Wiliiams to use Toyota power in 2007 but not as a customer? How does it work?

[Logrence]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

I see your point, but consider PSA.

Frankly I don't understand that company at all - it kind of fits that seeing as they build the same cars with different bodies that they compete against each other in the same championships.

[WebberForWDC]

Some of you are saying that Toyota beating Lexus is bad YET thousands of people have hardly traded in their "second-rate" Ferrari 360s for "first-class" Renault Lagunas have they? That Toyota & Lexus come from the same company is TOTALLY IRRELEVANT...

And OI! MASERTI verus Ferrari in the GT1 (top non-prototype class) at FIA GT series... and Maserti is a monster and wins! Does that mean that Ferrari are idiots from making a super-Enzo based Maserti, to compete with and beat the 550s made by other people and even their own new in-house 575 GTC which is a hopeless car.

[DKGandBH]

I don't care what the production car ramifications are...
I just want more cars on the F1 Grid !

DKGandBH

[Valve Bounce]

Me too!!

[mac]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Why then would Steven and Marjory Punter buy a Lexus - if the image the racing programme gives is that it's comparable with a (cheaper) Toyota?

Same question can be thrown at BMW and Merc buyers who see their F1 equivalent getting whooped by Renaults.

Lexus, Merc and BMW all clearly have advantages (luxury, refinement, finish, driving prowess) to the Punters over Toyotas and Renaults.

The thing is TMC believes Lexus and Toyota do not compete against each other, so its a non-issue.

Go and ask the Punters who owns Lexus - the majority of people on the street would have no idea.

The issue is not so much that they are both comparable - more that they are both competitive. If that is the case it will work splendidly - particularly if Lexus is battling with Merc and BMW.

[Valve Bounce]

Originally Posted by mac

Same question can be thrown at BMW and Merc buyers who see their F1 equivalent getting whooped by Renaults.

Lexus, Merc and BMW all clearly have advantages (luxury, refinement, finish, driving prowess) to the Punters over Toyotas and Renaults.

The thing is TMC believes Lexus and Toyota do not compete against each other, so its a non-issue.

Go and ask the Punters who owns Lexus - the majority of people on the street would have no idea.

The issue is not so much that they are both comparable - more that they are both competitive. If that is the case it will work splendidly - particularly if Lexus is battling with Merc and BMW.

I don't know about Steve and Marjory Punter, but the super rich guys in Hong Kong sure would if Lexus started to win races. And they'd want the most expensive and most powerful model of the luxury sports car.

[Gt_R]

i find it amusing why some cant recognise the advantages for Toyota for putting Lexus on F1.

Williams is a huge team, with good resources. It gives Lexus a good base to start as an engine supplier, at a very very small cost. Afterall, Toyota isn't spending more money to develop a new Lexus engine. The cost is mere developing more units of the same engine. And what the result is? Give Lexus a huge marketting platform. By perhaps increasing their cost by 5%, it doubles Toyota Group's exposure, and also a greater chance of success.

Furthermore, the feedback and testing of Toyota engines would be far greater. Is Jordan-Toyota going to ever succeed? Not by any stretch of imagination.

If Williams-Lexus wins, Toyota wins.
If Toyota wins, Toyota wins.

And more importantly, Lexus would get a huge boost in American market, exactly what Lexus wants to achieve. A platform that Ford left, GM isn't in, Acura is not known, Infiniti has no place for.

Williams-Lexus has as much potential at success as Mclaren Mercedes. This isn't Sauber running Ferrari engines...and destined in the mid-pack due to inability to develop a world-class car.

The fact that the two competes in the same category didn't matter. The target audience is different. F1 is much of a image building exercise, and mere entry is already a plus point. Look at BMW, or Mercedes, or Toyota. Since 2000, none won any WDC/WCC. Yet it gives them a special platform to project their product. Adding Lexus to the game would do the same for Lexus, with negligible additional material cost

[NO1SPECIAL]

yes i think i agree...

i couldn't see much point in williams-toyota, but i think williams-lexus is a goer.

BTW, it may explain why SFW approached toyota japan, not germany.