East Asia

According to the Business Times, Singapore’s allocation of 2 Lexus LFA supercars has been “sold at speed of light” - being spoken for even before the price was announced. Lexus Borneo Singapore received deposits of SGD$80,000 shortly after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays from two undisclosed customers. The LFA’s price in Singapore has since been announced as SGD$1.25 million, which is approximately equivalent to US$893,300.  With sixteen prospective customers expressing interest, Lexus executives in Singapore hope to increase their country’s allocation of the Japanese supercar.

Who are the lucky future LFA owners?  Lexus’ Singapore head William Choo would not disclose their names, but did reveal the following: both are “very successful businessmen but very unassuming”, “run their own companies”, are in their 60s, and “are very low profile and do not want to be identified.”  Other details: one is a longtime owner of Lexus LS sedans, the other has had multiple Lexus vehicles, and both own Porsche and Ferrari models.

[Source: Asia One Motoring]

Prepare yourself for what may be the greatest Lexus garage setup ever:

Classic.

The only thing, the car selection’s a little dated—I think my four-Lexus rotating garage would comprise of: LFA, GS 450h, LS 460 AWD & a GX 460 for the wife. How about you?

Yesterday it was Lexus creating art, and today it’s Lexus mimicking art — created by Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, these print ads depict some of the world’s most famous painting using Lexus parts (click for larger versions):

If possible, I would have that Warhol inspired print blown up huge to hang it in my office. (Any guess what the flowers are in the Van Gogh? Head lights?)

[Source: Best Ads on TV via Animal]

Lexus has opened their first dealership in the Philippines, and it’s a exceptionally beautiful facility built in Manila at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig:

It was designed a collaboration between Japanese firm Nomura Co. Filipino architectural firm Recio + Casas. I’m absolutely floored, it’s gorgeous.

Lexus will be offering five models to start (six including the LS 460L), and they won’t be cheap. Here’s a full breakdown from Club Lexus:

(I suppose it won’t take long to recoup the cost of the building with this sort of markup. TPP commenter Pond brings up a good point, chances are the astronomic markup is the result of government taxes and tariffs, not the dealership.)

And lastly, during the opening of the facility, Akira Okabe, senior managing director of Toyota Motor Corp. and head of the Asia, Oceania and Middle East Operations Group gave some idea of how Lexus will develop the brand in the region:

Okabe said the era of mass production and mass consumption that characterized the huge US market is no longer the dominant strategy. He said Toyota is instead pursuing a strategy of “parallel operations,” with one based on the market in developed countries and another based on markets in the developing countries. 

“We need new technology which is very different from what is for the West,” Okabe told The STAR. “The focus used to be the US and Japan. We make cars for that market and then just bring them over to Asia. But now we must develop (cars) in Asia, by Asians for Asia,” he stressed.

[Photos: Lexus Source: Philstar]

Update: David from Lexus has posted up the contact information for their dealership while their website is being fixed:

Lexus Manila Inc.
3402 8th Avenue corner 34th Stret
North Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City 1634
Metro Manila, Philippines
Trunkline : (+63-2) 856-5050

To promote the launch of their Crystallized collection in Taiwan, Swarovski partnered up with Lexus and designer Zheng Zhiren to create this one-of-a-kind crystal SC430:

All told, there’s over 300,000 Swarovski crystals covering the SC, pushing its total value up to NT 10,000,000 ($306,045USD). Now that’s a lot of bedazzle!

[Source: YAM | Via: Born Rich]

According to The Manila Standard, Lexus will begin sale in the Philippines starting in January 2009:

Alfred Ty, son of the business tycoon George Ty, told reporters the company is set on October to break ground for the only Lexus showroom in country within the Metrobank’s property in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig.

The Lexus showroom will rise on a 4,500-square meter property. It will house the brand’s internal offices, stockyard and service center.

Ty said the company was prepared to import the full line of Lexus models in the country, namely LS 460 full-size luxury sedan, GS 460 midsize luxury sports sedan, IS 350 compact premium sedan and LX 570 sports utility vehicle.

Prices of the models range from P4 million to P8 million each, or approximately the same cost as a high-end residential condominium in Makati or Fort Bonifacio.

Strangely, I found this article from the Manila Times claiming that the groundbreaking ceremony was held back in December 2007, so it’s a little unclear just where development stands. Regardless, both articles claim the dealership will open in January 2009.