientist]

im not sure about the 12 cylinder, if so, it probably won't do so good in the first few years of production, mainly because it would be their first 12.

[MioCLK]

Originally Posted by pcpoon

With the next generation of the LS on the horizon, is a long wheelbase product along with the stanard wheelbase product going to be offered for the Lexus LS ever? Possibly even bring a 12 cylinder engine too.

I would say anything is possible, if the demand ask for it, Lexus will built it.
With the Lexus brand debuting in Japan in 2005, maybe there will be a Lexus version of the Toyota Century, which is equipped with a 5.0L V12
And then it might also be the time for Toyota / Lexus to equip V12 engines in cars sold outside the Japanese market.
I know there were two Toyota Century built left-hand drive for the Taiwan market. One of the owner is Tsai Wan-Lin (richest person in Taiwan) and the other is a top excecutive of Hotai Motor, which is responsible for all Toyota / Lexus in Taiwan.

[pcpoon]

OK, what about offering the option of 2 wheelbases like the 7-Series and the S-Class?

[MioCLK]

As of right now, the GS430 is pretty much an alternative for customers who wants a short wheel base LS430
Also there is really no need for two different wheel-base, as Mercedes, Lexus's biggest competitor, had stopped importing the short wheel base for the U.S. market many years ago. Although BMW does offer both wheel bases in the U.S., but BMW is known as the "driver's car" which is some what different from Lexus and Mercedes where comfort always comes first.
Anything can happen with market-demand, with the Mercedes debuting its Smart brand here in the U.S. within the few years, I would not be surprised to see the Lexus version of Scion

[pcpoon]

Well MB hasn't really stopped importing standard wheelbase products of the S-Class in many markets including Canada and Mexico.

Products (Non-AMG, 4MATIC is not offered in Mexico):

S430 SWB (Canada and Mexico)
S430 LWB & S55K LWB (US and Canada)
S500 LWB (B4 Guard also offered in Mexico)
S600 LWB (B4 Guard and B6/B7 Guard also offered in Mexico).

I meant by the future, not present.

[MioCLK]

I know the short wheel based are still being produced and sold in many places around the world.
But I was talking about the U.S. market alone. The biggest market for Mercedes other than its home country, Germany.
From January to September 2003, the Mercedes-Benz brand (exclude Smart) had sold approximately 822,400 vehicles world wide. 159,400 of them were sold in the United States alone. Thats is almost a 20% share.
This also why the U.S. market is the most important one (other than Europe) to consider when making decisions.
Germany had sold around 294,700, including the Smart brand.
As for the whole Asia / Pacific market, only 72,000 (includes Smart) were sold.
The U.S. market is also the biggest market for Lexus. the only market that will be strong enough to influence Lexus /Toyota's decisions on what cars to make. Other than that is their greatest enemy, Mercedes-Benz.
U.S. is the real battlefield for the two companies, where both of them are import luxury brands(although some models are made in USA).
Lexus had always followed what Mercedes had done.If Lexus discovers enough market demand, it will build whatever is needed to fight Mercedes. Also I don't know if you've noticed this, Lexus only builds a model with two engine choices at the most, and their price range are aruond 30-70k, where how the mainstream vehicles are priced. It seems like Lexus flows with the mainstream. Altough Lexus is losing on the perfomance cars and top-luxury, like the S, CL, SL, but don't forget how Lexus shot down Mercedes, SUV. the biggest weapon.