Mark Templin Wants To Set New Lexus Record

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Toyota has a “good chance” of selling a record number of luxury Lexus vehicles this year, Mark Templin, executive vice president of Lexus International, told Reuters. With a weaker yen, those mostly made-in-Japan cars might actually turn a profit.

Lexus makes more than 80 percent of its vehicles in Japan, and then exports nearly 90 percent of these cars. Toyota sold a record 518,200 Lexus vehicles worldwide in 2007, and Mark Templin wants to beat that.

Meanwhile in China, Lexus will hold-off shifting any production there despite rivals’ drive for bigger slices of its fast-growing premium segment, Templin told the Wall Street Journal.

Lexus was the top selling luxury brand in the United States until 2011, when a huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan affected production. Lexus already dropped off the Radar screen of Bloomberg, which made it its mission to track who sells the mostest “luxury” cars.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Ed Berry Ed Berry on May 31, 2013

    At least owning a Lexus is not the sleepless-nights-of-worry experience that owning a Mercedes and in particular a BMW can been at times. Who would dare own a 7-series once is out of warranty? I would not. I confess I want a Lexus, even if those I have driven have been more Toyotaish than I had expected and no match for the Germans in design and handling and personality, regardless of what Lexus advertising might claim. A Lexus is a Toyota with bigger engine, nicer interior and better sound dampening. Give me one.

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    • Bd2 Bd2 on Jun 01, 2013

      @onyxtape Even with the launch of the Lexus brand in Japan, the GS (and to a lesser extent, the IS) still has its equivalent with the Toyota Crown Series (with the Crown Majesta actually being seen as an LS460 competitor) - and with the Toyota flagship being the Toyota Century and not the LS460, the whole Toyota DNA distinguishing thing becomes rather meaningless. And while Lexus may be again growing in sales, at least in the US, sales of the higher end GS and LS sedans are way down from their height with the Camry/Avalon based ES and RX taking an ever increasing share of Lexus sales.

  • Waftable Torque Waftable Torque on May 31, 2013

    This is what's holding Lexus back, IMHO. 1) No sub-8 minute SUV on The 'Ring. Serious lack of credibility. 2) The brand hasn't gone through bankruptcy or liquidation, like the big players Audi, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Rolls Royce, etc. etc. That is a deep list with pedigree and providence. Mr. Toyoda, you now know what your mission in life is...drive Lexus into the ground to save it. 3) You want volume? Take a Toyota and rebadge it into a Lexus. Not re-engineer it, add sound proofing, or upgrade the interiors, but really just rebadge all of your Toyotas into a Lexus. You'll gain 8 million sales, beating all of the Germans at once! Cadillac did it, and they were number one in sales for decades! The profits will help offset the lawsuits from your formerly loyal Toyota dealers. 4) Lexus is behind in the Chinese market. Something about Nanking, islands, or something deep in their long collective memories. Except a self-created famine or corruption, they've never experienced that ever. The best way to get volume is to take over a weak Korean make and push their uncompetitive products as a Lexus. If you need help, ask GM China about Buick's secret sauce. Don't everyone thank me. Mr. Templin, I want my LS600hL in Mary Kay pink please. You don't do that? Porsche can, tsk tsk.

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