Happy Holidays from Lexus Enthusiast

As we enter the festive season, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a safe and happy holidays! Like every year, I’ll be taking some time off over the holidays. Regular posting will resume on January 5th — a little longer than usual, but for good reason. Along …

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Kevin · December 24th, 2014

Festive Photo Gallery with the Lexus RC F SPORT

With the holiday season just about here, there’s no better time to feature this festive Lexus RC photo gallery from Kevin King Uy: The photos were taken at Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, and really capture the spirit of the area. Great work, Kevin!
Kevin · December 23rd, 2014

More Fuel Cell Lexus LS Rumors

Lexus will introduce a fuel cell version of the LS flagship, according to a new Motoring Australia article from Peter Lyon: According to one source, the LS’s nose section will be redesigned with larger air intakes to ventilate the hydrogen powered electric system. The car will incorporate a fuel-cell unit under the front seat, a …

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Kevin · December 22nd, 2014

Lexus IS 200t Turbo Prototype Spotted in Colorado?

A camouflaged Lexus IS prototype with emissions testing equipment and manufacturer plates was spotted in the Colorado Rocky Mountains by The Fast Lane Car: As suggested by TFLCar, a plausible possibility for this IS prototype is the testing of the 2.0L turbo engine first introduced with the NX 200t. Lexus has already trademarked IS 200t …

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Kevin · December 19th, 2014

Photoshop: Experimenting with the Lexus Teaser Image

One of the funnest things about automotive teasers is trying to pull something unexpected from the image, and that’s what reader Michael Pannone did with the Lexus photo from yesterday (click for a larger image): Flipping the original image and photoshopping a mesh grille from the RC F to fill in the gaps, Michael was …

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Kevin · December 18th, 2014

New Lexus High Performance F Model Coming to Detroit Auto Show

Lexus has released two teaser images for new model set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January — here they are (click for a larger version): Here’s the full press release: Lexus announced it will be adding a second vehicle to its growing stable of F brand high performance models. Earlier this year, …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2014

Toyota to Transform Scion into Small-Premium Brand?

Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz believes that Scion should become a small-premium brand, according to an interview with Wards Auto: “I still personally believe small-premium is the direction we should be going,” he tells WardsAuto in a recent interview here during a Toyota press event. “I think that (the) Toyota channel, itself, with vehicles …

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Kevin · December 16th, 2014

The Lexus NX: Focus on the Details

Some interesting details on the Lexus NX development have been shared by Australian website GoAuto: Items such as body shake induced by windscreen wiper movement and changes in vehicle geometry due to differences in tyre tread were studied and addressed for the utmost refinement under a system dubbed microscopic force control. The engineers said almost …

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Kevin · December 15th, 2014

Lexus Interested in Tesla’s Mall Showroom Strategy

Lexus USA general manager Jeff Bracken believes the Tesla shopping mall showrooms are “clever”, according to a recent interview with Wards Auto: “The model that Tesla has to open up their outlets in shopping malls is a clever one, (and) I think they’re getting a lot of folks to stop in and learn about Tesla,” …

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Kevin · December 15th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F & LFA Together

Last weekend, I travelled to Erin Park Lexus in Mississauga to visit my friend Norman and his Ultra White RC F. While at the dealership, I had a chance to photograph the RC F and LFA #34 in the showroom: Side by side, you can see just how much of the RC F’s design was …

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Kevin · December 14th, 2014

Rallycrossing in a 1993 Lexus ES 300

Here’s something you don’t see every day — Raphael Orlove from Jalopnik took his 1993 Lexus ES 300 out rallycrossing: I had said many times that I didn’t need class wins or fast times. Mechanical survival would be my victory. All I had to do was get the car home. The problem was that the …

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Kevin · December 12th, 2014

New Lexus RC F Commercial from Japan

Lexus Japan have released a new commercial for the RC F that draws on their recent success in the Super GT racing series: Not to be outdone, there’s also this RC commercial featuring a female minotaur (?!?):
Kevin · December 11th, 2014

Car Advice Comparison: The Lexus RC 350 F SPORT vs. BMW 435i

CarAdvice in Australia have compared the Lexus RC 350 F SPORT & BMW 435i in a realistic review: Lexus has thrown the gauntlet down to the opposition, pricing the RC350 F Sport at $74,000 – just $1000 over the IS350 sedan with which it shares its interior and rear suspension. The 435i coupe, meanwhile, costs …

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Kevin · December 11th, 2014

Lexus NX 200t AWD: By the Numbers

Car & Driver has put the Lexus NX 200t AWD to the test and reports the results: The numbers we got at the track won’t exactly light your hair on fire, the NX accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and hitting the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 92 mph. That 60-mph time …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2014

Next Generation Lexus LS to be a Fuel Cell Vehicle?

According to Japanese magazine Best Car, the next-generation Lexus LS will be a Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) powered at least in part by hydrogen. Not being able to read Japanese, I can only go by the pictures on the page — here’s the key illustration: Let’s compare it to the Toyota Fuel Cell System found …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2014

Lexus Considering V8 Supercars Racing Series in Australia

Lexus Australia recently confirmed its interest in taking part in the country’s V8 Supercars touring car championship series — from Car Advice: “We’ve had very high-level discussions with V8 Supercars,” Hanley told CarAdvice at the local launch of the Lexus RC350 in Melbourne today. “V8 Supercars never approached me, any interest we have shown has …

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test · December 9th, 2014

Lexus IS Named Best Executive Car in Scottish Car of the Year Awards

The Lexus IS has been named Executive Car of the Year in the Scottish Car of the Year Awards: Alasdair Suttie, [Association of Scottish Motoring Writers] President, said: “In a marketplace dominated by German offerings, the Lexus IS delivers a unique take on the compact luxury theme. It feels fresh and different to the more …

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Kevin · December 9th, 2014

More Details on the Production Lexus LF-C2 Convertible

Automotive News has more details on the Lexus LF-C2 and its chances of reaching production: Bracken says the LF-C2 was “purely a concept” and not slated for production. But according to a person familiar with Lexus’ planning, the brand is considering whether to produce a version of it to sell as the convertible RC — …

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Kevin · December 9th, 2014

Lexus CT Owner Blog: The CT 200h F SPORT in Winter

Winter has arrived, and I’m getting my first exposure to driving the CT 200h in the snow & ice. The cold weather has given me real appreciation for the product planners at Lexus Canada, who have outfitted the CT F SPORT package with heated front seats and side mirrors. I’ve driven Lexus press cars in …

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Kevin · December 8th, 2014

Motor Trend Comparison: Lexus RC F vs BMW M4

Motor Trend has published a comparison between the Lexus RC F & BMW M4, and it’s a total mess of conflicting information: We preferred the Lexus around town, as it’s a more interesting car to sit in thanks to its wealth of technical and visual details. The styling may be a large miss, but we …

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Kevin · December 8th, 2014

Video Comparison: Lexus RC F vs. BMW M4 & Audi RS 5

AMCI Testing, one of the most respected independent automotive testing companies in the world, has conducted a comparison between the Lexus RC F, BMW M4, and Audi RS 5: Considering the video is being hosted on the Lexus USA Youtube page, it would be easy enough to write off the results — however, this quote …

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Kevin · December 8th, 2014

2015 Lexus RC F Configurator Now on USA Website

For those US readers interested in purchasing an RCF, the Lexus USA website has been updated with an online configurator to help you build the exact car you want. As detailed earlier, pricing for the RC F will start at $63,325 — unfortunately, it appears the carbon fibre Performance Package has been delayed, as it’s …

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Kevin · December 7th, 2014

Interview with Lexus International President Tokuo Fukuichi

The Lexus UK blog has an insightful interview with Tokuo Fukuichi, the president of Lexus International — here he is talking about the brand’s current design direction: Within the premium brands, there are the German three: Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. We have to consider how Lexus should position itself against the German three. So I …

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Kevin · December 5th, 2014

Lexus Trademarks LC 500 & LC 500h in Canada, USA, and Australia

Lexus has just trademarked LC 500 & LC 500h in the USA, Canada, & Australia, giving us the first clear indication of what to expect from the upcoming production LF-LC coupe. This is huge news on multiple levels — there had been talk that the production LF-LC could resurrect the SC nameplate, but it appears …

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Kevin · December 4th, 2014

Lexus NX Receives Five Star Safety Rating in Europe

The Lexus NX has received a Euro NCAP five-star rating with scores well above the necessary minimum, making the new compact crossover one of the safest vehicles in its segment. Testing focuses on four areas: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist technologies — here are two NX crash-test videos: Here are the …

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Kevin · December 4th, 2014

Video: Lexus and the Future of Hybrid Technology

In a collaboration between Lexus & TED, here’s Paul Williamsen from Lexus International and Alex Shen from Calty Design discussing the future of Lexus vehicles, including some insight into the production LF-LC: (From Paul’s comments, we can definitely cross off the LF-LC production model from the list of potential debuts at the Detroit Auto Show …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F SPORT, NX F SPORT, and IS F SPORT All Together

Ace photographer Ste Ho pulled together the Lexus RC F SPORT, NX F SPORT, and IS F SPORT for a tidy little photoshoot: There’s a great shot with all three models together: (Before seeing all these models side-by-side, I would have said the spindle grille was different on every vehicle — surprised by how similar …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 2014

The Lexus RC F: By The Numbers

Car & Driver have gone technical with the Lexus RC F, measuring its performance and sharing how it performs against its competitors: In a three-way drag race, the Bimmer walks away, with the [RC] F and RS5 keeping pace through the quarter-mile. By 130 mph, the RC F has eked out a nearly two-second lead …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2014

Lexus November 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 27,472 total sales for November 2014, a 11.6% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,322 1,002 37.2 16,065 13,284 21.4 HS 0 2 ‐100.0 0 5 ‐100.0 IS 4,610 3,973 20.7 45,419 29,603 …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2014

Lexus Japan Offers RC F with Orange & Black Leather Interior

Lexus Japan is offering a unique orange & black leather interior colorway with the RC F — here’s some photos from Japanese website Response.jp: There’s also some official photos on the Lexus Japan website: For the moment it appears only Japan will be getting this interior color option, which is a real shame — pairing …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2014

Lexus will Sell 300,000 Vehicles in the USA This Year

Lexus will sell over 300,000 vehicles in the USA this year, marking the first time the brand has hit the 300k mark since 2007. Lexus USA general manager Jeff Bracken confirmed the sales figure in an interview with Automotive News last week, also stating that the company’s goal is to once again be the best-selling …

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Kevin · December 1st, 2014