Concepts

As part of their article on the Lexus LF-Ch today, German newspaper BILD did a little photochopping and came up with a blue production rendering, with real side mirrors and some minor softening of the front-end—I can see the production model retaining a variation on the concept’s grille, but think the front bumper will be see significant reworking.

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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 & aggressive. Interesting is the more negative reactions, with only 10% of respondants thinking that the concept was either busy & bulky or bland & dull.

This points the way to the production LF-Ch’s success—if it can keep the aggressive stance while maintaining the sporty front-end design (headlight & front grille), there’s going to be plenty of interest.

My thinking is that the production interior is going to take a lot of design cues from the concept—voting was much more spread out than with the other questions.

With the release of production LF-Ch/CT 200h spy shots, I would say this last question has been answered by default. It would have been nice to see a regional breakdown of voters in order to gauge North American interest specifically, but with the concept’s current USA autoshow tour, I’d say the probability is quite high that the CT 200h will be a worldwide vehicle, and not just limited to Europe & Japan.

[Via: Club Lexus (Thanks Oranji!]

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 Toyota Prius, where it produces a modest combined 134hp. Too bad Google’s translation falls apart when it comes to price, claiming the CT 200h will start at ¥ 300 million ($3.3 million USD).

[Source: Chunichi Shimbun (translated)]

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 much of the rear bumper’s muscular look has been toned down, along with the taillights, which now look similar to the RX design. The super-detailed wheels have also been replaced with a more typical Lexus design.

This push toward practicality had to be expected—the LF-Ch concept did a great job at capturing the imagination, but it was far too complex for a production model. From what I can see, Lexus did exactly what was necessary with the rear design—it’s the front-end styling that’s going to be more pivotal.

[Source: Autoblog]

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 are entirely work-safe, but just in case, I’ve placed them after the jump.

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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 the concept car appeal though, and in that the LF-Ch succeeds wildly. It’s an eye-catcher, especially viewed from any 3/4 angle:

It was the wheels that really got me going—it’s as though they were made out of plastic the way the light bounced off them, as though you could see right through them:

This car is going to be a winner. Ignoring the obvious concept car elements—the darkened light fixtures, the mini mirrors, the over-the-top bumpers—and there’s a strong production car that hits all the right notes, at least from a design perspective. The engine options and the final interior design are still unknown, but the vehicle certainly fits well into the Lexus lineup, especially with the F-Sport accessory potential. Much more excited about the LF-Ch after seeing it live, and can’t wait for the production model.

Some photos for you to browse: