I think Toyota wants consumers to buy Lexus so they can consider themselves better than average. I had a 2002 GS300 myself and I never felt like a "stupid impressionable American." Lexus does a good job making sure their products don't look exactly like a Toyota.
With the exception of the previous style LX470, there isn't anything on a Lexus lot that screams rebadged Toyota. Yes an ES350 is a Camry platform, a GX470 is a 4Runner, and an LX is a Land Cruiser, but almost nobody in the U.S. knows what their Toyota's and Lexus's are named in Japan so BlackonBlackGT was simply implying Lexus has nothing to be ashamed of. The new Venza is just an RX350. Anyone who says an IS350 is a Corolla and an LS460 is an Avalon better do some research on drivetrains and FWD vs. RWD.

 

A little bit late for your comeback. You should have just left it alone, not sure why you are ranting about a whole lot of nothing, but then again you are right. The IS300 was a Toyota Altezza, the GS an Aristo, and the SC300 a Soarer. Great, but even if you don't live in the states it's still an American car, if I see a 'real' soarer I don't say look at that Lexus SC. Also, if you think Lexus isn't worth the extra money than go drive one. RWD, Refinement, Quality, Materials. The same thing could be said about Honda and Acura and Nissan and Infiniti.

No one is denying who makes Lexus and no one is denying that it's an Aristo in Japan... but it is not one here and that is all I was saying.

+1

 

He must have been foamin about that shit for a month trying to figure out a good comeback reply, lol.