December 2010 – Lexus Enthusiast | Lexus Enthusiast

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Lexus 2010 Year-in-Review

With 2010 coming to a close, there’s no better time to look back on the year that was, so here’s a bullet-point breakdown of the last twelve months: January The year started off strong with a Top Gear review of the Lexus LFA, complete with crazy graphics and the usual badge snobbery. TLE readers voted …

Kevin · December 31st, 2010

Lexus LFA Places Fourth in EVO Car of the Year

The Lexus LFA took part in EVO Magazine’s Car of the Year showdown, where it went up against the best and brightest of 2010, including the Ferrari 458 Italia, Mercedes SLS AMG & Porsche’s GT2 & 3 RS. Lucky for us, someone over at German Car Forums has scanned and uploaded the entire article, which …

Kevin · December 30th, 2010

Massive Lexus Die-Cast Model Collection

Today, I would like to share a very special article from Eric Janssen, a retired Sales & PR Manager from Lexus Belgium, who has been collecting Lexus models since the very introduction of the brand, and was gracious enough to share a full history and photos of his collection. The history of Lexus scale models …

Kevin · December 29th, 2010

Happy Holidays!

The festive season has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a safe and happy holidays! As can be imagined, things will be quiet over the next few days, but regular posting will resume December 29th with the history of Lexus die-cast models, followed by a look back …

Kevin · December 24th, 2010

TLE Christmas Day 5

It’s Christmas Eve, and time to give away the final gift of the week — the winner of the Lexus LFA t-shirt is…Izzy from the UK! In the end, over 500 people signed up for the TLE Christmas contest — thank you to everyone that entered, and congratulations to all the winners!

Kevin · December 24th, 2010

Lexus Europe Christmas Card

If you happen to know anyone out there who would like a Lexus Christmas Card, Lexus Europe has just the thing with their customizable e-card — great visuals of the CT 200h, all new footage. The holidays sure came up fast this year! [Source: Lexus Europe]

Kevin · December 23rd, 2010

TLE Christmas Day 4

Today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Richard Estrella of USA, who will be receiving the last silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. As promised, the Christmas Eve t-shirt is something special, and I’m almost reluctant to part with it: This t-shirt was from my LFA experience down in …

Kevin · December 23rd, 2010

Lexus LS Sport by Platinum Motorsports

Check out this done-up Lexus LS 460 Sport by Platinum Motorsports: Even though I’m a big fan of the 19″ LS Sport wheels, these 22″ Agetro W150 rims don’t look out of place — pretty clean look with the Wald aero kit. [Source: Via: Club Lexus]

Kevin · December 22nd, 2010

TLE Christmas Day 3

We’re halfway though the week, and today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Ednut Meezak of USA, who will be receiving a custom silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. Tomorrow, the last CT 200h t-shirt will be given away, and then Friday it’s time to pick a winner for …

Kevin · December 22nd, 2010

TLE Christmas Day 2

Today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Monique Knowles of USA, who will be receiving a custom silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. Tomorrow, another t-shirt will be given away, and I’m also going to post a little teaser of Friday’s special edition t-shirt. It’s still not too late …

Kevin · December 21st, 2010

Production Lexus LFA Delivery

Just last week, the Lexus LFA started production at the special Motomachi factory in Japan, and here we see one of the first production LFAs being delivered to a Japanese dealership: I can only assume that’s a protective white plastic and not a two-tone paint job: Pretty exciting! Update: After the original video went missing …

Kevin · December 21st, 2010

Lexus December to Remember Song

After receiving numerous inquiries about Lexus’ old December to Remember commercial music, I did a little research and found a Youtube version by the original composer, Steve Kujala: Crazy video aside, I also found this press release with more information — turns out this song has been used by Lexus for 12 years, no wonder …

Kevin · December 21st, 2010

Lexus’ Global Strategy

Automotive News has published a very interesting article with Karl Schlicht, the general manager in charge of global Lexus marketing and product planning, where he reveals fresh new details about what the future holds for the brand: Toyota is pushing a new global theme of “progressive luxury” for its Lexus brand, including a greater focus …

Kevin · December 20th, 2010

TLE Christmas Day 1

After collecting over 300 entries over the weekend, the first winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Pedro Roldãp of Portugal, who will be receiving a custom silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. Tomorrow, another t-shirt will be given away — it’s not too late to enter the contest. Good …

Kevin · December 20th, 2010

North America’s First Lexus LS 600hL on eBay

A piece of hybrid history has shown up on eBay — the first Lexus LS 600hL sold in North America has been put up for auction on eBay. As #1 of the 100 individually-numbered Launch Edition packages offered to Neiman Marcus InCircle members in 2007, this LS 600hL comes with an exclusive Truffle Mica exterior …

Kevin · December 20th, 2010

TLE Christmas Party

Christmas is fast approaching, and to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, I’ll be giving away a Lexus t-shirt every day next week, from Monday to Christmas Eve! Winners will be randomly selected — there are four custom CT 200h t-shirts that I picked up at the NYC event in September, and then on Christmas Eve …

Kevin · December 18th, 2010

Lexus ES 300h Hybrid Trademark Registered

Once again, the North American Trademark offices have given us a glimpse into the future, as both Lexus USA & Lexus Canada have filed for the ES 300h trademark (Canadian Trade-Mark 1507011 & U.S. Trademark No. 85193249, both registered on December 8, 2010.) Although it’s hardly a full confirmation, this certainly points to a hybrid …

Kevin · December 17th, 2010

VAIS Tech Updates Lexus iPod Integration Kits

If you’re looking to upgrade your Lexus iPod/Media Player integration, VAIS Technology has two new products that should provide the features you’re looking for. First up is the SoundLinQ2 SL2iC, which brings iPod-style navigation to most Lexus models from 2001-2009, including video display and navigation unlocking (super bonus feature!). If you have a 2009+ model …

Kevin · December 17th, 2010

Lexus Dark Ride Up for Web Award

Good news for Lexus today — the Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride interactive film has been nominated as a finalist for the 2010 FWA People’s Choice Award. Earlier this year, the choose-your-own-adventure-style video was one of our first glimpses at the CT, you can try it out for yourself over at the Dark Side of …

Kevin · December 16th, 2010

Lexus LFA Die-Cast Model by Auto Art

As unbelievable as it may be, the image above is not actually the Lexus LFA, but a 1:18 scale die-cast model by Auto Art — here’s the proof, as I hope we never see an LFA in this position: The detail is exceptional: Here’s the full gallery in high-resolution glory: Although it would make a …

Kevin · December 16th, 2010

Lexus Canada CT 200h Pricing

Lexus Canada has announced CT 200h pricing today, with the new hybrid hatchback starting at $30,950 CAD. Standard features on the Canadian CT 200h will include the six-speaker audio system with MP3/WMA capability, Bluetooth for phone and music streaming capabilities, integrated XM satellite radio, USB/iPod connectivity, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and heated front seats — …

Kevin · December 15th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Configurator (Plus Full Accessory List)

Lexus has launched an online CT 200h configurator, making it possible to start putting together your ideal package for the upcoming hybrid hatchback, which is scheduled to be released March 1st, 2011. As mentioned yesterday, the CT 200h starts at $29,120 ($29,995 with delivery charges), but through adding options like the $3,545 Navigation/Premium Audio package …

Kevin · December 15th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Spending Christmas at Harrods of London

A white Lexus CT 200h will be spending the Holiday season in the window of Harrods of London, the UK’s most famous luxury store: From now until 15 January Knightsbridge shoppers will be among the first to enjoy a close-up view of the new CT 200h as part of a four-window Lexus display. It is …

Kevin · December 14th, 2010

Lexus USA CT 200h Pricing!

The U.S. pricing for the Lexus CT 200h has been announced by way of Nevada’s Lexus of Reno dealership, who have posted the full details to their blog one day before the official announcement. To start with, the MSRP of the Entry-Level CT will be $29,120 USD ($29,995 after delivery charges), and includes standard equipment …

Kevin · December 14th, 2010

Lexus RX 350 with Panoramic Glass Roof

Although it’s not offered in North America, some parts of the world have the option of buying the current Lexus RX with a panoramic glass roof. One such place is Dubai, and Drive Arabia has some photos to let us in on what we’ve been missing: Every Lexus should be offered with a panoramic glass …

Kevin · December 14th, 2010

Comparison: 1990 Lexus LS 400 vs. 2010 Lexus LS 600hL

Lexus is celebrating their 20th anniversary in the United Kingdom, and to show how far the brand has come in twenty years, they’ve released a video comparing the first-gen LS & the current LS hybrid: Here’s a chart that details the differences, just in case they went by too fast: In some ways, it’s hard …

Kevin · December 13th, 2010

Calty Designers Talk about Lexus LF-Ch

Hard to believe I never featured this before, but here’s an fascinating six-minute presentation by two people responsible for designing the Lexus LF-Ch concept: Tom Matsumoto, the design team leader, and Edward Lee, the creative designer: This presentation took place during a Pecha Kucha Night, a unique one-evening conference that only allows presenters 20 slides …

Kevin · December 13th, 2010

Matte Black Lexus ES 350 Surprise

The final vinyl wrap of the week also comes with a pretty funny story — but first, check out this matte black Lexus ES 350: As it turns out, Club Lexus member Somebody had his wife’s car vinyl wrapped as a surprise: Material used: one roll of 3M 1080-12M matte black purchased. (the material was …

Kevin · December 10th, 2010

Rainbow Lexus LS

Once and a while, you find something so offensive on the Internet that the only way to reduce the anger is to share it — and that’s how I feel about the multi-colored first-gen Lexus LS in this video: The worst part? This LS probably still runs perfectly.

Kevin · December 10th, 2010

Matte White Lexus IS-F

These Matte White Lexus IS-F photos from Import Bible are the next instalment of my unofficial Vinyl Wrap week: Matte white is funny — white is hardly the most reflective paint color to begin with, but that extra opacity just gives the surface a subtle boost that I really like. (Thanks for the idea, Mark!)

Kevin · December 10th, 2010

Lexus LS 460 x Job Design Body Kit x VIP Modular Wheels

Stance Nation has posted photos of a super-fresh Lexus LS 460 decked out in a Job Design body kit and some 22″ VIP Modular wheels (click for larger images): The photos were taken by Jerry Troung from The Perfect Exposure blog, who did an excellent job — absolutely wild. [Source: Stance Nation]

Kevin · December 9th, 2010

Camouflaged Lexus RX 450h

Continuing on with the matte vinyl car wraps from yesterday, here’s a Lexus RX 450h camo’ed up especially for the UK Special Forces: The company responsible is Creative FX, who also put together a very detailed video converting a Ferrari F430 from red to matte black. [Source: Creative FX & Flickr]

Kevin · December 8th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Manufacturing Video

Here’s a new video that gives a glimpse into the CT 200h’s manufacturing process at the Kyushu plant in Japan: I’m a huge fan of manufacturing videos no matter what, but there’s also a strong message in this video — even though the CT 200h will be the entry-level Lexus, it still benefits from the …

Kevin · December 8th, 2010

Lexus Dealership Tips

Lexus Magazine has some tips on getting the most out of your local dealership — here’s just a couple of the suggestions: Tip 3: Many dealers make sales calls. Here’s a surprise. The previous tip about not having to come into the dealership also applies to sales. When looking for your next Lexus, you can …

Kevin · December 8th, 2010

Lexus IS F Gets Wrapped in Matte Black

For whatever reason, I have a bunch of matte finish Lexus to show you this week — first off is this time-lapse video of a white IS-F being converted to matte black: I’ve really come around to the idea of wrapping a car, it’s just a larger version of putting a screen protector on your …

Kevin · December 7th, 2010

Lexus LS L-Select Custom Color Combinations

L-Select, the Lexus LS customization program available in Japan, has a brand new website with some (very small) photos of potential color combinations: Iris Topaz Beige Scarlet Rose Olive Umber Snow White Blue Gray Dark Brown Both the Blue Gray & Dark Brown may very well be Alcantara, which is a very nice touch and …

Kevin · December 7th, 2010

Lexus Sales in China

There’s a very interesting Bloomberg article on Lexus sales in China — here’s an excerpt: Even after China’s import duties and higher taxes on luxury cars, Lexus currently earns more per car in the world’s largest auto market, said Karl Schlicht, head of the marque’s global product and marketing division, citing a weaker dollar. Premium …

Kevin · December 6th, 2010

A Visit to Lexus of Henderson

During last month’s visit to Las Vegas, I took the opportunity to get a good look at the newly opened Lexus of Henderson. The dealership is a massive facility and the largest one I’ve ever been to, but it’s not just the size that’s impressive, the design is pure classic — check out the showroom:

Kevin · December 5th, 2010

GT5 Lexus LFA Magazine Article

By now, we’ve all seen shots of the Lexus LFA cruising around the world of Gran Turismo 5, but here’s a unique take by GT Planet member Alejandro Gomez, who has created a full magazine article using only screenshots (click the pages to see a larger version): A brilliant job by Mr. Gomez — a …

Kevin · December 3rd, 2010

Lexus Middle East GX 460 Commercial

While we’re in the Middle East, check out this sandy Lexus GX commercial: I’m a huge fan of the Lexus commercials from the Middle East — here’s another one that sticks out in my memory — there’s this iconic feel that really capture my imagination. (Must be my desire to drive a LX/GX out in …

Kevin · December 2nd, 2010

World’s Largest Lexus Showroom Opens in Kuwait

This past weekend, the world’s largest Lexus showroom opened in Kuwait — The Arab Times reports from the grand opening ceremony: The new Lexus showroom is built on a 3,000 square meters (32,291 square feet), and offers 7-star service to Lexus customers. In the words of the chairman, “It is a true milestone in the …

Kevin · December 2nd, 2010

2012 Lexus GS-F?

Road & Track sure are rumor-happy this week — first there was their report that the next-generation Lexus IS will be built in 2013 on a modified FT-86 platform, and now today they’re back with news of the 2012 GS-F: Our sources tell us that [the GS-F] will come with a 5.0-liter V-8 that will …

Kevin · December 1st, 2010

Lexus November 2010 Sales Report

USA November has flown by, here are the model-by-model sales numbers for Lexus USA: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 4,070 4,110 -5.1 43,183 41,954 3.3 HS 788 1,407 -46.3 9,542 4,719 102.9 LS 1,270 1,057 15.1 10,759 9,249 16.7 SC 17 34 -52.1 315 670 -52.8 …

Kevin · December 1st, 2010

TLE Site Update

In order to keep things current and make room for some planned improvements, I’ve updated the website design — no major changes, and probably best compared to the 2011 Lexus IS refresh: all the same elements, just a little bit sharper. If things are looking a little weird for you, I suggest clicking your browser …

Kevin · December 1st, 2010

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