Lexus RC F: First GenerationReviews

Road & Track Reviews the Lexus RC F

Road & Track have reviewed the Lexus RC F, praising the coupe for its uniqueness: Instead of trying to beat the Bavarians around a racetrack, Lexus has gone its own way with a playful alternate to the über-sports-coupe blueprint. Forget “clinical” and “precise.” This new flagship thumbs its nose at the BMW M4, then pokes …
Sales ReportsUSA

Lexus December 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA finished the year with 39,879 total sales for December 2014, a 10.3% improvement over last year and the best selling month ever for the brand — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,608 1,787 -13.5 17,673 15,071 17.3 HS 0 …
Lexus RC F: First GenerationReviewsUnited Kingdom

Lexus RC F Gets Five-Star Review from The Sunday Times

Giles Smith of The Sunday Times has given the Lexus RC F a full five-star review: The new Lexus RC F is expensive, cumbersome, blazingly immodest, fundamentally impractical, comes fitted with an unnecessarily large and uneconomical engine and is altogether, in a naggingly high number of ways, boilingly inappropriate. I can’t think of many cars …
Personal

Happy New Year from Lexus Enthusiast!

A fresh new year is here, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my readers for their support over the past twelve months. 2015 is going to be an exciting year — the redesigned Lexus Enthusiast website will be launching in January with member forums and all-new features, and that’s just the …
PersonalSite News

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 …
FutureLexus LS: Fourth GenerationRumors

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 …
In the News

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 …
AustraliaLexus NX: First Generation

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 …
DealershipsUSA

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,” …
Lexus ES: Second Generation

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 …
AwardsEuropeLexus IS: Third GenerationUnited Kingdom

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 …
HybridsVideos

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 …
Lexus IS: Third GenerationLexus NX: First GenerationLexus RC: First GenerationPhoto Galleries

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 …
Lexus RC F: First GenerationReviews

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 …
CanadaSales ReportsUSA

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 …
Sales ReportsUSA

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 …
ComparisonsCompetitorsLexus IS: Third GenerationReviews

Auto Express Comparison: Lexus IS 300h vs. Mercedes C300 BlueTEC Hybrid

Auto Express prefers the Lexus IS 300h over the new Mercedes C300 BlueTEC Hybrid: In the battle of the hybrid saloons, the IS 300h takes a narrow win. Its hybrid powertrain feels better resolved than the Mercedes’, as it relies on the electric motor more frequently to save fuel, is more refined and switches between …
AutoshowsFutureLexus RX: Third GenerationRumors

Next-Generation Lexus RX to Debut at Detroit Auto Show?

Wards Auto is speculating that the next-generation RX could be one of two vehicles that Lexus debuts at the Detroit Auto Show in January: Meanwhile, [Lexus USA general manager Jeff] Bracken says Lexus will have at least one, if not two, models debuting at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. He doesn’t divulge …
In the News

Lexus to Offer New Safety Package Starting in 2015

Lexus has announced a new active safety package called the Lexus Safety System +, which will be offered on select models starting next year and on all models in Japan, North America, and Europe by 2017. Lexus Safety System + brings together four existing Lexus safety features and one new technology — here are videos …
AutoshowsFutureRumors

Lexus to Debut Two New Models at Detroit Auto Show?

In a speech to the Automotive Press Association, Lexus USA general manager Jeff Bracken suggested that two new models could be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show — from the Detroit Free Press: The growth plans for Lexus are focused on performance and high-end vehicles, including the global debut of a performance vehicle in January …
EuropeSales Reports

Lexus Europe Sales Jump 40 Percent in October

Lexus sales in Europe are growing — in October, the brand recorded a 40.1% increase over 2013, and are now up 24.7% on the year. Total sales from January to October are 24,679 units. (It’s going to be very interesting to watch European sales when the NX becomes less supply constrained — have to think …
AutoshowsConceptsPhoto Galleries

A Closer Look at the Lexus LF-C2 Concept

It’s been two days since the Lexus LF-C2 concept was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, so there’s no better time to take a closer look at the “open-air” coupe design. Using these photos from Darren Yasukochi Photography, let’s start with that massive monster front grille: The front end is an amalgamation of RC …
ConceptsVideos

Video: Introducing the Lexus LF-C2 Concept

Here’s the video shown at the debut of the Lexus LF-C2 concept today at the LA Auto Show: It’s funny the video mentions the past — the Lexus logo between the LF-C2’s rear seats immediately reminded me of the first-gen SC 400:
ConceptsFeatures

The Lexus LF-C2 Concept: Full Details & Information

The Lexus LF-C2 concept has been revealed at the LA Auto Show, and there’s plenty of new photos and details to get through — let’s start first with the official press release. Beautiful sunshine, warm weather, and winding roads are the perfect complements to the Lexus LF-C2 concept that made its global debut at the …
USA

Lexus USA December to Remember Commercials 2014

Lexus USA have released the latest round of their annual December to Remember holiday commericals: (Like this year’s commercials quite a bit — I could picture myself giving similar explanations to my daughter if there was a new car in the driveway this Christmas.)
AutoshowsPhoto Galleries

Photo Gallery: Lexus at SEMA 2014

Now a week after SEMA ended, I’m finally able to decompress and share some thoughts & photos about the Lexus vehicles on display at the show. (It was the most crowded year in memory — getting good shots of the vehicles was near impossible, and the experiment of taking photos with just my iPhone 6 …
Sales Reports

Lexus Determined to be Fourth Overall in Worldwide Luxury Automotive Sales

In an interview with Just Auto, Lexus Europe vice-president Alain Uyttenhoven discussed the brand’s worldwide ambitions: Alain Uyttenhoven, the head of Brussels-based Lexus Europe, has told just-auto that it is “impossible to catch the German three, worldwide” but that the brand is determined to be “number four”.  Lexus Europe’s boss believes that the brand is …