April 2009 | Lexus Enthusiast

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Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 2: Blue Grille

Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Keeping with the theme of my first GS 450h wallpaper, this image features a blue badge—this time from the front of the car. This was one of the last photos I took, and one of my absolute favorites. Enjoy!

Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Manufacturing Details

In preparation of the release of the RX 450h, Lexus GB has published an amazingly thorough document that details the new manufacturing processes behind the upcoming hybrid SUV. Some highlights: The Kokura plant, where the RX is built, has installed a 3 meter-high mesh “waterfall” that has reduced airborne dust by 90%. The chain conveyor …

Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Music from Lexus Japan’s Aoyama Gallery

Last year, Lexus Japan opened the Lexus International Gallery Aoyama in Tokyo’s Aoyama area as a display space for introducing residents to the Lexus brand. This space has a unique feature—an immersive sound environment by Yamaha created especially to block out the surrounding city. To better illustrate this, here’s a video created by composer Masato …

Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 1: Blue Badging

One of the first things I did after completing my review of the Lexus IS 250 was buy myself a nice camera, a Canon Rebel XS to be exact, so that I could take better photos. As a result, I took over 1,100 photos of the GS 450h for my review, and ended up with …

Kevin · April 29th, 2009

2009 Lexus GS 450h Review

The first time I saw the third-generation Lexus GS, I didn’t like it one bit. Compared to the previous generation’s sharp, aggressive lines, the current GS seemed to lack any real visual punch. In particular, I really disliked the rear third of the car, and constantly referred to it as “frumpy” at any opportunity. At …

Kevin · April 28th, 2009

More Details on the Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior

After the discovery of the Lexus GS Passionate Black interior in North America, I was possessed to find out more details, so I arranged a quick email interview with Greg Thome, Lexus USA’s Communications Supervisor: TLE: Lexus Japan released the Passionate Black interior as a special edition last year, and now Lexus USA has started …

Kevin · April 28th, 2009

Car Middle East: Lexus LS 600hL vs. Mercedes S400 Hybrid

Car Middle East has published a quasi-comparison of the Lexus LS 600hL and the upcoming Mercedes S400 Hybrid, though it reads more like a hybrid primer: Whereas Mercedes’ mantra has been to make the S-class hybrid as green as possible, Lexus has taken a different approach with the LS600h. Here, performance is the number one …

Kevin · April 27th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Commercial from Japan

Let’s start off the week with this GS 450h commercial from Lexus Japan, brimming with the positive message “ON and GO!”: One thing I noticed is the alternative markings for the kW energy gauge: Japanese Energy Gauge North American Energy Gauge While the North American version is much more exact, the Japanese gauge gives more …

Kevin · April 27th, 2009

Crystallized Wind LFA @ Milan Design Week

Here’s a new image of the acrylic Lexus LFA, or Crystallized Wind, currently on display during Milan’s Design Week: Still impressed by the very idea of this transparent art piece, and would love to see it in person. For a couple more quick glimpses of the model, and a full Japanese interview with designer Sou …

Kevin · April 24th, 2009

Akio Toyoda Will Drive Lexus LFA in Nürburgring 24h Race

Akio Toyoda, incoming president of Toyota and grandson of the company’s founder, has been confirmed as one of the drivers in the upcoming 24h Nürburgring race: The grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda is one of four drivers on a Toyota team entering the May 21-24 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany, company spokesman Paul …

Kevin · April 24th, 2009

Lexus USA Announces RX 450h, IS 250C & IS 350C Pricing

The US pricing for the Lexus RX 450h, IS 250C & IS 350C was announced today, let’s break it down: The starting price for the Lexus 450h FWD is $41,660, which amounts to $420 less than the outgoing first-generation hybrid. The AWD version of the 450h will have a MSRP of $43,250, $230 less than …

Kevin · April 23rd, 2009

Lexus IS 250C Promotional Video

From Lexus Japan comes this new promotional video for the IS 250C: I know that the IS 250c is essentially killing two birds with one stone, as Lexus gets a new coupe and a new convertible in the lineup, but there’s some angles in this video that make me wish a coupe-only version was available. …

Kevin · April 23rd, 2009

Mine Magazine Launches

The New York Times has a good summary of the launch of Mine Magazine, the customized, print-on-demand venture put together by Time Warner & Lexus: Subscribers pick five of eight magazines, like Food & Wine or Sports Illustrated, and articles from those magazines appear in their custom magazines. Readers receive several issues with an article …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2009

Lexus Australia’s Unique RX Accessories

Just like the last generation, Lexus Australia is offering some unique accessories for the 2010 RX, including a bunch of roof racks, a nudge bar, side steps, mud flaps and some wild 19” wheels. Here are some closeups: Really, it’s almost comical to see an RX done up in this fashion, but some of these …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2009

New Lexus HS 250h Videos

Lexus has published some new HS 250h videos: These videos give a better insight into just how important the ecological aspect was in the design and production of the HS—I’d say it’s the very definition of the vehicle, right down to how it looks. Speaking of which, take a look at this new photo of …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Lexus LFA to Compete in Nürburgring 24h Race

For the second year in a row, the Lexus LFA will be taking part in the 24h Nürburgring Race, the full-day endurance race to take as many laps ‘round The Ring as possible: Based on a prototype of the LF-A being developed with an eye toward commercial release, the race vehicle, entering the Nürburg event …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Rumormill: The Lexus IS-F Evo Strikes Again

JDM blog 7tune has pushed out a rumor that the Lexus IS-F Evolution, the unconfirmed, carbon-fiber-covered editon of the IS-F, will be limited to 500 units and will cost a staggering $250,000USD. From the source: Focus has not changed much either with previous reports of the new body losing 140kg all round and dropping to …

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

New Lexus RX Commerical: We’ve Never Been Closer

This new RX 350 commercial from Lexus Australia is an absolutely literal interpretation of the slogan “The Pursuit of Perfection”: Just what is that Lexus RX going to do when it catches perfection?

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

A Deeper Look at Lexus USA’s 2009 Sales

Bloomberg has published a revealing look at the US Lexus auto sales and how it’s affecting Toyota’s bottom line: U.S. Lexus sales shrank 27 percent in Toyota’s fiscal year that ended March 31, versus a combined 23 percent drop for Toyota and Scion models. While the premium line accounts for 12 percent of Toyota’s overall …

Kevin · April 17th, 2009

Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior Now Available in North America!

In what could only be described as “my dreams come true”, Lexus USA and Canada have started offering the Passionate Black interior on select models of the GS! This unique blood red & black interior color combination was first seen in a Japan-only limited edition of 500 models—here are some more photos: In Canada, the …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Auto Guide Reviews the Lexus IS F-Sport Performance Parts

Auto Guide has put together a review of the F-Sport performance accessories available for the Lexus IS 350, and came away impressed with the results—here are some of their observations: We did note the sexy new timbre to the motor’s voice [due to the F-Sport intake & exhaust], however. Tipping the throttle produces an aggressive, …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Javier Quiros Racing the Lexus IS-F @ Nürburgring

This is just plain wild—here’s Javier Quiros, one of the drivers of the recent Lexus LFA race win and owner of a Lexus dealership in Costa Rica, piloting an IS-F around Nürburgring on a practice run: Crazy how you can almost feel the downshifts, especially with that rough audio blip. An interesting perspective, it also …

Kevin · April 15th, 2009

New Lexus LX 570 Print Ads from Australia

Took a second for me to figure out these new Australia print ads for the Lexus LX 570, be sure to click on the images for a larger version: These remind me of the previously featured LX 570 print ads from last year. [Source: Pixel Blog]

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Jeremy Clarkson Reviews the Lexus IS 250

In a comment on my last post, TLE reader Jay wanted to know if the current Lexus IS had ever made it onto the Top Gear show. The answer, it turns out, is “No” (though their magazine counterpart did name it the Best Executive/Luxury Car in 2005). Later on, I found something much more interesting—in …

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Classic Top Gear: 1999 Lexus IS 200 Review

In keeping with the IS theme from yesterday, here’s a throwback Top Gear segment from 1999, with James May test-driving the first-generation Lexus IS 200: James May certainly looks quite young—but still exhibits that special “Captain Slow” driving style. It does sound like IS 200 suffered the same sort of low-band power deficiency that I …

Kevin · April 13th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Review

The Lexus IS has a special place in my heart. It was the first Lexus I ever drove, back in 2000. It was my birthday, and my future-wife surprised me with a lengthy test drive of a yellow first-generation IS 300, courtesy of Performance Lexus in St. Catharines. I had only just received my driver’s …

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Photo Gallery

In the time I spent with the Lexus IS 250, I only had a point-and-shoot Canon to take photos with—luckily my friend Billy Plante came out and took some picks as well. Here are the best shots: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1083”}

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Named to Ward’s Top Interiors of 2009

Ward’s Auto has handed out their 2009 Interior of the Year awards, and the upcoming Lexus RX 450h took one of the special-achievement awards: Among the winners is the all-new Lexus RX 450h hybrid-electric cross/utility vehicle, which goes on sale in August. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the current RX 400h hybrid starts …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: LS Generations Part Two

To celebrate Lexus’ 20th anniversary, Club Lexus member Encore888 created a desktop wallpaper showcasing the four generations of the LS: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 For comparison, there was a similar wallpaper featured last year, though with this head-on angle, it’s much easier to see how each generation built on the …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

More on the Lexus LFA Win @ Nürburgring

As mentioned, the Lexus LFA racing concept won its class (SP8: 4000cc ~ 6200cc) in the Nurburgring 4 hour race this weekend—and now sponsor Gazoo has posted some photos from the race: Here’s a photo of drift champion Iida Akira, soon-to-be Toyota President Akio Toyoda, and dealer owner/racer Javier Quiros with their trophies: I also …

Kevin · April 8th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Commercial from Canada

Last up is a Lexus RX 450h commercial from Canada, which also manages to feature a canine (however brief): Strange that it’s taken me so long to post this, considering that I’ve seen this commercial repeatedly over the last month or so. Filmed in Vancouver, the song is Clair de Lune by Debussy. I’m always …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 Commercial from the Middle East

Next up, here’s a Lexus RX 350 commercial that borders on the just-plain weird: From what I can gather, the central point seems to be that using the Remote Touch controller won’t distract away from driving, but why a coyote? (What’s funny is that this has actually happened to me, driving home late at night …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Video Promo

Three Lexus RX videos to post today, let’s start with the longest: This really is an almost pitch-perfect marketing promo, and goes a long way to infusing the RXh with some real personality. Also, I’m assuming that Welcome to Forward Living will be RXh’s tagline, and this video certainly captures the sentiment. [Via: iMotor] Update: …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus LX 570 Interior

As part of their recurring Inside Story feature, Canadian Driver took a look at the Lexus LX 570’s interior, and it’s a fully detailed breakdown of the SUV’s internals. While extremely positive for the most part, the article is bookended by some unfortunate badge engineering rants: Before you start shouting, “well-heeled Sequoia,” there are a …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Edmunds Lexus RX 450h Video Review

Here’s the companion video to Edmunds’ review of the Lexus RX 450h: As with the written review, Edmunds wasn’t all that impressed with the hybrid RX, though most of the complaints seem to be against hybrids in general. I’m interested to compare the new hybrid technology against the system in the RX400h, surely there has …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Lexus LFA Makes a Nürburgring Appearance

For the first time this year, the Lexus LFA racing concept car has been spotted at Nürburgring, likely due to its upcoming appearance in the upcoming 56. ADAC Westfalenfahrt being held this weekend at the Nordschleife—the same four-hour long distance race on the Nürburgring grand prix circuit that the LFA won last year. Here’s the …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Flickr Find: Soarer Rocket

Posting the Lexus SC 400 review from TTAC yesterday reminded me of a Flickr photo by Jon Sylvester (best viewed in original size): Love the panoramic feel and the lighting—great location as well. (This, of course, is the Japanese version of the SC 400, the Toyota Soarer, which uses a griffin as its logo.)

Kevin · April 3rd, 2009

TTAC Review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400

The Truth About Cars has posted a review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400, a car many consider Lexus’s most influential design and perhaps the greatest Lexus ever made—here’s an excerpt: Combined with the four-speed electronic automatic transmission, the engine is just plain unkillable. It can literally out-diesel a diesel when it comes to longevity, …

Kevin · April 2nd, 2009

Lexus Canada March 2009 Sales Report

The release of the 2010 RX 350 has been a huge success for Lexus Canada, helping them set an all-time March sales record of 1,363 units sold, 25.5% higher than last year. Most importantly, these positive numbers certainly a nice change in the face of the automotive meltdown in the USA. The new RX 350 …

Kevin · April 2nd, 2009

Lexus USA March 2009 Sales Report

The Lexus USA March 2009 sales figures have been released, and it’s more of the same: 2009 2008 % Change IS250/350/F 2,432 4,798 -47.3 ES350 3,225 6,019 -44.3 GS350/460/450h 625 1,668 -61.0 SC430 78 271 -70.1 LS460/600h L 852 2,125 -58.3 Total Cars 7,212 14,881 -49.6 RX350/400h 6,177 7,737 -17.0 GX470 561 1,679 -65.3 LX570 …

Kevin · April 1st, 2009

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