August 2014 – Lexus Enthusiast | Lexus Enthusiast

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Building the Lexus RX: A Tour of the Cambridge Manufacturing Plant in Canada

Lexus’ BEYOND Magazine has an in-depth feature on the RX manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Canada, the only place outside of Japan where Lexus vehicles are built: On average, it takes 24 hours to make an RX 350 – 10 hours are spent just in the paint shop – and about 2,400 components are required. Parts …

Kevin · August 29th, 2014

Lexus Enthusiast Membership Drive Now Complete!

Hello everyone, After just two weeks, the Lexus Enthusiast Membership Drive finished today. All founding memberships are now sold. With the first stage of massive project complete, I would like to give my deepest thanks to all founding members! Look for an email later tonight with some announcements, including a very special giveaway to celebrate …

Kevin · August 28th, 2014

Lexus LX is 43% of All Lexus Sales in the Middle East

Lexus sales have grown 20% in the Middle East in the first six months of 2014, with 21,598 units sold across the region. Leading the charge is the LX, which has sold 9,178 units (!!!) and make up a staggering 43-percent of total Lexus sales in the area. [Source: AMEinfo]

Kevin · August 27th, 2014

Photos: The Lexus RC Press Event in New York

Yesterday in upstate New York, I had a chance to drive the RC 350, RC 350 F SPORT, and the absolutely insane RC F on the Monticello Motor Club racetrack. There’s an embargo on all information & driving impressions, but I can share a couple photos from the event: Full details on the RC family …

Kevin · August 27th, 2014

Lexus Has No Plans to Manufacture Vehicles in China

According to Lexus International vice-president Mark Templin, there are no plans to start manufacturing vehicles in China: “We don’t have those conversations,” Templin said. “We haven’t gotten to the point where we have serious conversations about building cars in China yet.” The immediate priority is building the brand in the country, where German badges are …

Kevin · August 26th, 2014

Lexus NX Commercial from Japan

Lexus Japan has released a commercial for the new NX compact crossover, and it has that same quirky cleverness seen in their recent campaigns: There’s also this behind-the-scenes look at all those bubbles:

Kevin · August 26th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F in Nebula Grey Pearl

Last week, a Nebula Grey Pearl Lexus RC F was on display at the Lexus of Riverside dealership in Southern California — here’s a photo gallery from our friends at Kaizen Factor: A very subtle color for the high-performance coupe — gives it a real sleeper look. (Thanks Ryan!)

Kevin · August 25th, 2014

2015 Lexus GS to be Available in Atomic Silver

After debuting with the third-generation Lexus IS , the Atomic Silver exterior color will be coming to the 2015 GS. So far, Japan & the USA have confirmed the color’s availability, and I imagine other markets will follow suit. [Source: Lexus Global Newsroom]

Kevin · August 25th, 2014

Listen to the Lexus RC F Exhaust Note

Lexus UK has released an audio clip of the RC F’s exhaust note in all its glory: Pure monster sound — here’s a direct download of an MP3 or iPhone-compatible M4A if you’re interested in using the revving as a ringtone.

Kevin · August 24th, 2014

Video: The Lexus RC Four-Wheel Steering System

There’s a new video from Lexus International demonstrating the four-wheel steering system offered on the RC: As a bonus, here’s some driving footage of the RC — pretty cool stuff:

Kevin · August 22nd, 2014

Toyota President Akio Toyoda Takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Surprise of the day — here’s Toyota president Akio Toyota participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a social media charity campaign, where participants record themselves being dunked in ice-cold water in order to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” So far, the campaign …

Kevin · August 22nd, 2014

More Photos of the Starfire Pearl Lexus RC 300h

After the request for more photos of the Starfire Pearl RC 300h, Japanese Lexus enthusiast Yuki Okada sent in this image gallery: This RC 300h is currently on display at the Lexus Midland Square showroom in Nagoya.

Kevin · August 21st, 2014

Photo: Lexus RC 300h in Starfire Pearl

Lexus Japan is currently showing an RC 300h with a Starfire Pearl exterior at their Midland Square showroom in Nagoya. This marks the first time the standard RC has been seen in a color other than Infrared, and it looks great in this low-resolution photo — hoping for better images to surface shortly. [Source: Toyota …

Kevin · August 20th, 2014

Lexus Named Best British Dealership by Auto Express Readers

Lexus has been named Britain’s top car dealer in the annual Auto Express Driver Power Survey. This year, more than 50,000 readers and website visitors voted in the survey — Lexus finished with a 92.1% approval rating, followed by Honda at 89.8% and Porsche at 89.3%. It’s the second year in a row that Lexus …

Kevin · August 20th, 2014

Lexus CRAFTED LINE Special Editions Debut at Pebble Beach

The CRAFTED LINE special edition Lexus models were on display this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance — here are some photos from the Lexus USA Facebook page: The Crafted Line is a group of special edition vehicles with an exclusive Ultra White/Obsidian exterior and two-tone black/red interior. The LS, GS, RX, ES, & …

Kevin · August 19th, 2014

Video: Lexus USA Golden Opportunity Commercial Featuring the RC F & Donuts

Lexus USA has released a funny Youtube-only video for their Golden Opportunity Sales Event featuring the new orange RC F and some serious donuts:

Kevin · August 18th, 2014

Lexus Enthusiast Membership Drive Update: Funding Goal Reached

Hello everyone, Time for a big announcement — in just one week, the Lexus Enthusiast Membership Drive has reached 101% of its $10,000 funding goal! Thank you to all the founding members for showing their support, I’ve been humbled by this amazing response and the strong vote of confidence. This is only the beginning of …

Kevin · August 18th, 2014

Lexus LFA Honored in EVO Magazine’s Top Five Cars of the Modern Era

In celebration of its 200th issue, the writers at EVO Magazine gathered their top five cars of the modern era in order to crown “the one that best represents the Thrill of Driving”. As you can probably tell from the image above, Lexus’ very own LFA was included alongside the Ford GT, Renaultsport Mégane R26.R, Porsche …

Kevin · August 18th, 2014

Lexus UK Releases RC F Pricing & Package Information

Lexus UK has released pricing for the 2015 RC F coupe and its two option packages, with the base-model RC F starting at £59,995 and RC F Carbon package at £67,995. (Please note for anyone outside of the UK, these prices include a 10% import duty and 20% value-added tax. Calculating another country’s price is …

Kevin · August 15th, 2014

New Lexus Model to Debut at LA Auto Show in November?

The LA Auto Show has announced that twenty-five production & concept vehicles will have their world debut at this year’s show in November, and will include a new model from Lexus. Here’s a press release quote with all the details so far: This year’s debuts will deliver production and concept vehicles representing the ever-growing luxury, …

Kevin · August 14th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus NX in Japan

Japanese website Response has an excellent photo gallery of the Lexus NX: (The NX is destined to be a huge hit in Japan — dealerships in the country have already taken 6,500 preorders.) [Source: Response.jp]

Kevin · August 14th, 2014

Sponsor: OpenRoad Lexus Cars & Coffee in Richmond

Lexus Enthusiast sponsor OpenRoad Lexus in Richmond, BC, is having a Cars & Coffee event at the dealership this weekend: We invite Lexus owners from around the Lower Mainland to start their day with delicious coffee and pastries, and meet other Lexus Enthusiasts for an engaging morning of cars and coffee. Where: OpenRoad Lexus Richmond …

Kevin · August 14th, 2014

Lexus RC & Lexus NX Nominated for European Car of the Year

Despite not yet being available for sale, both the Lexus RC & Lexus NX have been nominated for the 2015 European Car of the Year award. The annual award is decided by a jury of automotive journalists representing publications throughout Europe. There are currently are 32 candidate vehicles — a shortlist of seven nominees will …

Kevin · August 13th, 2014

Video: Exclusive Features of the Lexus RC F SPORT

Lexus International has released a video outlining the exclusive features included with the RC F SPORT, and in the process revealed the first look of the standard RC in the new orange exterior color: (So this new orange will be known as Nova Orange internationally, Solar Flare in the UK, and Molten Pearl in the …

Kevin · August 13th, 2014

Is Lexus Building a Next-Generation LFA Supercar?

Last week, a Bloomberg article from Craig Trudell suggested that Lexus is building a successor to the LFA supercar: Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which ended a two-year production run of the $375,000 LFA in 2012 after manufacturing 500 units, will build a successor to the 552-horsepower car, Executive Vice President Mark Templin told reporters today. …

Kevin · August 12th, 2014

Lexus Enthusiast Membership Drive Starts Today

Hello all, Since launching in 2007, the Lexus Enthusiast website has become the single best independent source for daily news and insider information on all things Lexus. This fall, the site will be going through a large scale redesign that will introduce important & frequently requested new features — it’s an ambitious goal with plenty …

Kevin · August 11th, 2014

No Podium Finish for Lexus Racing Teams at Super GT Round 5

The Lexus Racing teams missed a podium finish at the 2014 Super GT Round 5 at Fuji Speedway — the top team was fifth place PETRONAS TOM’S finishing 5th, followed by KeePer TOM’S team at 9th. Here are highlights from the race courtesy of the Super GT Youtube channel: Despite the 9th place finish, the …

Kevin · August 11th, 2014

First Production Lexus NX Rolls Off Assembly Line in Japan

Earlier today, the very first Lexus NX rolled off the assembly line at Miyata factory in Kyushu, Japan — here’s video from the line-off ceremony: A Matador Red Mica NX 200t F SPORT and Eminent White NX 300h were the first to be built — here’s some footage from the assembly line: [Source: Lexus International]

Kevin · August 8th, 2014

Lexus Enthusiast: A New Chapter Begins on Monday

Hello everyone — my name is Kevin Watts, and I’m the founder and editor of the Lexus Enthusiast website. I’ve been writing Lexus Enthusiast since 2007, starting it as a hobby after buying my first car, a 1994 LS 400. Seven years later, and the site has been visited by millions of people and is …

Kevin · August 7th, 2014

Lexus Japan to Offer Brand Experience Tour of Australia

Lexus Japan is offering an Amazing Experience tour of Australia, bringing together special luxury events with a driving tour of the country’s best roads. Open to owners, the eight day trip includes a day at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, a two-day driving experience through rainforests, and attending the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. The Amazing …

Kevin · August 7th, 2014

Lexus IS C Convertible Returns for 2015 Model Year

While the Lexus IS F has just ended its production run, the IS C will live to see another year — Lexus will continue to build the six-year-old convertible despite being based on the previous generation IS sedan. (This decision can be easily explained — while the RC F will succeed the IS F in …

Kevin · August 6th, 2014

Three New Lexus RC F Videos

Lexus International has released three new RC F videos, with the first focusing on the 5.0L V8 engine: Next up is an overview of the Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) and its three settings: Normal, Slalom, and Track: The final video is straight driving footage of the RC F — never a bad thing, that’s for …

Kevin · August 6th, 2014

Lexus USA Announces Crafted Line Special Edition Models

Lexus USA has announced The Crafted Line, a group of special edition F SPORT vehicles with an exclusive Ultra White/Obsidian exterior and two-tone black/red interior. The LS, GS, RX, ES, & IS are all available with the package — here are photos showing off the special edition models: All Crafted Line vehicles feature an Ultra …

Kevin · August 5th, 2014

Video: Guided Tour of the Lexus NX

For anyone looking at purchasing a Lexus NX in the USA, this two-part video with Ming-Jou Chen of Lexus College is an excellent overview of the new crossover: (The new door handle is a real improvement over the current design — very stylish and functional. Look forward to seeing it on other models.)

Kevin · August 5th, 2014

Will.i.am to Design Limited Edition Lexus NX

Lexus Europe has teamed up with artist Will.i.am for the NX crossover marketing campaign — the first collaboration is a music video for the song “Dreaming about the Future”, which features the NX heavily: Will.i.am will star in the very first European NX commercial later this year, and will also be designing a limited edition …

Kevin · August 4th, 2014

Lexus Owners Meet in Toronto This Tuesday

Local event announcement — Erin Park Lexus in Mississauga will be hosting a Lexus owner’s meet this Tuesday night from 4-7pm. All Lexus owners are welcome — there will be some special vehicles on display, including an LFA and some other potential surprises. I’ll be attending with my new CT 200h F SPORT (which I …

Kevin · August 3rd, 2014

Lexus July 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 27,333 total sales for July 2014, a 14.1% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,979 1,306 45.7 10,316 8,858 16.5 HS 0 2 ‐100.0 0 5 ‐100.0 IS 4,542 3,641 19.9 28,115 14,427 …

Kevin · August 1st, 2014

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