November 2009 – Lexus Enthusiast | Lexus Enthusiast

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Automobile Magazine Reviews the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport

Automobile Magazine sure did fall for the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport: A previously geriatric sedan is finally alive with youthful vigor and enthusiasm for twisty roads. Lexus has revealed an inner self we never knew existed. The LS platform has the moxie to handle much more power, speed, and throttle pressure. This toe dipped …

Kevin · November 30th, 2009

Jay Leno’s Garage Features Lexus LFA

Just got around to watching the Lexus LFA coverage on Jay Leno’s Garage and it’s well worth the time (even without Leno driving): The side-long footage simulates what it might look like to pull beside the LFA, and also shows just how large the car really is (which is to say, not very). It’s also …

Kevin · November 29th, 2009

Lexus LFA Spending Christmas in London

The only Lexus LFA in Europe has been parked at the Park Lane dealership in London, where prospective buyers can take a closer look and talk with Devshi Varsani, the man responsible for selling the supercar in Europe. From Autocar: “At the moment, we’re in the process of taking orders and deposits for the car …

Kevin · November 27th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 Recall Extended to Canada

The Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 safety recall that was announced in the USA has been extended to Canada. The recall will address the possible risk of unintended acceleration due to improperly installed floor mats by installing a new accelerator pedal and by installing a brake override system that will cut engine power went …

Kevin · November 27th, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of my American readers a warm and plentiful Thanksgiving! Please drive safe if you have travels ahead of you, and enjoy this time with your family over the holiday weekend. All the best, Kevin Watts, Editor, The Lexus Enthusiast.

Kevin · November 26th, 2009

Lexus LFA Crystallised Wind Video

Loved this video of the transparent acrylic Lexus LFA created earlier this year for the Milan Design Week: An extraordinary model, and a beautifully filmed video. Must-see. (It was very hard to visualize the model by photos alone—I didn’t release there was an entire transparent engine sitting under the hood!) (Thanks WoL!)

Kevin · November 25th, 2009

AutoSpies Video of the Lexus GX 460

Here’s some (shaky) AutoSpies footage of the new 2010 Lexus GX 460: I’m taken by that Sepia interior—it really is the perfect color for this type of vehicle.

Kevin · November 25th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX Now on Lexus USA Website

The Lexus USA website has been updated with all the details on the 2010 Lexus GX 460, including the full specifications and package/option pricing. Even better, the website photos paint the GX in a better (non-Satin Cashmere Metallic) light: I also came away very impressed with the Sepia interior selection: There’s also the virtual tour …

Kevin · November 25th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 Recall Announced

Toyota has announced the recall of the Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 models to have their accelerator pedals reshaped and/or replaced. This recall is to be a permanent solution to the risk of unintended acceleration, no matter what floor mat is being used. Starting in early 2010, dealerships will be equipped to reshape the …

Kevin · November 25th, 2009

Lexus LFA Interior Walkthrough Video

This Urban Racer video of the Lexus LFA at SEMA features some nice detail footage of the interior, including a nice walkthrough of the instrument panel options: That LFA instrument panel is spectacular—can not wait to see something similar in other Lexus models down the road. [Source: Urban Racer]

Kevin · November 24th, 2009

Automobile Magazine Reviews the 2010 Lexus GX 460

Automobile Magazine has posted up a first drive of the 2010 Lexus GX 460, which reads like an obituary of body-on-frame luxury utility vehicles, and includes this suggestion: When this new GX got the green light four or so years ago, the world was a different place. Today, Lexus doesn’t really need two V-8-powered, body-on-frame …

Kevin · November 24th, 2009

Lexus LFAs Limited to 150 Units in USA, 10 in Canada

There’s news today on the USA’s allotment of Lexus LFAs—initially thought to be “undetermined” and dependant on worldwide demand, it has now been announced that the USA will receive 150 of the total run of 500 units: A Lexus spokesman told Inside Line only 150 cars will be coming to the U.S. Previously, Lexus said …

Kevin · November 24th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX 460 US Pricing

Arriving in US dealerships in late December, the 2010 Lexus GX 460 will be offered in two grades: The base model starts at $51,970, with standard features like power fold-flat third row seats, heated/ventilated front seats, rear backup camera, ten airbags,integrated XM, Bluetooth & iPod control, a 4.2” multi-information display, nine speaker audio system and …

Kevin · November 23rd, 2009

Edmunds First Drive of the 2010 Lexus GX 460

Only hours after its official introduction, Edmunds has posted their first-drive impression of the new 2010 Lexus GX 460, and its a nice overview of the new SUV: On paper, the 2010 GX’s extra 500 pounds looks like it could completely cancel out the gains in horsepower and torque. On the road, however, it’s not …

Kevin · November 23rd, 2009

Introducing the 2010 Lexus GX 460

The newly redesigned 2010 Lexus GX 460 has been announced today, which means plenty of information to cover—let’s start with some key points, followed by the official photo gallery and press release. Highlights of the second generation GX include: An all-new 4.6-liter V8 producing 301 horsepower and 329 lb.-ft. of peak torque, paired with a …

Kevin · November 23rd, 2009

Lexus Enthusiast 5.0

Welcome to the latest edition of The Lexus Enthusiast! Developed over a two-month period, this is the fifth redesign of the site since its debut in May 2007. First off, some key points: The entire site navigation has been simplified and reworked—gone is the needlessly complicated model database, and in its place is a simple …

Kevin · November 21st, 2009

Lexus LF-Ch Launch in 2012?

Paul Eisenstein of The Detroit Bureau had an opportunity to talk with Lexus USA General Manager Mark Templin on the future of the LF-Ch hatchback concept: “There is a group of buyers growing up now who won’t buy cars by the pound,” noted Templin, adding that, “We have already seen a structural shift” to the …

Kevin · November 20th, 2009

Lexus IS F Lap with Gran Turismo’s Kazunori Yamauchi

Another day, another virtual lap—only this time it’s the esteemed Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, driving a race-modifed Lexus IS F in the 8th round of the VLN series at Nürburgring: Back in August, Mr. Yamauchi and a team of two others (Motor Journalist Peter Lyon and racing driver Hideshi Matsuda—all three judges for the …

Kevin · November 19th, 2009

More on the Lexus LFA Buying Process

Automobile Magazine has more on the Lexus LFA buying process: What I want to talk about is how a person might go about purchasing an LFA. Buying an exotic car, especially one in high demand, like most Ferraris, can be a very taxing experience even for the most battle-hardened business person. How do I get …

Kevin · November 17th, 2009

Auto Club Speedway Lap with the Lexus LFA

Keeping with the Lexus F-Sport event at the Auto Club Speedway, here’s a LFA lap around the track with driver Scott Pruett, as filmed by Flipside 909 from Club Lexus: Hard to believe the speed watching the track whip by—absolutely wild.

Kevin · November 17th, 2009

Lexus F-Sport Event at the Auto Club Speedway

If you may recall, there was an F-Sport event in Fontana, California last Thursday, and videos and photos of the event are making their way online—for a start, there’s this video put together by Unlimited Illuminations that features great footage of an IS F lap around the Auto Club Speedway: Too bad that poor guy …

Kevin · November 16th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX 460 to Debut in China Next Week

The next-generation Lexus GX will be unveiled in China next Monday at Auto Guangzhou 2009: The Lexus “GX460”, a midsize SUV, will make its world premiere at a press briefing scheduled for November 23. Also on display for Lexus will be the “ES240” and other models. Also being displayed is the 4-cylinder ES 240, which …

Kevin · November 15th, 2009

Behind-the-Scenes of Lexus ES 350 Slice Commercial

Speaking of “behind-the-scenes” and Lexus ES commercials—here’s a real backstage pass to the work that went into creating one of my favorite Lexus commercials. First, the commercial (in poor quality): Next, here’s the process of creating a real “sliced” ES 350: The lengths that (Lexus USA advertising agency) Team One goes through to get these …

Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: 40,000 Hours

Here’s the new commercial for the 2010 Lexus ES 350: This commercial stays with the look of the latest LS commercial, and has a “behind-the-scenes” feel. Not sure I believe that’s what the Lexus test-facilities look like, though. (A note: I recently spotted a 2010 ES at my local dealership, and was pleased to see …

Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Racer Magazine Reviews the Lexus LX 570

Here’s a nice twist on the standard auto review—Racer magazine recently needed a hauler to transport their Mazda RX-8 race car from California to Nebraska, and they chose the Lexus LX 570: Having recently completed a project RX-8 build for SportsCar magazine, we were looking to transport the car from Southern California to the Sports …

Kevin · November 11th, 2009

Automobile Interview with Lexus’ Brian Bolain

As part of Automobile Magazine’s SEMA coverage, Editor-in-Chief Jean Jennings sat down and interviewed Lexus National Marketing Manager Brian Bolain on the LFA: I like how the LFA is described in terms of how it fits into the lineup—not just the plan to use the supercar to build out F-Sport, but how it builds on …

Kevin · November 11th, 2009

The Lexus LF-Ch Design Story

Also out today is a video from Toyota’s Calty Design Research on the design of the Lexus LF-Ch: Nice to see the people behind the designs, even if the video plays like an automotive design school advertisement. (A funny thought: even though the LF-Ch has taken a back seat to the LFA in recent days, …

Kevin · November 10th, 2009

Motor Trend: 2008 Lexus IS F Long Term Test

Motor Trend has just turned in the results of their year-long Lexus IS F road test—doesn’t sound like the car was well-liked: Naturally, our discerning staff found plenty to criticize about the IS F, notably high-performance Brembos that all too often emitted high-pitched squeaks (dealers either could not replicate the noise or told us it …

Kevin · November 10th, 2009

Lexus LFA Video Overview

If it hadn’t been for the boisterous voice over, I probably would have passed over this informative Lexus LFA video: (This video also includes the carbon fiber footage in case you didn’t see it the first time around.) I’m still marvelling at the LFA, it’s brought some much-needed energy to the brand. It also has …

Kevin · November 10th, 2009

Two Lexus HS 250h Commercials

Here’s two Lexus HS 250h commercials—the first is from Japan, and involves saving the world: This second commercial shows the HSh’s Heads-up Display in greater detail: The HUD isn’t available in the HSh in Canada, so this is the first time I’ve seen the upgraded graphics and display information. Very impressed to see the steering …

Kevin · November 9th, 2009

Automobile Magazine Reviews the Lexus LFA

I stopped reading Lexus LFA reviews for a while as they were starting to blend together, but Automobile Magazine’s Georg Kacher pulled me back in with his impressions of the new Lexus supercar: Codeveloped with Yamaha, the 552-hp, 4.8-liter V-10 is without a doubt a mechanical masterpiece. It has been skillfully engineered, with almost telepathic …

Kevin · November 9th, 2009

TRD-Tuned Lexus IS & GS from SEMA

We saw the official photos of the cars in Lexus’ SEMA showcase, and now Autoblog has posted a few photos of the TRD F-Sport GS & IS: I’m more impressed with these two cars by the day—- especially when I see new details like the matte tailights, which works well contrasting with the vibrant orange …

Kevin · November 8th, 2009

Homestead Hot Laps in the Lexus LFA

As part of their North American LFA press event in Miami, Lexus gave the journalists the opportunity to experience a hot lap around the Homestead Speedway with an experienced race car driver behind the wheel—here’s footage from two such runs: Love the interior sound, especially now that I know it was tuned by musicians.

Kevin · November 6th, 2009

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Lexus LFA

Edmunds Inside Line has put together a great list of ten things you didn’t know about the Lexus LFA—here’s an example: Spectacular Sound Two separate ducts route intake noise into the firewall from the intake manifold, allowing two different octaves of engine music to penetrate the passenger compartment. As a result, the LFA’s engine note …

Kevin · November 6th, 2009

Auto Express Comparison: Lexus RX 450h vs. BMW X5 30d

Auto Express compared the 2010 Lexus RX 450h to the BMW X5 30d SE to see which SUV is the better buy: …which car more successfully mixes eco-friendly credentials with rugged versatility and luxury? There’s no denying the X5 still rules the roost for image and driving dynamics. Plus, the big boot and seven-seat potential …

Kevin · November 5th, 2009

2010 Lexus LS 600h Commercial

There’s a new 2010 Lexus LS 600h commercial from Lexus Japan: This LS features an L-Select bright-red & black interior—don’t know if that would be my first pick with a white exterior. (On a side note: Why do all the press photos & video have to feature the same color car? I certainly wouldn’t mind …

Kevin · November 5th, 2009

2010 Lexus LS 600hL Photos & Information

A large photo gallery of the 2010 Lexus LS 600hL has been released by Lexus USA: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1430”} One of the photos in particular gives us our best look at the grille and the new headlight design, which incorporates a thin light strip that mirrors the taillight design: I don’t know that these photos make …

Kevin · November 5th, 2009

2009 Lexus SEMA Showcase Video

Along with the usual press photos, Lexus has also put together a video showing their stable of customized SEMA cars: It’s a nice lineup of cars this year, though I would have preferred to see more done with the GS. Also, I hope the wheels on the TRD (orange) IS-C make it into the F-Sport …

Kevin · November 4th, 2009

Lexus F-Sport Event in California

Lexus USA is holding an F-Sport event November 12th at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California: One Day Only at Auto Club Speedway… An exclusive opportunity to experience the performance and appearance-enhancing F-Sport™ accessories on a custom autocross course at California’s premiere track- Auto Club Speedway.. Come out and experience racing inspired components that …

Kevin · November 4th, 2009

Lexus LFA Instrument Panel Video

There were some quick shots of the Lexus LFA’s instrument panel in the official press video, but this autoshow simulator footage shows just how amazing the supercar’s display really is: With the moving chrome ring, there’s a real mechanical feel to the interface, making it look even more like it’s from the future—absolutely beautiful shutdown …

Kevin · November 3rd, 2009

Lexus USA October 2009 Sales Report

The October sales numbers for Lexus USA are in, and both the car & truck divisions posted positive year-to-year gains: October Year to Date 2009 2008 % CHG 2009 2008 % CHG IS 3,162 2,772 10.0 31,073 43,144 -28.0 HS 1,527 0 3,312 0 ES 4,413 4,141 2.8 37,844 54,783 -30.9 GS 494 819 -41.8 …

Kevin · November 3rd, 2009

SEMA 2009 Lexus Car Guide

SEMA, the annual automotive specialty products tradeshow, starts tomorrow, and will feature seven Lexus automobiles, including the North American debut of the LFA and the winner of the SEMA Showcase contest—here’s a full breakdown of the participating vehicles: IS 300 by DAVID HUANG {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1421”} Description David Huang invested over $100,000 in his IS 300 …

Kevin · November 2nd, 2009

More Information on the Lexus LFA Buying Process

As time goes on, we’re going to find the process of selling the Lexus LFA will almost be as interesting as the car itself—case in point, the Toronto Star has published some background information for potential Canadian buyers: For the first time in mainstream automotive memory, a car is being brought to market that drivers …

Kevin · November 2nd, 2009

Lexus LFA Carbon Fiber Creation Video

Here’s a video that shows the machine responsible for the Lexus LFA’s dual-carbon fiber A-pillars: Called a rotary weaver, this machine is of only two such devices in existence, and is used expressly for the creation of the carbon fiber components of the LFA. Hard to imagine what else this machine will create—the possibilities are …

Kevin · November 1st, 2009

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