They are talking about a new design philosophy at Lexus these days, and the first car that is said to express it, is making its Irish debut. It's actually the third generation GS, the model that's one rung down from the flagship LS but still bristles with all the accoutrements of a luxury saloon. Irish sales are projected at over 200 for a full year - a 100 per cent increase on previous GS sales levels.
The tough job of winning converts will apparently be accomplished through a much enhanced specification: the GS 300 Executive, which will be the volume seller at €70,460, comes with over €10,000 more equipment, yet is only €410 up on the current model.
Extra goodies include a smart keyless entry system, automatic boot closing, air conditioned front seats, Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phones, parking assist sensors that are steering guided and a rear electric sunshade.
The line-up also includes the 300 base model at €64,360, the 300 Sport at €77,995 and the GS 430 with the same power train as the flagship LS at €97,040. But it's the €70,460 tag that is expected to do the business, given that there's similar pricing to key higher range Mercedes-Benz E-class and BMW 5-series models.
"We don't think any competition come near us in terms of the lavish specification we offer," remarked Mark Teevan, the Lexus Ireland managing director.
Aside from all the extra luxury bits, the new GS 300 gets more power and the new 3.0 litre 249bhp direct injection V6 petrol engine has output upped by 13 per cent against the current model.
Fuel economy, according to Lexus, is better by 14 per cent. Despite being only marginally longer, by 20mm, there's a 50mm longer wheelbase with short front and rear overhangs. The car sits on an all-new platform with a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension set-up.
What, then, of the new design philosophy? In spite of a profile that has a more steeply raked windscreen allied to the lowering of both the bonnet and overall height, the new GS still manages a strong styling relationship with its predecessor. At the international press launch last week in France, most journalists felt it was not profoundly different, certainly not radical. The rear end looks more stylish and endearing, the front end less so.
Lexus people, especially chief engineer Shigetoshi Miyoshi, are enthusiastic about the new GS 300 shape and the thought that has gone into it. "We work with a five-senses appeal - touch, taste, smell, sight and sound," he told us. "Like good cooks, we select only the finest ingredients before combining them. The finished dish must look every bit as good as it tastes."
The "finished dish" on the road comes with the sort of sepulchral silence we have long associated with Lexus. On the French autoroute it moved swiftly and with effortless poise. Even extraneous traffic noises were hushed out.
On twisty, back roads, it could be reassuringly hustled through the corners. It may not have the aura of aggressive BMW performance about it, but the GS 300 is no slouch - its 0-100kp/h time is 7.2 seconds and top speed is 240km/h (nearly 149mph). Fuel consumption is claimed to be 9.8 litres per 100km in the combined cycle.
Euro NCAP has just given it the best-in-class five star rating for adult occupant protection with 35 points. It achieved the maximum score for side impact and 15 out of 16 points for frontal impact. Ten airbags are fitted including knee airbags, designed to deploy from the lower part of the instrument panel.
Lexus here is still a small player in the luxury and prestige sectors, reflecting a situation that also pertains in other European markets. But times could be changing. Aside from the GS300 which Lexus predicts will double sales next year, eight new products are scheduled for launching over the next 24 months.
Here in Ireland, two other Lexus debuts are the high performance RX 400h hybrid in late May and the "junior" Lexus saloon, the IS200 which significantly will also feature a diesel option. Complementing the product expansion is an increase in the dealership network to nine, all with separate and dedicated showrooms.
In the first three months of this year, 240 new Lexus cars were registered, a far cry from the 2,738 of Mercedes and the 2,671 of BMW. "We have ambitious growing plans and we are doubling our marketing spend in 2005," added a confident Mark Teevan.