January 2010 | Lexus Enthusiast

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Inside Lexus Hybrid Drive

Note: The following interview with Lexus Hybrid Drive chief Shinichi Abe was written by Doug Knox for Lexus Magazine, and is reprinted with permission. WHEN THE LEXUS Hybrid Drive project first received the green light in the early 2000s, Shinichi Abe, the man about to inherit the biggest thing at Lexus at the time, admits …

Kevin · January 31st, 2010

Lexus Mega Meet in Miami This Weekend

Looks like this is the week for Lexus enthusiasts in the Miami area—first there was the F-Sport event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Wednesday, and now this Sunday, the JM Lexus dealership will be hosting the Lexus/Supra Mega Meet, a massive Lexus gathering with hundreds of cars on display. View the Event Flyer or Visit …

Kevin · January 29th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event @ Homestead-Miami Speedway

Wednesday’s Lexus F-Sport Event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway has come and gone, but some of those lucky enough to attend have published their photos & videos from the track, including some beautiful LFA shots from Eric Ho: Be sure to check out his full gallery on Flickr—some very nice 1SC & 2GS photos from the …

Kevin · January 29th, 2010

Looking at the 2010 Lexus LS 600hL Instrument Panel

I really love the look of the new TFT instrument panel in the 2010 Lexus LS 600hL: There was also these images from yesterday’s L-Select LS 600hL photo gallery from Japan: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1543”} The IP’s central circle theme is a much cleaner approach than the traditional two dial display, and brings to mind the LFA’s …

Kevin · January 28th, 2010

Lexus LFA Roadster Rendering

Dutch website Autogespot has put together a photochop of a production Lexus LFA Roadster, merging elements of the final production car and the 2008 LFA roadster concept: How far of a stretch would it be to expect an LFA Roadster to follow the LFA coupe? It would certainly help to recoup the V10 engine development …

Kevin · January 28th, 2010

Lexus L-Select LS 600hL from Japan

Photos of the L-Select customization program offered by Lexus Japan have been hard to come by—that is, until I was sent the link to this absolutely massive LS 600hL gallery with one of the unique L-Select trims. Here’s just a small selection: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1539”} Just look at these detail shots: I’m not sold on the …

Kevin · January 27th, 2010

Lexus LF-Ch Survey Results

If you’re a regular TLE reader, you may remember the LF-Ch online survey that Lexus USA conducted last September—here are the final results: Very clearly, the front-end design is a hit with the 3,281 voters—more than half liked a combination of the front and front 3/4 angles. No surprises here—the LF-Ch is certainly sporty & …

Kevin · January 27th, 2010

Lexus RX 450h Long Term Review: Week 5

I’m now halfway through my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h— after six weeks, the interior controls and options has become second nature, and that familiarity has increased my appreciation of the design decisions throughout the cabin, particularly with the steering wheel layout.

Kevin · January 26th, 2010

Ode to the Lexus SC 430

Here’s a fantastic article on Automobiles De Luxe praising the Lexus SC 430 and its “clean beauty”—author Gunnar Heinrich manages to capture the very thing that made the sports convertible special, no matter what its critics may say. Read this story

Kevin · January 25th, 2010

Motorweek Reviews the Lexus GX 460

Motorweek has posted up their 2010 Lexus GX 460 video review: You can definitely see the effect of the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) on the handling—the lack of body roll is surprising given the speed in the corners—which is a nice counter-balance, bringing that expected Lexus luxury to the body-on-frame underpinnings. As a bonus, …

Kevin · January 25th, 2010

Lexus Taiwan Commercial: Perfect

Prepare yourself for what may be the greatest Lexus garage setup ever: Classic. The only thing, the car selection’s a little dated—I think my four-Lexus rotating garage would comprise of: LFA, GS 450h, LS 460 AWD & a GX 460 for the wife. How about you?

Kevin · January 24th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event in Miami This Week

Lexus is hosting an F-Sport event this Wednesday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida—if you’re in the area, get yourself some free tickets and take the the F-Sport IS, GS and the IS F around the track. Even better, one person from every session will be randomly selected to take a lap with Scott Pruett …

Kevin · January 24th, 2010

Japanese Launch of Lexus CT 200h in May?

Japanese newspaper Chunichi Shimbun is reporting that the new Lexus CT200h will be on sale in Japan starting in May, adding credibility to rumors of a LF-Ch production model debuting at the Geneva Auto Show in March. The newspaper also claims the new hybrid hatchback will be powered by same hybrid engine as the third-gen …

Kevin · January 22nd, 2010

Lexus & Ryan Leslie Team up for GX 460 Ad Campaign

Lexus USA will be launching a new advertising campaign for the 2010 GX 460 during next month’s BET Honors ceremony—the commercial will feature RNB artist Ryan Leslie and has a very cinematic vibe—here’s a sneak peek: Along with the teaser clip, Lexus has released a behind-the-scenes interview with Ryan, who looks to fit the role …

Kevin · January 22nd, 2010

More Lexus GS-F Rumors

Pistonheads has published some very interesting quotes from Lexus representatives at the Detroit Auto Show about possible applications of the LFA’s V10 engine: “It’s not a straightforward job, because although the V10 is very compact its dry sump design means you have to find space under the bonnet for the oil tank,” said one insider. …

Kevin · January 21st, 2010

Autospies Reviews the Lexus LS 460L AWD

Agent 00R of Autospies drove from New York City to the Detroit Auto Show in a 2010 Lexus LS 460 AWD, and has shared some observations on how the sedan handled the trip. Read this story

Kevin · January 21st, 2010

Lexus LFA @ The Detroit Auto Show

After a concentrated effort, I finally got through all of my Lexus LFA photos from the Detroit Auto Show—seeing the LFA for the first time was a funny experience. After all the hours writing about it, poring over photos, watching videos, there wasn’t much room for surprise—or so I thought. From a distance, the LFA …

Kevin · January 20th, 2010

Lexus SC 430 to End Production, Japanese Special Edition Revealed

Lexus has announced that the SC 430 will cease production in July, ending the nine-year run of the second generation sports coupe. To mark the occasion, Lexus Japan will be offering a special, limited edition dubbed The Eternal Jewel, which will bring an extreme level of customization to both the interior & exterior color choices, …

Kevin · January 20th, 2010

Production Lexus LF-Ch Spotted!

It’s been rumored that the production Lexus LF-Ch would see its debut at the Frankfurt Geneva Auto Show in March, and now Autoblog has the first spyshots that may very well prove the point: For comparison, here’s a similar photo of the LF-Ch concept: It looks like the aggressive wheel arch has been retained, though …

Kevin · January 19th, 2010

VIP Auto Salon Lexus HS 250h @ The Detroit Auto Show

The modified Lexus HS 250h at the Detroit Auto Show was the centerpiece of the entire Lexus exhibit. Put together by Clark Ishihara and VIP Auto Salon, the HSh is decked out in Branew—front under-spoiler, side skirts, rear under-spoiler, trunk spoiler, stainless steel muffler, and the 20” wheels all come from the Japanese tuning company. …

Kevin · January 18th, 2010

Lexus GX 460 Commercial: Action Hero

The U.S. launch commercial for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 is a riff on the Bat-signal: Hilarious that the mom is really driving her kids to a soccer lacrosse practice. Update: I received an email from none other than Kevin Tucker, photographer for Lacrosse Magazine, to let me know that I had made a mistake—the …

Kevin · January 17th, 2010

2010 Lexus GX 460 @ The Detroit Auto Show

The Detroit Auto Show was only my second time seeing the 2010 Lexus GX 460, and I came away just as impressed as the first time—it’s the side profile with the muscular wheel wells that makes the new GX so appealing: Now, I didn’t mind that the side-opening rear door was retained from the previous …

Kevin · January 17th, 2010

Lexus IS F CCS Concept @ Tokyo Auto Salon

Marking the end of a two year rumor, Lexus has debuted the IS F Circuit Club Sports (CCS) concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon—a lightweight IS F with loads of carbon fiber, including the roof, hood, trunk, ground effects—just look at this wild rear wing: Along with the carbon fiber weight savings and a new …

Kevin · January 17th, 2010

Lexus LF-Ch Fashion Shoot

Not content just to sit at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month, the Lexus LF-Ch took part in a fashion photoshoot at the Hollywood & Highland Center, resulting in some rather racy images—first off, here’s a quick video behind the scenes, which has the bonus of showing the LF-Ch in motion: The finished photos …

Kevin · January 15th, 2010

2010 Detroit Auto Show: Lexus LF-Ch Photos

The Lexus LF-Ch was a cornerstone of Lexus’ Detroit Auto Show exhibit, its yellow exterior a beacon among the silver of the other Lexus cars on display. The aggressiveness of the front end is cartoonish with its muscular styling and the cute car-face, but that’s nothing a new bumper wouldn’t fix. The exaggerated design boosts …

Kevin · January 15th, 2010

Detroit Auto Show: 2010 Lexus LS 600hL & LS 460 Photos

The 2010 editions of both the Lexus LS 600hL & LS 460 were at the Detroit Auto Show—the LS 460 was optioned with the Appearance package option that adds the LS Sport grille and ground effects: Really liked the Sport grille, it looks 100x better up close than in photos. The body kit didn’t look …

Kevin · January 14th, 2010

Lexus NAIAS Detroit Exhibit Photos

I’m now settled back at home after two days at NAIAS in Detroit, faced with the task of going through the 700 photos stored on my camera’s memory card. In a very real way, the auto show was overwhelming—I don’t know that I was prepared for the scope of it. Of course, getting to see …

Kevin · January 13th, 2010

NAIAS Live Coverage

This morning, the North American International Auto Show has opened its doors to the worldwide automotive press, including myself, and I will be bringing you a Lexus perspective to America’s autoshow. I will be updating throughout the day as I go over every square inch of the Lexus exhibit, including the LFA supercar & the …

Kevin · January 11th, 2010

Lexus @ NAIAS Detroit Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit opens its doors on Monday, and while Lexus won’t be debuting any new vehicles or concepts this year, they will be trying something new with their exhibit—from the press release: Gone is the previous two-story structure with sweeping staircase. This year, the exhibit has a “landscape” …

Kevin · January 8th, 2010

Poll Results: Favorite Lexus of the Past Decade

Last week, I asked you to vote for your favorite Lexus of the past decade—510 votes later, here are the results: Ranking 1. Lexus IS F 20% 2. Lexus 2nd Gen IS 16% 3. Lexus 4th Gen LS 13% The IS F received 1 of every 5 votes and took the poll with ease, not …

Kevin · January 7th, 2010

Lexus Milan Design Week Retrospective

When Lexus’ L-Finesse design language debuted in 2005, it also marked the first year of the the company’s involvement with the annual Milan Design Week in Italy—and now, Lexus Magazine has posted a retrospective of the various exhibits over the last five years. It was at the Milan Design Week last year that the transparent …

Kevin · January 6th, 2010

Lexus #1 Luxury Car Brand in USA for 10th Consecutive Year

All 2009 US car sales have been reported, and Lexus has secured the top spot among its competitors as the #1 luxury car brand in the USA for the 10th consecutive year, with 215,975 vehicles sold. The closest rival was BMW, who had pulled ahead of Lexus earlier in July but fell behind after a …

Kevin · January 6th, 2010

Lexus December 2009 Sales Report (Plus Year-End Numbers)

USA Lexus USA has reported their sales numbers for December, putting 2009 in the books: December Year to Date 2009 2008 % CHG 2009 2008 % CHG IS 4,153 3,539 9.0 38,077 49,432 -23.0 HS 1,980 0 N/A 6,699 0 N/A ES 6,531 5,236 15.8 48,485 64,135 -24.4 GS 1,063 1,200 -17.7 7,430 15,759 -52.9 …

Kevin · January 5th, 2010

Matte Red Lexus LX 570

Speaking of custom Lexus finishes, here’s a LX 570 from Russia done up in matte red.

Kevin · January 5th, 2010

2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Weeks 2 & 3

Travelled: 1077km (669 miles) Gas Mileage: 8.8l/100kms (26.7 mpg) The second and third week of my 2010 Lexus RX 450h road test blended in together as I powered through day after day of holiday visiting, a pile of snow and ice, and a lengthy head cold. It was in this blur of activity that I …

Kevin · January 4th, 2010

Chromed Lexus LS 460

The shiny foil is usually reserved for the Lexus LX, but someone in Kuwait went ahead and decided to give it a go with an LS 460: Chrome-wrapping is a disturbing trend, though there’s some solace in the fact that it’s unlikely to catch on in North America—too much potential for vandalism and public humiliation. …

Kevin · January 4th, 2010

Lexus LFA on Top Gear

Earlier today, the Lexus LFA made its Top Gear appearance—first off, you can watch The Stig’s lap around the track (likely on Youtube for a limited time only): The LFA, in wet track conditions, made it around the track in 1:22.3, which beat the Lamborghini Gallardo as the fastest wet lap on the show so …

Kevin · January 3rd, 2010

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