Just for fun:

Lexus LS = Toyota Celsior
Lexus IS = Toyota Altezza
Lexus ES = Toyota Windom, ie a Camry in drag
Lexus SC = Toyota Soarer
Lexus GS = Toyota Aristo
Lexus RX = Toyota Harrier, ie a jacked up Camry in drag
Lexus LX = Toyota Land Cruiser
Lexus GX = Toyota Sequoia

"It is common knowledge to mechanics that all lexus (Lexi?) are toyotas (that is absolutely true - as of yet, there are NO lexus only platforms, some are mixed or stretched versions of toyotas...but no dedicated lexus platforms)"

Interestingly enough, this can be argued, as Lexus is simply a brand name for Toyota engineered products. What Toyota has accomplished, in large part, is the synergy that GM, Fiat, DaimlerChrysler, and other mainstream/luxury marques are looking for. Take the case of the ES300/Windom/Camry: the Camry benefits from a platform that is engineered for luxury applications, while the ES300/Windom benefit from the shared parts and rationalities of scale of worldwide Camry production numbers.

"Audi and VW is different only in that it depends on where you buy your Audi. US market Audi's are ALL VW's. European Audi's are mostly independent."

Um, no they aren't. If anything, Audis in Europe suffer even more from their shared lineage, because of the addition of two more brands, SEAT and Skoda, which share their platforms. SEAT is positioned laterally from VW, meant to be a sporty alternative to Alfa Romeo, while Skoda is a downmarket brand meant to offer cut-rate products for the caviar taste/peanut butter budget masses.

"GTO looks just like a Gran Prix, which they astoundingly managed to make even UGLIER."

The GTO is actually an Australian market car called the Holden Monaro, which, with a revised grille and taillights, magically became the GTO. It looked that way years before anyone thought of slapping a Pontiac badge on it.

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Re: Subaru/Saab/GM synergy.

Sometimes, it works. The Pontiac Solstice will make it to production largely because of the shared parts that could be pulled from the GM parts bin. This includes, interestingly enough, Subaru components in tactile-critical areas, such as the steering. The Solstice, which will likely be joined by Chevrolet and Saturn platform mates, will probably be a better car for it. That such an interesting car could be built for a $20,000 sticker, and that it will use proven components, just makes being an enthusiast that much more fun.

The payoff to Subaru in all of this is largely an economy of scale. Think of all the bits and pieces of a car that you never see, think about, or care about. I work in this field (NOT Schuck's!), and I can tell you that there are a ton of parts that you couldn't give rat's ass about that cost big time money, because the tooling for them costs money, regardless of how many or how few you need. Things even as insignificant as water tubes for the heads, or baffle plates, or tensioner springs all cost money. Switches, light lenses, door handle mechanisms, etc. all add cost to a car, and if you can get those parts from a vendor that makes them on the order of millions rather then thousands, then you're way ahead of the game. Consider that Delco has patented a door stamping and assembly process that cuts the cost of making a single door by 60%. All of these parts are non critical, and yet, now Subaru has access to this technology. It may not be exciting to you or me, but component cost is one of the larger factors that determines the profitability, and hence the long term survival of a company.

As far as things like the rebadged Forester go, that's how the world works. You'd be surprised how many premium products go rebadged in other markets. As bad as it may stick in the craw, it's pretty much necessary. Subaru never had the resources necessary to set up dealer and support networks in many countries, and rebadging their products and selling them with a known name and with an established infrastructure will likely work out to a long term benefit. Case in point: Mitusbishi didn't have a dealer network when they entered the US market. For a period of time, they had to rebadge their cars as Chrysler products, until they had the market penetration and brand equity to launch their own dealer network.

The Saabaru was necessary for Saab, just as the relatively wretched ES250 was for Lexus. Premium marques these days need an entry level product. Saab doesn't have the resources to do one on their own, and there wasn't anything else in the GM family that would have provided a better alternative. As it stands, it's a stopgap, just as the ES250 was. The next product development cycle will still share a platform, but platforms today are much different then the bad old days when a Cimarron was merely a Cavalier with a different grille.

Keep in mind this too: How many people do you think spent $80,000 on a Lotus Esprit and were depressed that it had Toyota taillights? How many people do you think returned their $250,000 Aston Martin Virages because they had VW Scirroco taillights? How many people do you think don't like their new Jaguar XJ8s because they have a Ford HVAC system? Do you think Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren hate their McLaren F1's because the taillights are made for a commercial duty container truck sold in Germany? Parts sharing is nothing new. The trick is transparent parts sharing. "Saavy" enthusiasts may bemoan the presence of Ford power window switches in an Aston Martin DB9, but I can pretty much guarantee you no one that writes a check for one will much care.