IS/RC [Official] 2014 Lexus IS

[HighestOfHigh]

There's a difference between aggressive & overdone.
But today many designers make an equation: overdone = aggressive.
NOT!

Unfortunately MB is going in the same direction ... Overdone lines & details, alien-looking headlights, fuzzy grilles etc
And Audi is going crazy with n-gonal grilles & squinting headlights - at this time on Concepts only. I just hope BMW won't go Bangle again. And will stand out like they did in Bangle times with extravagance, yet this time with relatively (compared to others) conventional designs. And all the "creative craziness" will be featured on BMW i only.

Although the 3er F30 face, 7er F01 LCI LED headlights, 5er F10 LCI front, the entire 3er GT F35 showcase the virus has already affected the BMW designers (and the board) as well.

Too much Bangle is just too much Bangle!


Btw, is there still any hope for the regular, non-F IS?

So according to you Audi, Benz, Lexus and any other company that is not BMW is overdone. Thanks for sharing EnI!

 

[LaArtist]

^haha that was precisely my reaction when i read that..

 

[EnI]

Do not twist my words!

I'm saying that while BMW has gone form overdone Bangle era to more constrained designs, others are going crazier with designs (coming for more conventional & conservative designs). So, the opposite move BMW has done.

Although BMW also retained some overdone elements (like the new fascia seen on 3er), not to mention the alien-looking BMW i cars.

Read precisely what I say ...
But obviously when you see me mentioning BMW, you just automatically read "BMW is good, others are bad" ... even the text doesn't say that at all.

 

[mini_cooper4]

Do not twist my words!

I'm saying that while BMW has gone form overdone Bangle era to more constrained designs, others are going crazier with designs (coming for more conventional & conservative designs). So, the opposite move BMW has done.

Although BMW also retained some overdone elements (like the new fascia seen on 3er), not to mention the alien-looking BMW i cars.

Read precisely what I say ...
But obviously when you see me mentioning BMW, you just automatically read "BMW is good, others are bad" ... even the text doesn't say that at all.

I've experienced the same problem

 

[MAJESTIC]

Nike may want their LEDs back.

M

I swear, that is the only thing I could think of when I saw those DRL LED's...

 

[aleks_16]

The Interior is more then good loocking IMO the best in the Mid class ! It is futuristic and at the same time have the sporty traditional flow. The exterior Hmmmmmm the care looks good but the side is missing some strong underline characteristik ala 6er or 4er coupe concept. The front lights that is what bothers me, maybe it looks in real much better and with a different color then this white one.

 

[Sunny]

I like the interior.
Everything else - a big WTF!
I hate the scribbled on headlights.
I hate the swoosh DRLs.
I hate the wavy rocker panels.
I hate the wavy door shut line.
I hate the wavy window line.

What an eye sore. It looks like something out of an anime cartoon than a car. And being in Lexus heartland, my eyes will soon start bleeding endlessly from seeing a gazzilion of them all around me, sigh!

And I used to like the old IS (except for F version) - was a good clean handsome car.

 

[330CIZHP]

I guess, majority of the people on this board prefer those bland, safe and generic vanilla looking designs that BMW, Audi and Benz have been putting out lately??

Lexus took a bangle-like risk by going with a very edgy and unconventional design language. It is a love or hate design, but atleast Lexus took a huge risk with an unconventional design language.

Good or bad, even if it is a failure, I applaud Lexus for trying to go head first with this design.

 

[EnI]

Asian carmakers usually overdo the designs ... The lack of taste, or the lack of control? Or a combination of both?

They just try too much ... and then they over do it.

And then they need a man like Peter Schreyer to fix things.
Btw, Herr Schreyer was recently named the first non-Asian co-president of Hyundai / KIA!

 

[SKY]

I guess, majority of the people on this board prefer those bland, safe and generic vanilla looking designs that BMW, Audi and Benz have been putting out lately??

Lexus took a bangle-like risk by going with a very edgy and unconventional design language. It is a love or hate design, but atleast Lexus took a huge risk with an unconventional design language.

Good or bad, even if it is a failure, I applaud Lexus for trying to go head first with this design.

The problem is when companies design a risky design is because they use to be so conservative that they need to go crazy to appear creative.

 

[DblPen]

cant imagine that it is possible to create something more ugly

 

[Sunny]

I actually don't think it is risky - business wise. Yes, the design is unconventional and even incoherent, but the business prospect is not risky. The modern consumer likes crazy designs - cause standing out of the crowd is what is important to him/her -even for the wrong reasons. Lexus probably did a gazzilion market surveys before finalizing the design and know very well they will sell hoards of them.

 

[330CIZHP]

The problem is when companies design a risky design is because they use to be so conservative that they need to go crazy to appear creative.

That is the thing. It is not that crazy. Sure, it is unconventional, but not THAT much. The body lines and proportions are actually very similar to the previous gen IS. Even how the rear door meets the C-pillar is exactly how it was in the previous gen.

The fender flares and stance seem more pronounced in this new IS than they were in the previous IS. Majority of the unconvention theme runs in the tail lights, grille and headlights. I do really think once I see it in real life (especially the F-sport), it will look very striking.

You want to look at a crazy design? Look at the etch-a-sketch design of the Cadillac CTS. Now that is what truly defines a crazy geometric design developed with only rulers.

 

[EnI]

The modern consumer likes crazy designs - cause standing out of the crowd is what is important to him/her -even for the wrong reasons. Lexus probably did a gazzilion market surveys before finalizing the design and know very well they will sell hoards of them.

Sure. But what Asians & Americans like, Europeans don't. Eg. Bangle BMWs - very popular in Asia & USA, not at all in Europe. While current BMWs sell like hot cakes in Europe. While in MB case eg. W211 did sell better in Europe than USA, current W212 is much more popular in USA than in Europe.

Going crazy doesn't attracts all the people around the world. Eg. Lexus, Infiniti & Acura - who sell mainly in USA, and moderately in Asia but very poorly or not at all in Europe - have much more US/Asian-centric designs. While eg. brands like BMW, MB, Audi, Jaguar etc have a more difficult task to make products that have appeal around the globe.

Same case with eg. some Asian-exclusive or US-exclusive models ... with such design that would be very difficult to sell in Europe. Or vice versa: some European cars that sell well in Europe (mostly due to patriotic reasons) but appear totally hideous to Americans & Asians.

Or there are some models, that are popular in Europe & Asia but sell poorly in US: eg. in BMW case the 5er GT & X6.

Therefore designs are centric to those markets (and appeal more to those markets) that are primary markets & crucial markets for the product. In the case of poli-centric or universal products the designs are more complex: eg. conventional with some crazy overdone detailing. Eg. something current BMW, MB & AUDI designs are heading. Although among these 3 the Benz is currently going craziest - with the swooshing side lines and alien-looking headlights. BMW & AUDI are sticking to more conventional side lines, and more technoid than organic headlight graphics. Yep, the Benz is becoming the most extravagantly designed brand among the German trio. More extravaganza, less elegance.

 

[klier]

But obviously when you see me mentioning BMW, you just automatically read "BMW is good, others are bad" ... even the text doesn't say that at all.

Spot on, sadly.
Let is slide Eni, it is not worth it at all.

As for this car...I guess I am alone...but I somehow really like it. I almost feel guilty because I shouldn't like it (this sort of design usually isn't my cup of tea)

The problem is when companies design a risky design is because they use to be so conservative that they need to go crazy to appear creative.

What's so crazy? It looks like a proper, modern Japanese design to me, inspired by European proportions

 

[Mr. M]

This design is completely overdone!



WTF is going on with the headlights????? WTF is that? Really ... An anime, or what?
And the DtRL ... Nike anyone?
And the grille? What the heck? Can it go even further than this? I hope not!
And the rear lights reaching into rear wheel arches???? Geez!
And the "multi-floor" dashboard???

The only passable part of the car seems to be the side profile.

Really ... the design is soooo hideous.

Perhaps will sell well in US & Asia ... perhaps. But in Europe I'm sure Lexus will sell even less new ISes than the current Mkes (which only sells at least moderately OK in UK, while sales in other EU markets is a complete joke).

I think with the way sales in Europe is going, Lexus is playing it well to appeal to the North American and Asian audience.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Could the headlights look any more ridiculous? There is craziness, and then there is just utter bullsh**. The front of this vehicle falls in to the latter category. And the general design language and the rear lights SCREAM new Corolla. How the hell a design department that is now supposedly independent of Toyota, continues to deliver cars so infused with Toyota DNA is beyond me. You just look at that sheet metal and you know without a doubt it's a Toyota. The taillights just hammer the point home.

On the other hand, the interior looks fantastic, and very possibly best in class. Audi and MB will need to pull out all stops to top this with the A4 and C.

 

[Yaz]

This is wayyyyyyyyy overdone indeed.
And they're going the BMW route with their interiors; Same sausage, different length.

PS
If I were an LFA owner, I'd be mad at Lexus for giving the IS the LFA's instrument cluster.

 

[K-A]

There's a difference between aggressive & overdone.
But today many designers make an equation: overdone = aggressive.
NOT!

Unfortunately MB is going in the same direction ... Overdone lines & details, alien-looking headlights, fuzzy grilles etc
And Audi is going crazy with n-gonal grilles & squinting headlights - at this time on Concepts only. I just hope BMW won't go Bangle again. And will stand out like they did in Bangle times with extravagance, yet this time with relatively (compared to others) conventional designs. And all the "creative craziness" will be featured on BMW i only.

Although the 3er F30 face, 7er F01 LCI LED headlights, 5er F10 LCI front, the entire 3er GT F35 showcase the virus has already affected the BMW designers (and the board) as well.

Too much Bangle is just too much Bangle!


Btw, is there still any hope for the regular, non-F IS?

IF BMW go back to that then the F01/F10/F12-F13 will be that pure "in between era" of perfection. Complete focus on timelessness which is a breath of fresh air nowadays.

As for this Lexus, the proportions are AWFUL. Looks like a Carolla in a clown costume

Trying WAY too hard, as Lexus suffer from M-B's "we don't want to be old people cars so we will try REEEAAAAAALLLLY hard to get that across to you!" vibe.

The thing just makes no sense, no vision or cohesion. The car looks so small and short in the rear portion, just so ill proportioned.

 

[Huckfeldt]

Hell, Asia is going to be the world's main economy very soon and even the US economy is doing not bad. Europe is going down the drain, seriously, so expect even more Asian-centric designs to come out of Bavaria, even from the holy big three plus Porsche.

Have you guys forgotten that Audi's shield grille, was made to accomodate the Chinese taste ?

Mercedes' sport grille on every model ?

Europe-centric thinking is not going to cut it anymore. Look at the loss carmakers are making in the Euro region.

Nobody likes change but man, change is coming. NEW WORLD ORDER.

Asia is becoming old movies' neo Tokyo and even the US is becoming Blade Runner style country. Europe ? Could be tourist destinations for old castles sooner than later.

Don't get me wrong, I would love for Europe to be the world's leader again like in the 19th century, but it doesn't look like it will ever be.

Soon, China will be the biggest market for the German big three, so expect more radical designs ahead. Ahoy !