Can you read between the lines?

[SDRonEbay]

For those interested,

Forbes.com has an overview of their test drive of the Lexus SC 430.

The first thing I want to point out is that the author tells a story of heading to his class reunion last spring and the kids were absent. He stated, " for once we didn't need to drive an SUV, minivan, station wagon or large sedan." So you know right off this guy is used to driving non-performance vehicles so his opinion will count for squat.

He continues on to tell of his great elation with the Lexus and questions as to why Lexus is unable to move this "well-made and sophisticated, if not terribly vitalizing" roadster. Then as if swatting a fly, he matter-of-factly mentions "Lexus sedans and coupes aren't big movers right now because the model lineup is fairly old, especially versus hotter brands like Infiniti--the upscale division of Nissan, which is suddenly selling tauter-handling cars and crossovers than Lexus has ever offered."

Gee whiz! Maybe if he had driven a Nissan or Infiniti back home from the reunion, he would have thought long and hard before printing his article in such a manner as to ask why the Lexus' SC 430 sucks so bad. Oh and the High point Low point box was pretty funny.

High Point - Stylish good looks; solid construction; powerful V8 engine (that only puts out 13 more hp than the Z)

Low Point - No manual six-speed transmission; too much emphasis on comfort over performance; limited trunk space and high sticker price.

Those low points are more like "What not to look for in a 'sports' car..."

Here's a low point for you, for the price of the Lexus (plus the luxury tax you'll pay for a car worth more than $50K) you could buy two 350Z Roadsters and crank'em up with some NISMO and still save cash.

If you want to flip through this 4-page e-article while you've got absolutely nothing better to do than have a laugh or two, go to:

http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/....html

See ya next time.

[BIONICQ45]

Road and track made some of the same observations stated above about the lexus. It tied four fifth place in a comparo of six drop top luxo sport cars. To its credit it was the cheapest of the bunch. The new Caddy XLR came in 2nd behind the Porche 911.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/ar...d=735

[PalmerWMD]

It's really liked hearing "vs hotter brand like Infiniti".

Perceptions they are a changin.

Fred.