New Toyota Mark X

[Evo_Lee]

and their whitegoods sell...and I mean they do sell...WillShop is Toyota's affilated whitegoods shop

[mirage]

After all realively inexpensive performance cars like the WRX for example sell very well overseas... Doesn't stop the other smaller manufacturers form continually releasing interesting products. If they can do it, so can Toyota. They have more than enough $$ to deal with these issues.

Depends on what you define as intersting I suppose. To some interesting is pioneering brand new global design and manufacturing techniques, whilst maintaining quality, reliability and new technologies in their vehicles. To some interesting is bolting a turbo onto a 4 cyliner family car or squeezing in a V8.

I think you will find the Camry out sells the WRX.

If you were turning over millions in profit per year and were a market leader, I dont think you would follow the lead of smaller manufacturers either. Unless of course you dont like money.

[Babalouie]

You know, I dunno if I am that convinced that the Mark X isn't 'whitegoods'...I mean sure it's RWD, and it looks nice but if an NA 3.0 V6 is the best you can get with it, then that's actually pretty poor for a 1600kg car...

[edo]

Im struggling to see whats so good about it...

[itsnotagsr]

JZX100 Chaser?

Basically. But the new version.

[Evo_Lee]

They aren't really that heavy but still heavier than a JZX100, the FR is about 1510-1530kg and 4WD is 1570kg. Toyota's reported 0-100km/h times, the 3L V6 (3GR-FSE) FR takes 7.3s and the 2.5L V6 (4GR-FSE) FR takes 8.0s...still not bad I guess.

The fuel efficent factor and low emission levels the makers are bounded by doesn't give them much without force induction.

The 3GR-FSE and 4GR-FSE are both using Dual VVTi which helps them gain high performance, low mileage and low emission. The average fuel efficency for the 3GR and 4GR are as tested under the 10-15mode standard, 11.8km/L and 12.6km/L(2WD)/ 11km/L(4WD) respectively. The Japanese 10-15 mode standard is driving under 10-15 different conditions from highway, city, traffic, uphill, snow, etc.

edo, when I first saw the sketches I didn't really like it at all...but after 3 months of seeing them and the TV commercial. It's starting to grow on me, they aren't such a bad looking car at certain angles except perhaps the rear could have been more different. Currently looking something between a Crown and a Camry rear brake lights.

[itsnotagsr]

I just don't like the front. Looks Bangle-fied.

[MRMOPARMAN]

the mark X will never see australia... the speedo goes too far

[hakosuka]

Depends on what you define as intersting I suppose. To some interesting is pioneering brand new global design and manufacturing techniques, whilst maintaining quality, reliability and new technologies in their vehicles. To some interesting is bolting a turbo onto a 4 cyliner family car or squeezing in a V8.

If I suddenly get head-hunted into the car industry then I will worry about pioneering brand new global design and manufacturing techniques. Untill then my definition of interesting remains the anti-appliance car.

I think you will find the Camry out sells the WRX.

Apples and grapefruit. And your point is?

If you were turning over millions in profit per year and were a market leader, I dont think you would follow the lead of smaller manufacturers either. Unless of course you dont like money.

They would not be following the lead of anyone. Only doing what they used to do - making bread and butter cars for 95% of the great unwashed and 5% for (most of anyway) the type that cruise these forums etc. And unless I am hugely mistaken they were still making shitloads of money before...

I believe the only time Toyota ever lost money on anything they did was with the 2000 GT that was handbuilt in the Yamaha factory.


I, like Toyota care deeply about money - only difference is that they have just a little more than me to play with.

[mirage]

After all realively inexpensive performance cars like the WRX for example sell very well overseas... Doesn't stop the other smaller manufacturers form continually releasing interesting products. If they can do it, so can Toyota. They have more than enough $$ to deal with these issues.

Thats what i was replying to.

Anyways, its late. I have had enough for one day.

til tomorrow!

[Captiva Fan]

RUBBISH :D for several reasons.

1) I see 25 year olds driving NEW cars these days that cost $70K

The reason you were able to put the plural reference in there is because you've seen BOTH of them. And both of them were driving a BMW or a Benz weren't they? Toyota has less cachet than a fridge-magnet, let alone the fridge it's on ... and they'd lose a shitload of money trying to convince people otherwise (eg. as I said before, how many GS300's do you see? Same car, same build cost).

2) When grey imports like the R33 etc frost came to Oz they were priced in the high $30's or so, and that was in 2000 dollars etc. And people were buying them.

Almost nobody. R33's didn't become popular until they dropped into the mid 20's, and they only became plage proportions when they dropped into the high teens.

3) It will only be $70K if the wowser Economos (jeez you would think having a Greek background would mean at least a little hot blooded revhead-ness would be present in the blood - I should know ) either loads it with heaps of luxury shit and/or badges it as a Lexus.

"Luxury shit" costs nothing. Power windows are cheaper to make (& lighter) than manual ones these days. Calais & Fairmont Ghias are an incredible cash-cow! Recall how much Supras were, & how much R33+ Skylines and ?X91's would have been if they'd been brought here; it's not a result of luxury gear, it's a result of having to do special small production-line runs for a tiny mostly-disinterested market.

[Merry Vanly Stan]

the audience that a *brand new* high performance car sells to is often very different to the audience that a 10yo high performance car sells to..

i doubt anyone on this forum would buy the markx at 70k.. but once it's 10 years old and worth 20k then a lot would... simply because if you've got 70k to spend on a car you'd probably buy a 7yo r34gtr then a dishwasher markx.

same thing happened with the r32gtr.. i doubt anyone that has bought one in the past three years would have (or could have!) paid $125k for it when it was new.. and that wasn't nissan profiteering, it was what it cost.

[itsnotagsr]

I believe the only time Toyota ever lost money on anything they did was with the 2000 GT that was handbuilt in the Yamaha factory.

What about the Avalon? I don't see them making huge margins on that!

The thing that annoys me about Toyota (and Honda) is that they enter F1 and claim to have a sporting pedigree, but then serve us up with sh*t on wheels.

[rj-astra]

What about the Avalon? I don't see them making huge margins on that!

How would you know?? It's a 8+ yr old design that we picked up secondhand. I reckon the costs have been fully amortised on that model.

Sales of Avalons are UP!!!

[Nick]

So are old busted arse M1A1 Tanks we got off the yanks.. sales on those are up too.

I'd admit though they make a great Taxi!! The room inside is huge! Avalon not tank.