Happy New Year!

2010 is ringing in all over the world, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy New Year! Much happened over 2009—we saw the introduction of the LFA right in the middle of an automotive market meltdown, the LF-Ch and the promise of a compact Lexus, the long awaited …

Read more…

Kevin · December 31st, 2009

Poll: Favorite Lexus of the 2000s

As we prepare for the new year, let’s take a moment to look back on the decade that was by voting on the top Lexus of the 2000s: For me, this was a hard choice between the third generation LS & first generation GS hybrid, but after much deliberation, the GSh won out: On its …

Read more…

Kevin · December 31st, 2009

Rumor: Lexus GS F to have LFA V10 Engine

Japanese magazine Best Car is reporting that Lexus is working on a GS F that would pair the current sedan with the LFA’s 4.8L V10 engine. It seems unlikely to be true, especially the idea that Lexus would be working on a variant of the oldest sedan in the lineup, and is probably wishful thinking …

Read more…

Kevin · December 30th, 2009

Happy Holidays!

The festive season has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish every one of my readers a safe and happy holidays! Regular posting will resume December 28th with a report on how the RXh handled the holidays, along with some year-end wrap-ups and what to expect in 2010. All my best, …

Read more…

Kevin · December 24th, 2009

2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Week 1

Last week, I took the delivery of my first long-term road test vehicle from Lexus Canada—a 2010 Smoky Granite Mica RX 450h: This is the full deal—an RX 450h with the Ultra Luxury package that includes Heads-Up Display, rear entertainment system, LED headlights, and fifteen-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. As far as I can tell, …

Read more…

Kevin · December 21st, 2009

Flickr Find: Photos of the Gold Lexus LX 570

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 …

Read more…

Kevin · December 20th, 2009

Japanese Lexus LFA Commercial!

I wasn’t expecting this—Lexus Japan has released an actual commercial for the LFA: Also from Lexus Japan is this new cut of the LFA’s launch video, featuring new music and some 3D animation of the supercar’s engine and brakes: The Roar of an Angel—what a tagline. (Both of these videos were posted by O.N.O., who …

Read more…

Kevin · December 17th, 2009

Autoblog Reviews the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport

Autoblog has posted their review of the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the sedan’s newfound sportiness: Approaching the first tight turn along this curvy hillside ribbon of asphalt, we instinctively wanted to tap into the upgraded Brembos to scrub off some momentum. Expecting a fair amount of body roll, …

Read more…

Kevin · December 16th, 2009

Flickr Find: Lexus IS Dark Knight

I love this atmospheric Lexus IS photo by Jiaren Hui that I found on Flickr: Looks straight out of a getaway movie. [Source: Jiaren Hui’s Flickr Photostream]
Kevin · December 15th, 2009

1993 Lexus ES Commercial: Brass Sound

Blast from the past with this 1993 Lexus ES 300 commercial: Reminds me of the ES 350 commercial that was one of Jim Sloyan’s last Lexus voiceovers—can’t help but miss his confident (and smug) tone.
Kevin · December 14th, 2009

Gold Lexus LX 570 at Dubai Auto Show

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 …

Read more…

Kevin · December 14th, 2009

Lexus LFA Review from The Sunday Times

Jason Barlow has reviewed the Lexus LFA for The Sunday Times: You can make up your own mind about the LFA’s looks, but it is aerodynamically efficient, authentically Japanese and more chunky Transformer than curvy Megan Fox. The sci-fi theme continues inside…after 10 minutes of fiddling I felt as befuddled as Bill Murray in Lost …

Read more…

Kevin · December 13th, 2009

Lexus Japan IS 250 Black X Orange X-Edition

Lexus Japan has announced a new Lexus IS 250 X-Edition with a custom black interior with orange contrast stitching: I’d like to see some higher resolution images to be sure, but I’m such a fan of these custom interiors. I hope this makes it to North America like the Passionate Black GS interior. Japanese customers …

Read more…

Kevin · December 11th, 2009

2011 Lexus GS Rumors

Motor Trend has some new rumors on the next-generation Lexus GS expected to debut in 2011, including some questionable information on engine specifications that make me doubt their source: Gone is the current 4.6-liter V-8, replaced by a 2.5-liter V-6—most likely a version of the engine presently found in the IS. The present 3.5-liter V-6 …

Read more…

Kevin · December 10th, 2009

Lexus LFA Sound Gallery

The Lexus LFA mini-site has been updated to include a Sound “Gallery”, where you can listen to the LFA in its various aural states—and lucky for us, Youtube user supercargasm has posted up each soundclip for our listening pleasure: Engine Start Acceleration Full Flight Downshift Every time I almost get used to Lexus having a …

Read more…

Kevin · December 10th, 2009

Lexus LFA to Appear on Top Gear

It was inevitable—Lexus UK has announced that Top Gear driver The Stig has taken the LFA around the track for an upcoming episode of the British car show. The Lexus UK Twitter account posted earlier today that a Stig lap at the Top Gear test track had taken place, but didn’t mention just how well …

Read more…

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Autoblog Reviews the 2010 Lexus GX 460

Autoblog has just published their first drive of the 2010 Lexus GX 460—here’s a excerpt of their impressions: The engine feels strong on the road and the new six-speed transmission makes the most of that power. The cabin is quiet even when matting the throttle to the floor, and over the course of a 30-minute …

Read more…

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Lexus LS 460 Sport Photos from Australia

Lexus Australia has just released what has to be considered the best LS 460 Sport photos since the vehicle’s introduction, including a good look at the new daytime running light design: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1482”} My initial disappointment with the Sport grille design has subsided to a point where I may be going the other way. I …

Read more…

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Edmunds Track-Test: Lexus LS 460 Sport vs. BMW 750i Sport

Edmund’s Inside Line has pitted the new Lexus LS Sport package against the BMW 750i Sport in a performance track test, and in the process, somehow managed to add a full second to the LS 460’s official 0-60 time. According to the Edmunds numbers, the LS 460 Sport hits 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds compared …

Read more…

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Lexus USA General Manager talks with Ward’s Auto

Lexus USA General Manager Mark Templin recently spoke with Ward’s Auto on a number of different subjects, including the LFA’s “value pricing” and a possible X3 competitor. I recommend reading the whole article, but here are some choice quotes: On Lexus LFA Pricing “If you think of the other carbon-fiber supercars, Enzo Ferraris and Porsche …

Read more…

Kevin · December 8th, 2009

More Lexus GX 460 LA Auto Show Video

Here’s some more footage of the Lexus GX 460 from the LA Auto Show—this time, someone filmed a crowd demonstration of the newest Lexus SUV: Biggest part of the spokesman’s speech is that Taste of Lexus may have been reactivated after its hiatus. This US event, put on hold for much of 2008-2009, is a …

Read more…

Kevin · December 7th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX 460 at the LA Auto Show

It’s only a quick look, but Kicking Tires has some footage of the Lexus GX 460 on display at the LA Auto Show: With the presenter in the video, it’s easier to get a better idea of the vehicle’s size—don’t know that I would compare it to Subaru Outback, though. [Source: Kicking Tires] *** Road …

Read more…

Kevin · December 6th, 2009

Lexus December to Remember 2009 Commercials

The Christmas season is upon us, which means another round of Lexus USA commercials announcing their December to Remember sales event: I’ve seen both a Hyundai and a Honda commercial mimicking this giant bow car surprise, making me wonder if this might be the last year we see Lexus using this theme. And yet, it’s …

Read more…

Kevin · December 4th, 2009

Lexus GX 460 First Impressions

I wanted to wait a little while after the Lexus GX 460’s introduction before weighing in with my own impressions of the SUV, which I had a chance to see for myself at a Lexus Canada sneak peek dinner a couple weeks ago. Much like the RX redesign, the new GX is a more masculine …

Read more…

Kevin · December 3rd, 2009

Lexus LFA European Buying Process

New information on the European Lexus LFA buying process has been released—London’s Park Lane dealership, the same dealership that’s hosting the only LFA in Europe, will be the center for all LFA sales, which will be handled by Personal Liaison Manager Devshi Varsani—from the press release: The man at the heart of the operation is …

Read more…

Kevin · December 3rd, 2009

Lexus LFA Review from jruhi4

jruhi4 from My.IS, who you may remember was responsible for an epic Lexus IS convertible review, has taken it one step further with his latest—a Lexus LFA review so large and full of detail, it had to be split into two parts: The 1LR-GUE 4.8-liter V10 is such an all-new, clean-paper engine for Lexus that, …

Read more…

Kevin · December 2nd, 2009

Lexus Magazine Looking for Feedback

Lexus Magazine, the monthly owners magazine from Lexus USA, has recently made the switch from print publication to part of the Lexus Drivers website, and are now looking for feedback on the changes from Lexus Enthusiast readers. My own experience with the old Lexus Magazine was limited to reading PDF versions, and for the most …

Read more…

Kevin · December 2nd, 2009

Three Ridiculous Lexus LFA Videos

All in the span of a 15 minute period, I watched these three absolutely ridiculous Lexus LFA videos—first up, a car blogger apparently snuck into the storage area where the matte black LFA was being prepped for the LA Auto Show and drove it around the garage: Now that’s just plain crazy. Next up, someone …

Read more…

Kevin · December 1st, 2009

Lexus November 2009 Sales Report

Note: I’m going to try something new this month and collect worldwide Lexus sales in one post. This will be updated as country numbers become available. USA Lexus USA has reported their sales numbers for November 2009: November Year to Date 2009 2008 % CHG 2009 2008 % CHG IS 2,851 2,749 12.7 33,924 45,893 …

Read more…

Kevin · December 1st, 2009