By 1991, with the LS 400 its top-selling model,[74] Lexus had overtaken Mercedes-Benz and BMW in overall U.S. sales,[75] and in 2000, the marque passed Cadillac as the luxury sales leader in the largest automotive market.[76] Rival manufacturers responded with lower prices and added features.[77] In particular, Mercedes-Benz reorganized its operations, shifting to a targeted-cost process similar to Lexus production methods,[78] and dropped competing U.S. base prices by nearly 10 percent.[79] To rival the LS 400,[80] extra features were rushed for the launch of the 1991 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W140),[78][81] causing budget overruns and costing the job of Daimler-Benz's chief engineer, Wolfgang Peter.[80] Approximately 5 percent of 1989 LS 400 sales went to buyers employed by rival manufacturers, including GM, Ford, and Chrysler.[74] When the LS 400 was disassembled for engineering analysis, Cadillac engineers concluded that the vehicle could not be built using existing GM methods.[82] Industry publications noted the LS 400's precise panel gaps, and the subject became a common evaluation standard in road tests.[80] The LS 430's interior noise level was later used by rival makes as a measure of cabin quietness.[83]