Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:24 am Post subject: Tarting up a Toyota or Dressing down a Lexus?
I am certain alot of owners here have had to explain themselves one time or another regarding this topic. when people ask you what you drive how do you explain what you drive when people screw there face up when you say aristo? i essentially say..."well its kind of an imported market Lexus...." then i am met with .."oooohhhh a Lexus!!!...???"...gee your getting paid well". seems to be the norm even with guys but its hard playing it down after saying the L word. then i wonder time and again, what the hell am i really driving? are those L badges faking me out or am i doing it justice of what it really is? to me the car is regoed as a Lexus although the badge on the steering wheel says toyota. i even had a guy at New Town Lexus come up and give me the thumbs up as he too thought it was local model(and he works at LEXUS???). i like the fact it breaks the norm of seeing a sea of toyota emblems and seeing a pimped out Aristo with an L on the front separates it from the crowd. i guess the only real thing that matters is the thumping 2j under the hood and the lounge like drive it gives at any speed. i guess its to each there own...for now i am leaning toward Lexus. i mean if the Holden crowd can slap a chev badge on the commos then i guess its the same deal. right?
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 4010 Location: Perth, WA
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:52 am Post subject:
To me putting a chev badge on a holden is really gay.
They bought the car as a holden, in this country, it's called a holden - it shouldn't be changed just cos you think the american name sounds cooler.
For us though i think its a little less black & white.. People say it was originally sold as a Toyota, so it should be kept with the toyota badge. On the other hand, if it was ever sold in Aus it would've been called a Lexus and be shipped with the L plates, so you could argue that in this country it is rightly a Lexus.
Either way, i'm not fussed - I think it's more about what you want it to appear as. I think T badges makes the car look like a chaser or something - a large but fast sports cruiser - whereas L badges make it look like a ES300, then you can surprise people with the 2J.
Personally, i lean towards the Lexus appearance. To me, it's what the car is. 2J donk, but black and refined on the outside. I can definately understand people preferring the Toyota badges though, especially if you're going for that real Import-car look. _________________
1994 Black JZS147 Aristo - RIP. Went swimming
New 1992 Aristo Project
Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 147 Location: Forbes NSW Australia
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:55 am Post subject:
Yes, I've had the "Oooh - you own the Lexus" treatment. I just replied "Yeah, how much did you pay for the new Statesman" (would you like a race - under my breath )
No shame having a Toyota badge - but the car is more suited to the L.
It's not a Lexus, the Lexus GS300 never came out with the 2JZGTE.
It's a Toyota through and through.
I've never had the feeling that I needed to even compare it to a Lexus, when quizzed I explain it as a very stylish four door with the heart of a Supra......that's how I see it.
Aristo with Lexus badges = SS ute with Chev badges...... _________________
"Everything is always okay in the end, if it's not okay, then it's not the end"
Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 283 Location: Cambridge - England
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:52 am Post subject:
It's a Toyota, it was never designed to be for sale outside of Japan, launched 2 years before the GS and 2 years before the 2JZ found it's more famous home.
The L badge was only invented to sell luxury Toyotas to the fat stupid Americans (no offence meant to any fat stupid Americans)
That's my .02 of the queens finest pounds _________________
The GS300 (jzs147 model) came out with the GTE in USA didnt it?
Its the same as people having soarers in Aust and putting lexus badges on it... they came here as toyotas from Japan(with the expection of maybe?? a few real lexus')... and USA got them sold there locally as Lexus'...
But meh - each to their own..
I want custom badges made up so it hasnt got toyota or lexus...
but that i have to wait on... (or the badges from lextacy with the X)
When i went to get a quote to get my car tinted - as soon as we walked around the corner and the guy saw it - he's like - 'what's that? some sort of lexus'?
I said No, well yes sort of - but its a Toyota Aristo, import from Japan, or they are the GS300's in USA...
When people ask what an Aristo is.. i just said - umm ok its sorta like a Supra with 4 doors, twin turbo 2j engine like the Supra... but this is a luxo supra! .. i find that the eaisest way to explain it!
Or they're just totally too confused to even ask any more questions about what it is! haha! _________________
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:18 am Post subject:
Just say its Lexus and take all the glory lol.
But nah i usually just say you probably havent hear of it but its an Aristo which has a Supra motor but luxury.
then the typical response is "i havent heard of that one"
then i go "Yeh its an import from Japan and was also sold as a Lexus in America"
I havent even got my car yet. This wait is insane by the way.
Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 283 Location: Cambridge - England
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:24 am Post subject:
skeez wrote:
Just say its Lexus and take all the glory lol.
But nah i usually just say you probably havent hear of it but its an Aristo which has a Supra motor but luxury.
The Supra has an Aristo motor
It is a tricky one, even though I'm a purist, when I say Aristo and the face is blank, I just go "import Lexus" _________________
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:26 am Post subject:
depends what type of conversation you want to have i spose.
If you are at some school reunion and you are all crapping on on whos life is better then thats when you need to pull the Lexus card.
It was built as a Lexus model. The ONLY reason it was sold as a Toyota is because ALL Lexii sold in Japan until 2005, coz the Japs thought that Toyota had a better name.
That's all changed now, so a new Aristo is now a GS300 / 430.
So its just marketing really. However, technically it is a Toyota. Mine came with Lexus badges all round, I'm not going to the trouble of removing them. When people call it a Lexus, I don't correct them. But if people ask what I drive, I say a Toyota Aristo.
Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 4010 Location: Perth, WA
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:13 pm Post subject:
What's incorrect about what Daniel said?
The entire lexus range from toyota was designed as it is, but not badged lexus in japan due to the strong name that toyota had there.. they've gone back and made the new "aristo" as a GS now.
What's the difference hey, it's exactly the same car. Saying no lexus gs300 ever came out with the 2jzgte engine is BS. The ones in japan did. It's the exact same car, with different option packages in each country. Just cos the GTE was only ever offered in the motherland doesn't make it a different car.
As i said, it's the same car, just has different connotations applied to the different names it was released as in different countries.
If you guys are too humble or modest to admit you drive a Lexus, you should be driving something else. _________________
1994 Black JZS147 Aristo - RIP. Went swimming
New 1992 Aristo Project
where the holden guys pull out the chev bow tie is from the origin of the engine. unfortunately holdens do not have an aussie engine anymore, buick and chev. however i am yet to see a v6 commy with a buick badge on it??? its good to see peoples spin on things.
Who said they dont admit to drive a lexus?
I dont really care honestly..
i just prefer toyota - everyone is going to lexus badges - so i went back to toyota.. because really it was sold as a toyota, i got it from Japan, not USA
when people ask to explain what it is - i mention lexus too..
i said they're basically the same car....
each to their own...
i think you all should badge them as lexus' :p so mines the only toyota! _________________
All times are GMT + 10 Hours Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4Next
Page 1 of 4
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum