Middle East

Couldn’t help but notice how great the Starfire Pearl Lexus GX 460 looks in these photos that were part of a (uniquely written) review in The Gulf News:

While I’m partial to Starfire Pearl on almost every vehicle in the lineup, it really gives the GX some extra definition, especially in the side profile. Don’t even mind that front air intake as much, which surprises me since it’s much more pronounced with the contrasting white.

(The GX is now available in the Middle East for the first time, where it joins its close cousin, the Toyota Prado.)

[Source: The Gulf News]

Huge fan of this Lexus commercial from the Middle East:

Reminds me of the classic LS launch commercial—though obviously for a different part of the world. Love this type of lifestyle commercials when they’re done right.

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.

(Thanks Fhaad!)

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While on the topic of the Lexus LS in the Middle East, check out this absolutely insane video (DO NOT TRY THIS):

It was announced last week that a 24k gold-leaf Lexus LX 570 would be displayed at the Dubai Auto Show—and now the first images have arrived by way of Flickr user AlBargan:

Be sure to check out AlBargan’s photo gallery for larger images of the LX and plenty more from the Dubai Auto Show.

Surprised to saythe matte & muted look of the gold leaf looks pretty good—although the LX will be covered with a veneer once the gold leaf application is complete, and that’s likely to change the look. I certainly hope it stays in that black & gold two-tone.

[Source: AlBargan’s Photostream]

Al-Futtaim Motors, the company that distributes Lexus in the United Arab Emirates, has announced that they will be applying 40,000 gold leaves to a Lexus LX 570 as part of their display at the Dubai International Motor Show this week:

At the end of the process, the vehicle will be finished off with varnish before being sold, making it the first commercial 24-carat gold car in the UAE. The transformation will be completed by four craftsmen from French company Goldemotion, which works on conservation projects at the Louvre in Paris and other sites in France.

If I hadn’t already seen a gold LX from the UAE (pictured above), I might be more surprised—though I don’t believe that was actual gold. Not exactly Lexus-subtle, in any case.

Looking forward to seeing some photos from the auto show at the very least.

[Source: The Independent]

Turns out that I missed a set of next-generation Toyota Prado/Lexus GX spy shots:

Ignoring the stunningly bad decal, the side profile is clean and well sculpted. The exaggerated wheel-well continues to impress me, especially in the front fenders, but the front and rear portions of the SUV will need significant reworking before being released as the Lexus GX.

(Also note that while these spy shots show a swing-gate rear door with a capped spare, the Lexus GX will almost certainly have the two-piece lift-gate from the earlier spy shots.)

[Source: Autoblog]