Auto News and Auto Parts

So you want more?

Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, will introduce a more fuel-efficient hybrid in 2008 to lure affluent buyers of models such as the popular Prius, the best-selling hybrid in America.

"There is a whole section of the population that wants something different, and that's high-efficiency," said Lexus General Manager Mark Templin in an interview at NAIAS. "It's a supplemental strategy to what we've done before."

"More than a third of the 181,221 Prius buyers last year had annual income of more than $100,000. Half of those people made over $150,000 a year and 24% of those people have a luxury car in their household fleet," he added. "We think there is part of the market that everybody is missing."

The automaker intends to unveil the hybrid-only model at the Detroit Auto Show next year. "The decision to go with a hybrid-only Lexus was supported by sales data on the Toyota Prius," Templin said. "In 2007, 62,000 Prius buyers, or about one-third of all Prius customers, had annual incomes of more than $100,000. We think there's an untapped segment of the market."

But Templin did not go into details regarding the upcoming hybrid.

"If I sell 1,000 more cars this year, I'd be happy," Templin said in an interview with Freep.com. "The Lexus IS F, a 416-horsepower V8 sedan due out soon, should attract driving enthusiasts but not necessarily large volumes."

The maker of Lexus radiator is absorbed in producing supercars. At this year's NAIAS, it is displaying the LF-A topless roadster equipped with a 5.0-liter V10 that generates 500-plus hp. "A coupe version of the LF-A has been tested at racetracks around the world," Templin added. "The response so far has been positive, but a decision has not been made on production."

But competition is expected to grow even hotter. Luxury rivals are expected to unveil their cutting-edge products. GM, this year, will offer a hybrid 2009 Cadillac Escalade SUV. The Detroit automaker said it may offer gasoline- electric versions across the Cadillac line, reported Bloomberg.

Other powerful rivals include Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 SUV hybrids. Mercedes-Benz is also working on a turbocharged hybrid S-Class sedan with a diesel engine in place of gasoline.

I was thinking of having a timely Mazda radiator buy and I wonder, should I be entertaining thoughts about replacing my car instead?