Photos

A white Lexus LFA was spotted in the wealthy playground & supercar mecca, the principality of Monaco:

No details—perhaps the LFA is making a personal visit to Lexus Monaco’s showroom?  Taking some publicity shots?  Or being demonstrated for LS 600h L owner Prince Albert II?

[Source: GTSpirit.com and Flickr]

Autocar has published several additional studio photographs of the white Lexus CT 200h. Compared with computer-processed look of the first photos, these are different, and show the exterior lighting:

The forward shots showcase the CT 200h’s headlamp illumination, complete with LED strip accents similar to those introduced with the LS 460 refresh. These LED accents appear to continuously flow, although the frontal view contains hints of the dotted LED approach taken by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The frontal view is also taken from a higher vantage point than this earlier photo, with the angle giving the CT 200h a more IS-like frontal stance and revealing the upswept corners of its headlights. The aft view reveal the LS-inspired rear lights with partial illumination, featuring the familiar L-shaped design accents.

The same photos were posted by Autocar affiliate What Car?, with an accompanying article noting the CT 200h’s emissions credentials:

Lexus’s trump card could well end up being the CT’s impressively low figures for other emissions – particulates, which have been linked with respiratory diseases, and NOx, a contributor to acid rain and climate change.

During the car’s lifetime, the EU will introduce tough new regulations limiting the output of both, and diesels will be able to meet the targets only with expensive filters and chemical treatments. The CT is almost there already.

[Sources: Autocar & What Car?]

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]

At last week’s Toronto Auto Show, I had a chance to take some interior photos of the Lexus LF-Ch, and it was an amazing opportunity to get a close-up look at the handcrafted and one-of-a-kind concept car.

Before entering, I was asked not to touch anything—the interior is delicate and not built to be handled—even the door was opened for me. The steering and pedals are functional, but every other button and lever is purely speculative, meant to give off an impression. In fact, much of the labelling is done with rub-on lettering:

The driver’s seat had all the feeling of a wood box (which is likely what it’s made from), but every material is beautifully detailed, I loved the look of the fabric:

Sitting in the LF-Ch was a real fanboy moment for me, and my fifteen minutes inside went by in a flash. Here’s the full gallery:

While looking for a article photo earlier today, I stumbled across this image from Japanese Nostalgic Car:

I missed it the first time around, but the folks at Japanese Nostalgic Car managed to secure both the LFA and a 2000GT for a photoshoot after a chance meeting at last year’s SEMA:

Like everyone else at SEMA, we drooled over the LFA at its US debut. As we stood there with mouths agape, the Lexus rep saw us holding a copy of JNC and exclaimed, “Hey, I love this mag!” We weren’t about to let an endorsement like that go to waste! We wrangled a 2000GT/LFA photo shoot on the spot and a week later we were in Toyota’s top secret unmarked warehouse somewhere in Torrance.

Just awesome—as a huge James Bond fanatic, the 2000GT has long been one of my favorite sports cars. I would love to see more photos from this shoot.

[Source: Japanese Nostalgic Car]

I’ll be attending the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto today and will be bringing you coverage of the Lexus exhibit along with plenty of photos (as usual). My major focus will be taking interior photos—every single interior picture I snapped at the Detroit Auto Show didn’t turn out due to my insistence on using natural light, so I’ve finally given in and purchased a flash for my camera. Very excited to see the results.

One other point of interest is the AJAC awards, where the Lexus RX 450h will be competing against the Subaru Outback & Volkswagen Touareg TDI for the Canadian Sports Utility of the Year.

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