My internet research suggests that Technics marketing is confusing, as per usual with this product. The 1200GAE was the first of the Grand Class turntables to come to market. It has all the bells and whistles and was supposedly "limited edition". Complainers said it was too expensive for a turntable that "looks just like" a 1990s vintage SL1200. It may look like an SL1200, but it is better in every conceivable way, most importantly in that it has a coreless motor. Then there is the 1200G; I have no idea what are the differences between a GAE and a G, but I think the differences are relatively minor, perhaps related to chassis rigidity. Last, we now have the 1200GR, which is a physically lighter weight version of the G and supposedly costs less. Perhaps you are thinking of the GR as being "fairly new". Make no mistake, I think these are all great products, probably a lot better than many would care to admit. I would wager that a GAE or a G could kick butt of anything else on the market at up to $10,000 retail, and maybe beyond. (I don’t own one.)
GAE or G would be superior to the Luxman you mention by quite a bit, in my opinion. Possibly this is true of the GR model, also.