I wonder if they have someone doing nothing but rolling out miles of duct onto prototypes like this.

It will still be the same Buick like handling softy with perhaps a dash of style this time around.

 

It looks like this one has a monster grille and a massive emblem!

 

You think that Toyota will wait THAT long for a new ES? The last one was in what, 2003? The new Avalon JUST came out, which means probably 4-5 years for a new one with a new platform. That would make the ES330 SEVEN years old!

 

Eh... who knows... as I said, rumors. The ES continues to sell well, they could give it a heavy refresh to keep it new for more years. Or, if the rumor's true, who's to say that the ES doesn't get the platform first, followed by the next Avalon. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

 

Underneath all that masking might be a car that I could like. Interesting.

 

No one has a 4 RWD sedan lineup and Lexus won't either. The whole point of the ES is to be a soft, luxurious, cheap entry level car. Throw in RWD and the soft and cheap parts gets thrown out the window. As it is, Lexus is the only one that has a FWDer thrown in with the RWDers (never mind Acura/Audi - cause their whole line up is FWD or FWD biased AWD). The only reason Lexus isn't killing the ES is because it's selling so well. Unless the IS somehow takes away all of the ES sales and starts selling at 6K+ mo, look for the next ES to be more of the same - a very nice Camry - perhaps with a bit more styling difference to set it apart.

 

I'll say it again. It's just a rumor. And again, as I said, I could really care less about the ES. If I were Lexus, I'd kill it, assuming the IS does as well as I think it will. Sure it makes money, but the I35 was Infiniti's money maker. The difference between Infiniti and Lexus is that Lexus' image is far from tarnished, and leaving one FWD car in the lineup doesn't sting them like it was the wannabe Japanese BMW that was fighting to rebuild it's image virtually from scratch (starting with the G that eased the acceptance of the I being obsolete). So, Lexus can leave the ES FWD, or make it RWD... either way it'll be soft. And trust me, just because a vehicle is RWD doesn't automatically make it not "soft." They could easily have a RWD ES that continues to wallow and drive a like a boat.

 

with all the tape...it must have been designed during the anthrax and biological weapons scare...when the gov't told ppl to carry duct tape with them

well...i thought that was funny when I thought of it...now that I wrote it down...it doesn;t seem as funny

 

With the shift to RWD even from non-luxury makers, we have to keep in mind that the cost differential between FWD and RWD is not as huge as it was before and it's getting even smaller. As you know, Pontiac will switch to RWD in the future, so we will see a lot more RWD/AWD offerings from mainstream marques in the mid-term future.

 

Lexus' image is only "tarnished" by enthusiasts who irrationally expect them to be sporty vehicles. The overall public believes Lexus >>>>>>>>>>>>> * and Infiniti = who? (still!).

FWD Acuras and Lexuses will continue.

 

LOL, you made my point, but thanks. As I said, Lexus' image is the one that is FAR FROM TARNISHED. That means I was saying that Infiniti's image was tarnished, and completely revamping it's lineup (including an all RWD lineup) was necessary. I never said that Infiniti > Lexus... NOT ONCE... reread the post.

 

When GM spending an extra $200 on the interior of its cars is a huge deal, switching any of its models to RWD will absolutely be killed by their bean counters. RWD is at least 1-2K more than FWD of a similar car - very hard to justify in a segement of razor thin margins. Other than full size cars, sport coupes or the luxury segment, I don't see more RWD cars any time in the foreseable future.

 

98 They had 305 and 320 for the SS/WS6. But strap a plane old firebird or z28 LS1 on a dyno and it will dyno 300 plus to the wheels, meaning it was making around the same power as the vette motor with some exhaust and intake restrictions. Plus those LT1's were only making about 275, but they were putting down about 340 lb ft. of torque. Either way Toyota needs to stop making the camry look like a Lexus, because that just makes brand seperation even harder.

 

Yes but a good RWD platform gives the manufacturer the ability to charge a premium price.

I am guessing the extra cost is closer to 1K than 2K btw. Especially for someone like GM where economies of scale help more than with other manufacturers due to volume.

 

Toyota raising prices on Camry, RAV4 and Prius for '06 - - MARK RECHTIN | Automotive News - - Source: Autoweek

 

It's only going to be about a 7 month run for the 06s - the more major price bump will happen with the 07s in early next spring.

 

I dunno, this expected price increase may be it. Toyota seems to have been able to maintain prices when introducing new models with more equipment by becoming more efficient in other areas.

 

I wonder how much of this increase is due to the President's talk about Toyota raising prices. Three major player-cars have gone up some as you see from the other two threads. Let's see what happens next year.

 

Amazing how GM, Ford and Chrysler are trying to out-do each other on fire sales, while Toyota happily raises prices across the board...

 

2007 Toyota Camry Spy Photos - - by Przemek Lis - - Source: www.japanesecarfans.com

 

Looks like the rear lights will look close to those of the Avalon's.

 

Is that an "H" on the grille


I really like the profile of the car so far. Far better than the Accord.

 

Hehehe.... I did not notice that. Looks like an H no doubt, but why the hell did they do that? So people think it's the Accord? Why?

 

Pratical joke if I had to bet.

Could also be a message to Honda.

 

I wonder what kind of message would Toyota have for Honda.

 

 

 

Yeah... I wonder if that means "Hybrid." Or maybe it means "Honda" killer, lol. Glad to see that they're finally retiring that old 3.0V6. They have a great opiton choice. I like the ES's 3.3L V6. But they could pull a Nissan and just detune the 3.5L as the article suggested. I'd go with the 3.5L.

 

LMAO

 

During my 3 day driving life with an RX330 last year, I found nothing to like about the 3.3L. The same goes for the 5 speed tranny. Actually the tranny was two steps backward when compared to the 4 speed in the RX300. I hope it was how they matched it to the RX330 and not that the engine is a bad engine.

 

Get out of town... really. Well, I've never driven the 3.3L, so I'll defintiely take your word for it. From what I understand, the 3.5L gets to 280HP from high revs, but nevertheless, I'd go with that engine in a 245-260HP version for the Camry.

 

When I was in Japan in February, I went to the Toyota Showroom and took pictures of the Mark X. Back then I thought it was going to be the new IS, but I guess I was wrong. Enjoy the pics:

 

That interior is awful and talk about ripping off the 7 series.

 

I looovvee that interior. Talk about classy. The shift console is nice as hell. Very nice, and in the same vein as the new Avalon. I really like this Mark X, in and out.

 

I'm with Dom on this one. The interior looks like they tried too hard. The iPod inspired shift gate is a little fem for my taste. The pieces look like they're good quality but the color scheme just doesn't work. Too many sharp edges and mismatched colors. Some of the buttons on the center console (i.e. recirc and defrost) are a long reach for the driver.

The exterior looks fine, even with a hint of bangle butt in the rear.

 

The interior is too "busy" and "cluttered" looking for my tastes. This isn't the usual Toyota clean look. I don't like it.

 

Can you say RL rear-end????

 

Mark X is one of the Fuga's main rival in Japan. But on paper everything Fuga offers is better than the Mark X.

 

I could see that as a prime Fuga rival. Is the Mark X RWD or FWD... I know the Fuga's RWD.