October 2010 – Lexus Enthusiast | Lexus Enthusiast

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CEC Wheels Dresses Up the Lexus LFA for SEMA

In preparation for its feature spot at the CEC Wheels SEMA display, the Pearl Grey Lexus LFA will be getting some new shoes — here’s a sneak peek: Hard to judge without seeing the full vehicle, but right now, it’s tough to imagine any else but the original wheels on the LFA. (Thanks Allison!) Update: …

Kevin · October 31st, 2010

Lexus SEMA 2010 Show Cars in Detail

Here’s a full breakdown of the models along with their descriptions, all courtesy of Lexus: CT200h F SPORT CONCEPT Description How do you take a fun to drive sporty five-door premium compact hybrid that has a combined EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 42 mpg to the next level? Build a CT200h F Sport Concept. Although …

Kevin · October 29th, 2010

2010 SEMA Lexus Show Car Lineup

Lexus have announced their SEMA show car lineup, and it’s a hybrid-exclusive affair — here’s what to expect next week: CT 200h F Sport Concept HS 250h by VIP Auto Salon GS 450h by 0-60 Magazine RX 450h by Paul Tolson of EST LS 600hL by Fox Marketing LS 600hL by VIP Auto Salon Joining …

Kevin · October 29th, 2010

2010 Lexus GS 450h Photos: Electricity

The first set of photos from my time with the 2010 Lexus GS 450h are all about the electricity (click on any image for a larger version): Taking photos with an electrical backdrop was my #1 goal with the GSh, and luckily I had been saving a hydro station for such an occasion. Electro-shock!

Kevin · October 29th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Darkcasting Talk Show

The next chapter of the Lexus CT 200h’s marketing push is Darkcasting, a video talkshow that takes place inside the new hybrid hatchback — Lexus Magazine explains: Darkcasting, a new talk show that’s filmed, well, after the sun goes down, and that will soon run on the Lexus Darker Side of Green site. Lexus’ Darkcasting …

Kevin · October 28th, 2010

2010 Lexus GS 450h Review

A few weeks back, I had the chance to spend some time with a 2010 Lexus GS 450h, which stands as one of my favorite models in the lineup. Now, having reviewed the 2009 model last year, my main focus this time around was trying out some new photography techniques, but I did want to …

Kevin · October 27th, 2010

Lexus LX 570 with 22″ F-Sport Wheels

Speaking of the Lexus LX 570, a photo on the Lexus USA website shows the SUV in optional 22″ F-Sport forged aluminum polished wheels: Here’s another look: I’m pretty impressed with the design and the size — hard as it is to believe, the standard 20″ wheels look small, and this extra two inches is …

Kevin · October 26th, 2010

Lexus Performs Well in Consumer Reports 2010 Auto Survey

Consumer Reports has released the findings of its 2010 Annual Auto Survey, where Lexus performed very well in light of recent safety recalls. First off, the Lexus LX 570 was named the most reliable luxury SUV overall, and only the AWD GS & IS 250C scored below average. All other Lexus models were named average …

Kevin · October 26th, 2010

Customized Lexus IS Billboards

The New York Times reports about a new IS billboard campaign from Lexus USA customized by highway: Toyota’s Lexus division recently mind-melded this contradiction in an outdoor advertising campaign that declares in supersize lettering that the 2011 Lexus IS is “overqualified for the B.Q.E.,” as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is known locally. That was just in …

Kevin · October 25th, 2010

Lexus LFA Footage from Forza Motorsports 3

Tomorrow, the Lexus LFA will be available in the Forza Motorsport 3 Ultimate Collection, and we’re now starting to see footage from the game, including this pretty flawless run around Circuit de la Sarthe: Check out the detail in these screenshots: Even the interior is fully detailed (minus the key): As mentioned earlier this month, …

Kevin · October 25th, 2010

Lexus Kuwait Planning World’s Largest Lexus Showroom

Lexus Kuwait is planning to build the world’s largest Lexus showroom — here’s a virtual look at the proposed building: The effort put into these new mega-dealerships is amazing — it’s hard to even imagine the scale of that showroom. Construction should be begin soon, can’t wait to see some real life photos. [Source: Lexus …

Kevin · October 25th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Video

By way of Car@Nifty, here we have the very first video of the Lexus CT 200h F-Sport in (super slow) motion: Also posted was a video of the Japanese CT press presentation, which didn’t have much that we haven’t seen before, but did include this slide on the available CT wheels in Japan: Interesting to …

Kevin · October 22nd, 2010

Car & Driver Video: Lexus LFA & Ferrari 599 HGTE

Car & Driver has posted a video featuring the Lexus LFA & a Ferrari 599 HGTE driving through Wales: The video’s all well and good, but what’s with this quote?: [The LFA] has got a fantastic chassis, great steering that’s Ferrari-like, chassis is really well balanced, tons of grip, tons of downforce, fantastic carbon-ceramic brakes, …

Kevin · October 21st, 2010

Lexus Announces Voluntary Recall on 2006 GS 300, IS 250 & IS 350, 2004-2006 RX 330

Lexus has announced a worldwide voluntary recall on the 2006 Lexus GS300, IS250 & IS350, plus the 2004-2006 RX 330 for an possible issue with brake fluid slowly leaking from the brake master cylinder — here’s the full technical explanation: The Toyota genuine brake fluid used during vehicle assembly for vehicles sold in the United …

Kevin · October 21st, 2010

Lexus LX 570 ASI Invader Arrives in The Middle East

The wildly elaborate custom Lexus LX 570 Invader by ASI made its UAE debut last week at the Sharjah Auto Show: Just check out this interior: Equipped with a supercharger that boosts the 5.7L V8 to 592hp (up from 383hp), the ASI Invader will reportedly hit 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in 5.5s. Drive Arabia has some more …

Kevin · October 20th, 2010

Lexus LFAs Racing in the Rain

First there was this photo of Akio Toyoda driving the Lexus LFA around Nürburgring in the rain, and now a video showing some very similar circumstances has shown up on Youtube: Not exactly the kind of circumstances I’d want to be driving fast in, that’s for sure. (Thanks Roberto!)

Kevin · October 20th, 2010

Paddle Shifters Offered on Japanese Lexus CT 200h F-Sport

Japanese car site Car@Nifty has posted up a Lexus CT 200h F-Sport photo gallery, and it looks like the JDM CT F-Sport will be equipped with paddle shifters: From my understanding, the paddle-shifters will only be offered in Japan, which would explain why there was no mention of the option when the CT F-Sport debuted …

Kevin · October 20th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h in Daybreak Yellow

Of all the Lexus CT 200h exterior color options, Daybreak Yellow was the last color I expected to like, but seeing it in person changed my mind, at least to a degree — depending on the sun or shade, it could shift from gold to garish in the blink of an eye, and it was …

Kevin · October 19th, 2010

SEMA Preview: Lexus LS 600hL by Fox Marketing

With just a couple weeks before SEMA, Fox Marketing has unveiled their modified LS 600hL that will be shown as part of the Lexus display: Like what was done to the front grille: Here’s probably the best look at the real color: I like the blacked/greened-out look well enough, especially in the way it tones …

Kevin · October 18th, 2010

Four Lexus LFAs All Together

Here’s something you don’t see every day — four Lexus LFAs all together: I was surprised to see that the Pearl Yellow LFA featured is not the same one we’ve seen previously, but instead a brand-new car with a Camel Yellow interior — check out some of these screenshots: Beautiful interior color, it just looks …

Kevin · October 17th, 2010

Lexus LFA vs. Audi R8 on Battle of the Supercars

Last night, the Lexus LFA faced off against the Audi R8 on SpeedTV’s Battle of the Supercars: With Paul Tracy driving the R8 and Tanner Foust with the LFA, the supercars are put through a series of four tests — our own 05RollaXRS watched the show live and reports the numbers here: Standing mile: LFA: …

Kevin · October 15th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Package

We knew it was coming — today, Lexus pulled the covers off and revealed the CT 200h F-Sport package at the the Australian International Motor Show — some photos first of all: As for specific changes, here’s a direct quote from the Lexus Australia press release: F Sport CT 200h receives a number of visual …

Kevin · October 14th, 2010

Automobile Magazine Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

Jason Cammisa’s write-up of the Lexus CT 200h for Automobile Magazine may be my favorite review of the car yet — reasoned and impartial, it also includes a great description of the driving experience: So, why would you ever choose the CT over a Prius? For every other reason, starting with the way it drives. …

Kevin · October 14th, 2010

Car & Driver Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

Let’s continue on with Lexus CT 200h reviews, with the next instalment coming from Car & Driver, who were impressed by the exterior design and fuel economy, but not so much with the drive: In the real world, the CT200h offers three driving modes: Eco has a very lazy throttle map, Normal is slightly less …

Kevin · October 14th, 2010

Graffiti Lexus IS

Let’s switch up the CT reviews with this Lexus IS done up in a schizophrenic graffiti paint job: From one extreme to the next — here’s what the finished IS looked like: For more photos, including some detail shots, be sure to check out the Drive Culture website. [Source: Drive Culture] Update: Johnson Jeng, owner …

Kevin · October 13th, 2010

Autoblog Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

Damon Lavrinc of Autoblog also attended the Lexus CT 200h press launch in France, and today he shares his thoughts on the new hatchback hybrid: …it’s obvious the CT’s suspension tuning has been canted towards the comfortable side of sporty. Not a bad thing when trying to eat up the miles. On the highway, it’s …

Kevin · October 13th, 2010

EVO Magazine Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

The next CT 200h review comes from EVO Magazine, who didn’t come away all that impressed with the hybrid hatchback: [The CT 200h is] Rather dull, unfortunately. For all the claims of being ‘authentically Lexus’, this is certainly no mini-iSF. You sit low – the hip-point is lower than that of an Auris, a car …

Kevin · October 13th, 2010

Edmunds Inside Line Drives the Lexus CT 200h

Edmunds Inside Line has published their first impressions of the Lexus CT 200h — here’s some key quotes: Apart from its lack of hurry, the 2011 Lexus CT 200h doesn’t feel much like a Prius. Indeed, its character reminds us more of an A3 or a Volkswagen GTI. Like the HS 250h, the CT has …

Kevin · October 13th, 2010

Motor Trend Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

Motor Trend has driven the Lexus CT 200h, and was plenty enthused by the experience: …this car can handle. Quite well, in fact, in spite of its fuel-economy-friendly tires. The chassis is difficult to upset and when it does lose composure, it defaults to gradual understeer, at which point the nannies step back in…The steering …

Kevin · October 13th, 2010

2011 Lexus CT 200h: First Drive

Over the past month, I’ve had two occasions to drive the Lexus CT 200h — first time up was at the NYC stop of the CT 200h World Tour, where I found the CT 200h to be a perfect fit on the busy New York streets, easily absorbing the rough edges of city driving without …

Kevin · October 12th, 2010

New Lexus IS & ES Commercials

Two new Lexus commercials have debuted online — one for the IS, the other for the ES — with both commercials focusing on the differences between Lexus models and their competitors. First up is the ES 350, which is once again being taken apart for the cameras: Next up is this commercial for the IS …

Kevin · October 12th, 2010

Akio Toyoda Visits Nürburgring

Last week, Toyota President Akio Toyoda visited Germany to test-drive two Lexus LFAs at Nürburgring: As we can see, one of the LFAs is black (likely this one), and the other is a duplicate of the yellow Nürburgring edition involved in the fatal crash that took the life of Toyota Chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse. …

Kevin · October 12th, 2010

Lexus LC 600h to Replace SC?

According to Motor Trend, Lexus is planning to replace the dearly-departed SC 430 with a brand new coupe based on the next-generation LS. Called the LC 600h, this flagship coupe would be AWD and powered by an updated version of the same 5.0L V8 Lexus Hybrid Drive found in the current LS 600hL, and is …

Kevin · October 11th, 2010

Lexus Builds Massive Driving Simulator

Lexus has created a new, extremely sophisticated simulator that fully mimics the driving experience: It’s hard to imagine what something of this magnitude would have cost, but as a way to gather precise data on otherwise dangerous driving experiences, it’s essentially priceless. Along with this commercial, a longer, more detailed explanation of the driving simulator …

Kevin · October 11th, 2010

How to Make a Lexus Wood-Carved Steering Wheel

Lexus Magazine has a new photo feature up that details the steps necessary to build one of a Lexus wood-carved steering wheel — here’s a couple of the slides that show the workmanship: Anyone who’s worked with fine woods knows that polishing raw wood is a high art form. Hardness, density, and color will vary, …

Kevin · October 10th, 2010

Hilarious Lexus IS Commercial from China

There’s just no way to describe this Lexus IS commercial from China — you’ll simply have to watch for yourself: I suppose if I went crazy and had to describe driving an IS convertible, I’d probably equate it to pulling the tabs of fifty shaken pop cans strapped to my back.

Kevin · October 8th, 2010

Lexus USA Rebates Coming?

Earlier this week, Lexus USA held its National Dealership meeting in Las Vegas, and now some details have been made public by way of The Wall Street Journal: Toyota Motor Corp. plans to offer rebates of up to $3,000 as well as subsidized financing on certain models in its Lexus brand as part of a …

Kevin · October 8th, 2010

New Lexus Enform iPhone App

Lexus USA has released a new iPhone app that works directly with the Lexus Enform telematics system: The key feature with this Lexus owners app is the ability to send destinations and locations from your iPhone to your Lexus’ navigation system, bypassing the need to type it in manually. This is a natural extension of …

Kevin · October 8th, 2010

2011 Lexus IS F Instrument Panel in Action

I’ve been curious to see the Lexus IS F’s new instrument panel in action, and this video shows just that: I like the trailing light that follows the tach needle — it’s a nice visual cue of the current revs. I wasn’t sold on this new display right away — in photos, it can look …

Kevin · October 7th, 2010

Pearl Grey Lexus LFA Photos

Here’s some photos of the Pearl Grey Lexus LFA from its time at the Lexus of Glendale dealership: These photos give us a much better idea of the Pearl Grey paint, check out these detail shots: Special thanks to Club Lexus member Joe Z. and his friend for allowing me to share these photos. [Source: …

Kevin · October 7th, 2010

Lexus CT Body Styles & Engine Options

Autocar is reporting that the Lexus CT 200h will not offered in a coupe or estate/wagon version: The new hybrid, being shown as a production car for the first time, will not be sold in sufficient numbers to justify a coupé or estate version, according to Toyota Europe boss Didier Leroy. However, the article does …

Kevin · October 6th, 2010

Lexus IS Coupe for 2012?

Speaking of the next-generation Lexus IS, Autoblog ran a rumor last week that suggests a IS coupe is in the works: …Lexus could finally add an IS coupe to its lineup. Lexus recognizes that it hasn’t had a credible player in that market for far too long, and with the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe around …

Kevin · October 6th, 2010

2012 Lexus IS Spy Shots

Not even 24 hours after spy shots of the next-generation Lexus GS emerged, we have some photos of a similarly taped up IS driving around Germany: There’s even fewer details revealed in these shots, other than that the rear bumper has been cut and stretched, likely to make the shell fit over the new platform …

Kevin · October 6th, 2010

Next-Gen 2012 Lexus GS Mule Spotted!

At long last, the first spy-shots of the next-generation Lexus GS have been published after a prototype-mule was spotted in Germany: Admittedly, with the shell of the current GS covering much of the action, there’s not much to go on — one thing that’s clear from the taped-up fenders is that the next-gen GS will …

Kevin · October 5th, 2010

Paris Photos: Lexus CT 200h in Smoky Granite Mica

The lights surrounding the Smoky Granite Mica Lexus CT 200h on display at the Paris Motor Show made for some strong contrast: I also ventured out onto the rotating platform for some pics of the interior, which just so happened to be a wild red & black fabric almost impossible to photograph: Much to my …

Kevin · October 4th, 2010

More Details on the Pearl Grey Lexus LFA

Last week, we caught our first glimpse of Lexus USA’s color-changing LFA — which now sports a Pearl Grey exterior after spells of being Matte Black & Starfire Pearl — and now Inside Line has published the first set of photos: There’s also a shot of the reworked interior: As for the reasoning behind painting …

Kevin · October 4th, 2010

Lexus Press Conference at 2010 Paris Motor Show

I have plenty of photos of the Lexus display at the Paris Motor Show, but first, let’s start off by taking a look at the opening press conference from Lexus Europe Vice President Andy Pfeiffenberger: Important points on the CT 200h: Lexus lineup will be fully hybrid in Europe by 2015. The CT 200h is …

Kevin · October 4th, 2010

Lexus LFA in Forza Motorsport 3 Ultimate Collection

The Lexus LFA will be coming to the Xbox 360 when the Forza Motorsport 3 Ultimate Collection arrives at the end of this month. The Lexus supercar will be one of the three cars in the “Stig’s Garage Car Pack”, a downloadable set put together in partnership with Top Gear that also includes the Koenigsegg …

Kevin · October 4th, 2010

Lexus September 2010 Sales Report

USA September’s now in the books, and Lexus USA has reported their sales figures for the month — here’s the full model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 3,697 3,046 21.4 33,960 33,431 2.0 HS 711 1,242 -42.8 7,962 1,785 348.0 LS 712 777 -8.4 8,287 …

Kevin · October 1st, 2010

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