Lexus Announces SEMA 2013 Lineup

The 2013 SEMA Show opens in Las Vegas next week, and just as in years previous, Lexus will have a full display of vehicles customized by North American tuners. The common theme with this year’s vehicles is the model — the IS sports sedan was the starting point for every project car (save a single …

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Kevin · October 31st, 2013

Lexus IS F Drag Racer from E KANOO Racing

E Kanoo Racing out of Bahrain are famous for their insanely fast Toyota Supras, and they’ve now turned their attention on developing a Lexus IS F drag racer — here’s the first test run: Powering the IS F drag racers is a Pat Musi custom 649 cubic-inch engine with twin Pro Mod turbos — the …

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Kevin · October 31st, 2013

Three Lexus Models Nominated in 2013 Australia’s Best Cars Awards

Three Lexus models have been named as finalists in the 2013 Australia’s Best Cars awards — the IS 300h has been nominated in the Best Medium Car over $50k category, and the Best Large Car Over $60k category includes both the GS 350 F SPORT & GS 450h. The ABC awards are run by Australia’s …

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Kevin · October 31st, 2013

New Lexus IS F SPORT Body Kit from LX Mode

Japanese tuner LX Mode has created a collection of new modifications for the 2014 Lexus IS: All the modifications together on one vehicle seems like overkill, but there’s some decent individual pieces — I don’t mind the look of the carbon fiber headlight insert and the thin-line LED above the (non-USA spec) foglight. [Source: LX …

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Kevin · October 30th, 2013

Right-Hand Drive Lexus ES Starts Arriving in Asia-Pacific Dealerships

After a five year hiatus, the sixth-generation ES has returned to the Asia-Pacific’s right-hand-drive markets, with the new model arriving in dealerships this week — as part of the new launch, the ES even received a police escort through Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia: Lexus Hong Kong, Lexus Malaysia, Lexus Singapore, & Lexus Australia have all …

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Kevin · October 30th, 2013

Lexus & BMW Working on Next-Generation LFA?

According to the November cover of Japanese magazine Best Car, Lexus & BMW are working on a joint-project to build the next-generation LFA — there’s even a rendering of what this LFA II might look like: This seems extremely unlikely (to put it lightly), but it should sell plenty of magazines when the issue comes …

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Kevin · October 29th, 2013

UK Radio Personality Chris Evans Reviews the Lexus IS 300h

High profile UK radio & television personality Chris Evans has reviewed the new Lexus IS 300h for The Daily Mail, and it’s extremely positive: This car looks great. I mean, really great. In fact, I can’t recall a new Lexus that hasn’t. Her sleek body styling and classy (especially for what is essentially a limo) …

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Kevin · October 28th, 2013

Lexus Ranks First in Consumer Reports 2013 Reliability Rankings

Lexus has placed first in the annual Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings, ranking ahead of Toyota & Acura. The rankings are based on data from the 1.1 million vehicles owned by the magazine’s subscriber experiences. All eight Lexus models in the survey received an above average reliability score. Six models received the Consumer Reports “Recommended” rating, …

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Kevin · October 28th, 2013

New Information on the Twin-Turbo Lexus LS TS 650

CAR Magazine has a small feature on the Lexus LS-based, twin-turbo TS 650 from Toyota Motorsports in Germany, and it includes some new information on the history of the super sedan: It was back in 2010 that Toyota’s chairman, Akio Toyoda, felt the itch to build his own special LS luxury saloon. Allegedly inspired by …

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Kevin · October 28th, 2013

Salma Hayek & Lexus RX Star in Milk Commercial

Let’s end the week off on a light note — here’s the Lexus RX playing a supporting role in this funny milk commercial with Salma Hayek: Have a nice weekend everybody!
Kevin · October 25th, 2013

Lexus Europe Announces Special Edition RX 450h

Lexus Europe has announced a special edition RX 450h with a blacked-out bumper color, LED headlights, exclusive 7-spoke 19″ alloy wheels, and an optional panoramic roof — here’s a couple high resolution photos without the glass roof: Even on a black RXh, the bumper stands out from the exterior color: I’m a big fan of …

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Kevin · October 25th, 2013

Lexus LFA Speedometer Ranked the Best Ever by Jalopnik Readers

Jalopnik has ranked the Lexus LFA speedometer the “most spectacularly designed automotive graphic” ever, and it’s easy to see why with videos like this: The LFA speedometer is already an iconic piece of Lexus history — I’m not sure what I like best, the moving metal ring or the fact that it had to be …

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Kevin · October 24th, 2013

Artist Creates Lexus IS F SPORT That Can Paint Pictures

Lexus Belgium has collaborated with artist Sergio Albiac to build an IS capable of painting pictures of its driver — best watch this video for a better explanation: It’s not for everyone, but there’s something very cool about a car that can generate images based on how you drive — I’d like to see the …

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Kevin · October 24th, 2013

Edmunds Reviews the Lexus LS 600hL

Ed Hellwig of Edmunds has reviewed the 2013 Lexus LS 600hL, and he finds a way to justify the cost of the flagship hybrid: Handling has been improved to the point where it will satisfy owners who want a ride somewhere between isolated and responsive. Lexus stiffened the body of the LS, which gave the …

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Kevin · October 24th, 2013

Lexus LFA Owners Event Today in New Orleans

A very special event is happening today in New Orleans — 20 Lexus LFA owners have gathered at the NOLA Motorsport Park for a day of racing. While there’s sure to be official Lexus coverage in the days to come, people attending the track day have been posting photos on social media networks — here’s …

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Kevin · October 23rd, 2013

Lexus USA Dealership Stories

The Toyota Driver’s Seat blog has shared three Lexus dealership customer stories, including this very impressive completed sale at Lexus Escondido in California: A Maryland driver wanted a 2013 ES 300h in a specific color with a specific set of options. He found it online – at Lexus Escondido in Southern California. “Within minutes, we …

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Kevin · October 23rd, 2013

Illest Clothing Brand Creates Lexus IS F SPORT Body Kit

Clothing brand Illest has announced a new tuning line called Illest Coachworks, and their first project is a body kit package for the 2014 Lexus IS F SPORT — here’s some renderings in high resolution: The Illest Coachworks IS F SPORT includes a front spoiler, rear diffuser, trunk wing, roof wing, and new exhaust tips …

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Kevin · October 22nd, 2013

2014 Lexus IS 250 Misses Consumer Reports “Recommended” Rating

The 2014 Lexus IS 250 will not be receive the Consumer Reports “Recommended” rating, according to a new Reuters article: The Lexus IS 250, which starts from US$35,950 (RM114,051), is “neither sporty nor luxurious” and had the “worst road test score posted by any Lexus sedan in recent memory,” Consumer Reports said in an e-mail. …

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Kevin · October 22nd, 2013

Autos Canada Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS 350 F SPORT AWD

Autos Canada recently drove the 2014 Lexus IS 350 F SPORT AWD along the British Columbia coast to the remote town of Tofino: When we pull into Tofino, the mutant aggression of the Lexus’s slashed and grilled face makes the car stand out like a sore thumb. It’s a surfer’s paradise here, and the year-rounders …

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Kevin · October 22nd, 2013

Video: New Lexus Race Car for 2014 Super GT Season

SUPER GT has released a new video of the Lexus, Honda, & Nissan race cars scheduled to take over the GT500 series in 2014: Although there’s still two races in the 2013 season, it’s hard not to look forward to the next generation of race cars — all of the fresh changes should make for …

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Kevin · October 21st, 2013

The Art of Driving by Lexus & Wallpaper Magazine

Lexus Europe & Wallpaper Magazine collaborated with two artists to create a pair of one-off art installations built around the new IS 300h. Cristina Parreño Architect Cristina Parreño works in Madrid & London, and has this to say about her installation: The installation is an attempt to capture movement in a still construction…The installation envisions …

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Kevin · October 21st, 2013

Imagining the Lexus RC F CCS-R Super Performance Coupe

Using the Lexus LF-CC concept as a starting point, Japanese magazine CAR TOP has designed a RC F wearing the orange & black paint job of the IS F CCS-R: It may a hodgepodge of letters, but the RC F CCS-R should be a reality once the new Lexus coupe is revealed — my expectation …

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Kevin · October 21st, 2013

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition Up for Auction with No Reserve

A Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition will be put up for auction with no reserve at the RKMCCA Collector Car Auctions in Charlotte next week. The #296 Whitest White LFA only has 366 miles on the odometer, and is expected to sell for $500,000 to $600,000. The car was built for NASCAR MWR team owner Rob …

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Kevin · October 20th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus IS 300h F SPORT in Ultrasonic Blue

Lexus UK has released a nice photo gallery of the Ultrasonic Blue IS 300h F SPORT: While Ultra White may be the F SPORT color of choice nowadays, Ultrasonic Blue would be my first choice, hands down. Looks fantastic. [Source: Lexus UK]
Kevin · October 18th, 2013

New Lexus GS 300h Commercial from Japan

Lexus Japan has made a commercial for the newly released GS 300h: The visuals were created using black lights, and the behind-the-scenes video is pretty interesting to watch even if you don’t understand Japanese: Perhaps the biggest surprise in the commercial is how low the GS sits — check out the wheel drop:
Kevin · October 17th, 2013

Lexus Europe to Offer Internet Hotspot in Select Models

Select Lexus models in Europe are now available with an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, providing Internet connectivity to the car’s passengers: Always available and immediately activated when the car is switched on, Lexus Hotspot allows for the simultaneous use of up to five Wi-Fi devices on board. It also enables in–car interaction between them for both …

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Kevin · October 17th, 2013

Video: Akio Toyoda Driving the Lexus LFA in Nürburgring 24h Race

Lexus has released more footage from this year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race, with a focus on Toyota president Akio Toyoda’s time behind the wheel of the LFA race car: (While on the topic of Akio Toyoda, be sure to check out Jalopnik’s “Salute To Japan’s Coolest Car Executive”.. A week old, but worth visiting if …

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Kevin · October 16th, 2013

Fake Lexus NX Spyshot Surfaces

A number of readers have sent in a link to the above image, which was posted on the Burlapp Car website with claims to be the new Lexus NX compact crossover — not to burst anyone’s bubble, but compare the image to this photo of the RX: Always find these fake spy shots so creative, …

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Kevin · October 16th, 2013

Lexus Shares Details on Future Engines

Koei Saga, the Toyota senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain research & development, shared some details with Automotive News on the company’s future engine plans: …Lexus recently trademarked “NX 2.0T” for a two-liter turbo version of its upcoming Lexus compact crossover [but] Saga is not convinced that Toyota will emphasize turbocharging across many product …

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Kevin · October 15th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus IS F SPORT on New Vossen CVT Directional Wheels

Vossen Wheels have announced the latest addition to their CV series — the new CVT is a light-weight, staggered directional one-piece cast wheel, and it’s a perfect fit for the new Lexus IS F SPORT: The CVT requires four molds, rather than the typical 1 or 2 molds for standard cast wheels. As a result, …

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Kevin · October 15th, 2013

Milestone: Lexus Has Built 1.5 Million ES Models Since 1989

Lexus has recently reached a significant manufacturing milestone — according to Just Auto, 1.5 million ES models have been built since the model’s debut in 1989. Six generations of the ES have been built over the past 24 years, and it has been the best selling Lexus car over that period. (Also of note for …

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Kevin · October 14th, 2013

2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT Spotted!

The 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT has been spotted by Leftlane News during a commercial shoot — here are photos of the front & back: There were no photos of the side profile, but here’s a closer look at the new spindle grille: All in all, it’s a great looking update — the spindle …

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Kevin · October 14th, 2013

Toyota to Debut Fuel Cell Vehicle at Tokyo Motor Show, Will Not be a Lexus

The year-long mystery of the Lexus HS 250h hydrogen fuel-cell prototype has been (at least partially) solved, as Toyota brought journalists to Japan this week to drive the still-camouflaged vehicle — from Bloomberg: To demonstrate how far hydrogen cars have come since the early 2000s, Toyota gave test drives of a small, prototype sedan in …

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Kevin · October 11th, 2013

Next-Generation Lexus Automated Driving Assist System Announced

The Toyota Motor Corporation has announced their next-generation advanced driving support system, Automated Highway Driving Assist (AHDA), which is made up of two new automated driving technologies: Cooperative-adaptive Cruise Control In contrast to standard radar cruise control (which uses millimeter-wave radar to detect other vehicles), Cooperative-adaptive Cruise Control uses 700-MHz band vehicle-to-vehicle ITS communications to …

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Kevin · October 10th, 2013

Updated Lexus CT 200h in 2014, Brand New CT in 2016?

In a recent interview with The Motor Report, Lexus Australia Sean Hanley confirmed that the CT 200h will receive a mid-cycle refresh ahead of an all-new model in 2016: Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley is refusing to admit defeat – or even disappointment – with the CT 200h baby hybrid. “We see the CT …

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Kevin · October 10th, 2013

Lexus IS 350 F SPORT Named Esquire Car of the Year

The 2014 Lexus IS 350 F SPORT has been named the Esquire Car of the Year: This is a deeply Japanese machine in the best way, a hypersensitive steamroller of a car that has as much in common with a German autobahn weapon as a Gundam suit does with a Walther P38. The industry has …

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Kevin · October 10th, 2013

Lexus to Reveal Production Coupe at Tokyo Motor Show?

Lexus will debut a new production coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, according to the Australian GoAuto website: Get set for another two-door Lexus stunner when the doors open at the 43rd Tokyo motor show next month. Lexus is tight-lipped on the exact nature of its big expose, but you can expect it …

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Kevin · October 9th, 2013

Lexus is the Second Most-Loved Brand in the USA

According to the 2013 LEAP Brand Index, Lexus is the second most-loved brand in the United States, behind only the iPhone. Lexus climbed 22 spots in 2013, jumping from 24th in 2012 to 2nd overall. Debuting in 2010, the LEAP, or Leveraging Emotional Attachment for Profit Brand Index, uses a proprietary methodology to gauge consumers’ …

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Kevin · October 9th, 2013

Interview with Lexus IS Deputy Chief Engineer Naoki Kobayashi

Lexus IS deputy chief engineer Naoki Kobayashi explains some of the car’s interior design decisions in an interview with Lexus UK: Lexus UK: What’s the difference between ordinary seats and the ‘integrated foaming construction’ seats that are a Lexus first in the F-SPORT? Kobayashi-san: A conventional car seat is designed like a stuffed toy, with a …

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Kevin · October 8th, 2013

Lexus Releases Four Commercials for 2014 SUV Lineup

Lexus has released a new commercial for each of their SUVs — here’s the complete set: 2014 Lexus GX Commercial 2014 Lexus RX Commercial 2014 Lexus LX Commercial There’s also a super-cut that splices together scenes from all three commercials:
Kevin · October 8th, 2013

Lexus LS, ES 350, & IS Convertible Get Minor Updates in 2014

Much like the rest of the lineup, the Lexus LS, ES 350 & IS C convertible all received minor updates for the 2014 model year — here is a list of changes for the models sold in the USA. 2014 Lexus LS Siri Eyes-Free mode. Revised auto headlamp on/off Ability to open trunk lid without …

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Kevin · October 7th, 2013

Custom Wide Body Lexus IS F SPORT Coming to SEMA

EST Styling is bringing a custom all-metal wide body Lexus IS 250 F SPORT to the SEMA show in November — here’s the promotional poster: Equipped with an Air Runner suspension & painted in a wild BASF orange, this IS F SPORT is being built by Gabriel Escobedo & Paul Tolson (who also built the …

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Kevin · October 7th, 2013

Petronas Lexus SC 430 Team Wins Super GT Round 7

The Petronas racing team of Kazuki Nakajima & James Rossiter have won the Super GT Round 6 GT500 class in the #36 Lexus SC 430, coming from behind to win the race in the final laps. The ZENT CERUMO #38 SC 430, winners of the Round 6 at the Fuji Speedway, finished second and are …

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Kevin · October 7th, 2013

Guest Review: 2013 Lexus RX 350 F SPORT

The following is a review of the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F SPORT by guest author Tim Esterdahl, an associate editor for the Tundra Headquarters enthusiast website. The new F Sport package for the Lexus RX 350 is an interesting new addition to the luxury SUV product line, and after spending a week driving it …

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Kevin · October 6th, 2013

Video: Top Gear’s Richard Hammond Drives the 2001 Lexus GS 430

Let’s travel back to the year 2000 with Top Gear’s Richard Hammond reviewing the 2001 Lexus GS 430 for the Men & Motors TV show Much like his review of the LFA nearly a decade later, Hammond focuses on his unfortunate belief that Lexus lacks a soul — regardless, it’s still fun to flashback to …

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Kevin · October 4th, 2013

Production Lexus NX Compact Crossover Released in August 2014?

Japanese magazine Mag-X has published some information on the upcoming Lexus NX compact crossover — here are the main points, roughly translated: The Lexus NX will use the same chassis platform as the RAV4. The production model could reach dealerships in August 2014. Measurements could be 4550 × 1845 × 1660mm (length x width x …

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Kevin · October 3rd, 2013

Lexus China Commerical: Living in a CT 200h

Really like this CT 200h commercial from Lexus China: There’s something very authentic about this video and the way it captures the emotion of hybrid technology — job well done.
Kevin · October 3rd, 2013

Photo: VIP Auto Salon Builds Custom Lexus IS F SPORT for SEMA

SEMA is now a month away, and as you can see in the above photo, VIP Auto Salon is hard at work creating the custom Lexus IS F SPORT from this summer’s Lexus IS Design contest — as a reminder, here’s the winning design from Rob Evans: The finished car will be shown at the …

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Kevin · October 2nd, 2013

2014 Lexus IS Nominated for North American Car of the Year Award

The Lexus IS has been nominated for the 2014 North American Car of the Year, an annual award given by a jury of 50 North American auto writers. The IS is currently up against 12 competitors, including the BMW 4-Series, Cadillac CTS & Corvette Stingray — the next round of voting will pare down the …

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Kevin · October 2nd, 2013

Video: Lexus LFA Special Event at Nürburgring

At the beginning of September, two Lexus LFA owners attended a driving event at the Nürburgring in Germany — here’s a fast video recap of their day on the track: The Lexus International website has more details: Craig Zinn of Florida, USA and Aberhard Jung from Switzerland joined with fellow enthusiasts of other illustrious car …

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Kevin · October 1st, 2013

Lexus September 2013 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 19,522 total sales for September 2013, a 4.1% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2013 2012 % CHG* 2013 2012 % CHG* CT 798 1,195 -27.4 11,440 13,612 -15.6 HS 0 8 -100.0 5 641 -99.2 IS 3,201 2,248 54.8 22,060 21,107 …

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Kevin · October 1st, 2013

Lexus RX 350, RX 450h, & ES 300h Get Minor Updates in 2014

The Lexus RX 350, RX 450h & ES 300h all received minor updates for the 2014 model year — let’s break down the changes for the models sold in the USA. The 2014 RX 350 The available Pre-Collision System now features Pre-Brake technology and forward collision warning system. Luxury Package adds rear-seat 115v AC power …

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Kevin · October 1st, 2013