On the top discussed above, in the UK people buy good cars.
It's like they actually listen to the advice in Magazines, on TV and so on, since its rare you see a "bad" car.
The VW Phaeton is a bad car. Hence why the Audi A8, which is a much better car, but simular in size, performance, even styling (minus that stupid grill) sells much more.
VW isn't a bad brand, they make some of the better built cars in the UK market, compare it to, for example, a VW Passat to a Peugot 407, for example and you'll see what I mean.
The majority of larger, more executive class cars now, in the UK at least, are company cars, so the person who is running it, by that I mean the person who uses it day to day, will check reviews for cars, since they have to use it for a given period, and they don't want to have a car which is (possibly) bad, hence why most company cars are BMWs, Audi's, Mercedes and VW, although plenty are other brands (I'm just talking in broad strokes here).
In the UK, Lexus is, although "part" of Toyota (i.e, A dealership near my dads house has a "Toyota" garage, and a "Lexus" garage across the road) , they're very much regarded as different makes. Lexus (whatever the plural is, I'll say "Lexii") make very much more "upmarket" cars than Toyota.
I think, if I remember the most "upmarket" car Toyota make is the Avensis, in the UK. (Open to corrections, haven't checked much recently)
Lexus has a simular car, in terms of the class size, the Lexus IS250/220d, which are more Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series class of car, rather than the Avensis which is more Honda Accord, Vauxhall Vectra, Peugot 407 class.
It's not the thing I've attached is it? I haven't got the foggiest what it's called, its just the only thing that looks like it could be from your pic, using the clue you gave. So basically Google coughed up 50 pages of **** all.
The VW Phaeton is not a bad car, the Phaeton can crack 200mph the Audi A8 cannot, the Phaeton has W12 engine option, the Audi A8 does not. Volkswagen are offering a difference with the Phaeton, and for the price of it? It's worth every-penny.
Who actually does 200mph? Does a car being ABLE to do 200mph make is a good car? I think not... in the uk its.. Potholed roads, sleeping policemen and speedcameras [to quote James May]
I don't don't care about outright speed. I'd take comfort over outright performance any day of the week..
You can't even get 100mph most of the time..
The A8 is
a) Built better
b) looks nicer
c) stops faster
d) Performs simularly [Take the A8 W12 and delimit it, it'll be very close if not over 200mph
e) much more comfortable
f) retains more money (depreciates less)
And to my knowledge, all audi / vw share is basic floorplans, i.e the old Golf Audi A3 (I think) Now, they are completly seperate entities.. they share Diesel engines IIRC but thats about it now.