2004 Lexus Sc 430 Automatic 2-door Convertible on 2040-cars

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Toyota fills in details about its future design direction and global platform

"In the future, out of 100 customers, we want to excite ten of them instead of not offending all 100."
Almost all of the details about the Toyota New Group Architecture (TNGA) strategy have come out since the initiative was first reported on in March of this year, but Autoblog did learn a few new things about it on a recent trip to Japan. Probably the second-most important detail is that each new segment platform will be based around a common hip point to create an "optimal driving position architecture."

Buyers resent low inventories, prices over MSRP, study says

Vehicle inventory low, vehicle transaction prices high, customers fretting … welcome, J.D. Power, to the era of supply and demand. In a recently published survey from one of the auto industryÂ’s top analytical firms, findings show that customers' satisfaction with vehicle purchases in the United States this year has dipped for the first time in 10 years. The 2022 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study found that overall sales satisfaction has dropped to 786 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 789 in 2021. In that year, higher than expected trade-in values softened the effect of new vehicle price increases. But in 2022, on top of trade-in prices shrinking, many dealers elected to charge more than the ManufacturerÂ’s Suggested Retail Price, a factor that did not sit well with buyers. “When dealers charge more than MSRP, particularly with long-term loyal customers, they risk a potential long-term negative effect on customer advocacy and service business," said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power. Satisfaction among buyers who paid more than sticker price is 757, while satisfaction among those who paid the sticker price or less is 850, the Power report said. The lack of dealership inventory was also a customer irritant, J.D. Power found, a point that automakers and their dealers may want to consider. Many have maintained, or considered maintaining, a smaller inventory in the wake of the pandemic, keeping costs down and driving more customers toward factory orders. Regarding those consumers shopping for electric vehicles, the survey said that more than a third of them “failed to get instruction on EV charging before they left the dealership, which notably affects satisfaction.” Said Sutton, “Salespeople donÂ’t need to show gas-powered vehicle buyers how to fill their tank, but they do need to show EV buyers how to charge their vehicle.” There are positives to the Power conclusions, however, especially for Alfa Romeo dealers. The Italian brand ranked highest in customer satisfaction among premium brands with a score of 833, with Porsche a very close second (831) and Lexus (819) third. Alfa is on something of a roll these days, with its compact Tonale crossover due for release in the spring, and a new sports car in the works. Meanwhile, in PowerÂ’s “mainstream brand”” segment, Buick ranked first with a score of 825, followed by Dodge (816) and Subaru (804), all performing higher than the industry average.

2021 Lexus RC F Fuji Speedway Edition debuts, but only 60 will be built

This generation of the Lexus RC (launched as a 2015 model) can’t be long for the world, but itÂ’s coming back around for the 2021 model year with some fresh new gear. The biggest news is the introduction of the RC F Fuji Speedway Edition. ItÂ’s limited to just 60 units and takes after the RC F Track Edition that debuted last year. Just like the Track Edition, the Fuji Speedway Edition adds Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust and has gone through an extensive weight savings program that includes a big dose of carbon fiber. The hood, roof, wing, front spoiler, rear-seat partition and bumper reinforcement are all made of carbon fiber. All these weight savings help the 0-60 mph time fall to 3.96 seconds, down from the 4.2 seconds of the standard RC F. YouÂ’ll be able to tell itÂ’s the Fuji Speedway Edition by its exterior paint and interior colors. It only comes in Arctic Blast Satin or Cloudburst Gray. Lexus provided one photo of the car in Arctic Blast Satin, but weÂ’re not getting the full effect here. ItÂ’s a new semi-matte paint finish thatÂ’s debuting on this special edition car. The satin finish is similar to the matte paints weÂ’ve seen on Lexus cars previously, but now itÂ’s durable enough to be run through automatic car washes without issue. When we drove the GS F 10th Anniversary Edition (equipped with LexusÂ’ previous generation matte paint) last year, Lexus specifically told us that it canÂ’t be run through a car wash. With this RC F, you can skip the hand wash if you donÂ’t feel like it. Every Fuji Speedway Edition car will also come with a Circuit Red leather interior and Alcantara accents. Red carbon fiber trim is added to make the interior feel even more special. As a final touch, Lexus is including a limited production MSTR watch with each car. It has Fuji Speedway and F logos, and also features red stitching on its band to match the interior. Lexus has given the standard RC F a couple worthwhile upgrades, too. Android Auto is now in the picture, joining Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa. Additionally, Lexus has made blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert standard, alongside heated exterior mirrors and a memory driverÂ’s seat. Lexus also made parking sensors part of the Premium Package. Pricing is not yet available, but expect the Fuji Speedway Edition to come in around the $97,675 base price of the Track Edition. It might be even more considering the special paint Lexus added this year, too. Related video: