Lexus
Strategic Concepts & Mechanics
Primary Evidence
"One engineer recalled using the time on the flight to ask Musk his opinion on the suspension characteristics for the Model S, a subject they had been debating. Because Tesla was building their car from scratch, such questions were purely up to them. Was the car’s handling going to be sporty, like a BMW, or more giving, like a Lexus? Musk paused, looking directly at his engineer. “I’m going to sell a fuck load of cars, so whatever suspension you need so I can sell a fuck load of cars—that’s the suspension I want.”"
"In fact, Wang Chuanfu himself admitted: “I don’t understand cars at all.” But after deciding to switch to the automotive field, Wang Chuanfu decided to start with technology to become a real automotive technology expert. During that period, Wang Chuanfu's only luxury hobby was owning Mercedes and Lexus cars. But he liked to dismantle them frequently to see how their engines worked. Once, when Wang Chuanfu went to the United States, a friend picked him up in a Toyota car. To understand how the Toyota seats worked, Wang Chuanfu almost dismantled his friend’s Toyota."
"When Karl-Johan is introduced as the new CEO on February 11, 2009, he is indeed wearing a shirt and suit from H&M, but around his neck is a real class marker: a tie from the French top brand Hermès. And he drives nice cars. In Sweden, a gray Mercedes Benz GL 420 and a black Lexus RX400H. In London, where he lives in the fashionable Knightsbridge, he drives a Lexus."