What?? Are these people nuts. A $100.000.00 Luxury Hybrid??

[Quicksilver]

Can you imagine? A hybrid and a top-of the-line luxury car For $104.000.00, that gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon in highway driving? Well imagine no more.

The Lexus LS 600h L (Lexus' Pricey Luxury Hybrid) shimmers in the light, does zero to 60 in 5.5 seconds, and has the equivalent of 438 horsepower under the hood. It has leather trim throughout, Bluetooth and voice activation technology, and a built-in navigation system.

The suggested price when it reaches the market this summer is $104,000 -- the most expensive car Toyota, through its luxury Lexus line, has ever sold.

Lexus' Pricey Luxury Hybrid: $124,000

And -- oh, by the way -- the company says it's environmentally friendly. The emissions from its tailpipe should be 70 percent cleaner than those from comparable cars. Toyota says the tailpipe emissions should be "cleaner than the ambient air in some major cities."


Do Green and Gold-Plated Match?
The LS 600h L is both a hybrid and a top-of the-line luxury car, for those who believe one can have it all. Lexus says it is trying to compete with such models as the BMW 7 series and the Mercedes-Benz S600.

But while the Mercedes, with its V12 twin-turbo engine, gets 12 miles per gallon in city driving, Lexus says its new car will have comparable power -- and get nearly double the gas mileage. (Under new EPA rules for 2008 models, the Lexus would get 20 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon in highway driving.)

"We know there are a lot of luxury buyers who've said to us, 'Hey, I like my Prius, but what about a car with all the amenities I'm used to?'" says Greg Thome, from Lexus' U.S. headquarters in Torrance, Calif.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/sto...3185720&page=1

[Eric5273]

Well, people pay $100k for a non-hybrid luxury car, so why not pay that much for a hybrid luxury car?? Last time I checked, Toyota was the only car company this past year that really made a nice profit. I think they know what they are doing.

[Ishniknork]

They sure seem to be targeting a small market with that price, makes me wonder what their reasoning is... Those mileage figures and the hybrid "green" theme just don't match up in my book.

[motordavid]

It's the Lexi gang showing they "can do it"...
surprised they didn't come up with a better
Highway mpg, however.

As Eric correctly noted, it's the perfect "feel good
$100G car for Buffy", for those that don't blink at
the entry price. I predict they will be like Chevvies
at a HS ball game, on the streets of downtown Naples,FL
this winter season.
gang

[Wagner]

@ss bags, Al Gore better order one.

[benathon]

It's a real nice car though. Too bad they tried so hard to imitate the 7.

[the head]

I can see it working in thier favor...I have a friend that runs a driver service and one of the additional things he offers is a "green evening" it is like a $2-$5 per hour upgrade on the cost of his service and for that he pays the terra pass for the evening. It's an interesting marketing idea if nothing else but about 85% of his customers opt for it

[nupe10123]

I think Toyota is on to something here. 70% cleaner than the competition!!!! And then great performance, ultra-luxury and Toyota quality - the competition is really going to have to step up. The market segment for this class of car is not huge, but it will give Toyota a footing where it hasn't had one in the past. I don't think toyo is trying to imitate the 7 series, I think it's trying to overtake it.

[Blue Mountain Raider]

nahh... although the interior is nice, but IMO no cars' front grills look as good as bimmers

edit: wow 20mpg for a 430hp car is huge!

[Wagner]

Originally Posted by Blue Mountain Raider

nahh... although the interior is nice, but IMO no cars' front grills look as good as bimmers

edit: wow 20mpg for a 430hp car is huge!

Huge...not really Chevy Corvette does better then that 400hp with 18-28mpg.