We’ve already taken a look at the RX & IS Art Works special editions released by Lexus Japan today, but I’ve saved the best for last — just take a look at this GS in Sunset interior:

Here’s some close-ups:

This color combo is really something else (reminds me of the LS Sport interior), tasteful but energetic — I can’t stop looking at this pic:

(Hopefully this interior mimics the infamous Passionate Black GS and makes its way over to North America.)

[Source: Lexus Japan]

There’s a big interview with Lexus’ head of global design, Simon Humphries, at Lexus Magazine that brings some major insight into the direction of the brand — I definitely recommend reading the full thing, but I want to focus on three quotes:

LEXUS: First of all, now that we know that the 2011 IS will have body changes, are there any big design updates coming for other 2011 models?

HUMPHRIES: At this point I can say only that there will also be a change in the front-end design of the GS, most likely arriving in 2012. Both the IS and future GS updates are dramatic changes—they’re much more distinctive, much more unique. In our minds, these aren’t complete black to white sort of changes, but they are an evolution.

This is about as close to a confirmation on the next-gen GS coming next year that we’ve had, though it’s curious that emphasis was placed specifically on the front-end redesign — must be quite dramatic.

The fact that the IS is also mentioned is confusing — the 2011 IS is an improvement, but not what I would classify as a dramatic change. Perhaps he’s referring to the next-generation IS as well.

Continue reading this article…

I remember posting this super-modified Lexus GS at some point, but something this wild deserves a second viewing:

Pretty sure that if I saw this in real life, my head would spontaneously explode — that is if the speakers didn’t do the job first.

Been going through a lot of old files lately, and I stumbled on this brilliant photo of a VIP’d Lexus LS & GS prowling the streets together:

This has to be one of my all-time favorite Lexus shots, I wish I knew who took the shot and where it came from. Has anyone seen it before?

Update: Special thanks to Wunko for correctly identifying this photo as a product shot for Fortissimo body kits — and for linking to a Club Lexus thread that has even more photos:

To introduce the second generation GS, Lexus played up a sinister theme to match what was then “the world’s fastest automatic sedan”:

After the modest success of the first GS, the second generation was a massive hit right from the start, with over 30,000 first year sales and a strong reception from the automotive press (including the 1998 Motor Trend Import Car of the Year award). The 2GS was a constant in the lineup for eight years, and built one of Lexus’ strongest enthusiast groups along the way. An exceptional car.

Lexus USA will be formally submitting their recall of approximately 138,000 Lexus vehicles next week with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall will apply to certain 2006, 2007 & 2008 GS, IS, and LS models equipped with 4.6 and 5.0L V8 and 3.5L V6 engines. Here’s the full breakdown:

• GS 350: 2007-2008
• GS 450h: 2007-2008
• GS 460: 2008
• IS 350: 2006-2008
• LS 460: 2007-2008
• LS 460 L: 2007-2008
• LS 600h L: 2008

The recall is due to the possibility of foreign material contaminating a small number of valve strings in the engine, which may cause abnormal engine noise or idling, and in extremely rare cases, the engine may stop while the vehicle is being used. However, Lexus estimates that “the likelihood of a customer vehicle experiencing this condition is two-tenths of one percent (0.2 %)”, and that no accidents or injuries have been reported due to this issue.

For some additional background information, I recommend this recent Autoblog article, which included this photo of the offending part:

Finally, some logistics for owners:

Lexus will send owners of the involved vehicles a recall notification via first class mail.  Owners are requested to contact their local Lexus dealer for diagnosis and repair after receiving their notification.  The repair will involve replacement of the engine’s valve springs at no charge.
 
Owners can continue to drive their vehicles. If symptoms are noticed, such as vibration, rough idling, unusual engine sounds or poor performance, the vehicle should be brought to a Lexus dealer for service.

[Source: Autoblog & Lexus]