Photo Gallery: The ENEOS Lexus RC F GT500

Autosport Web has a few photos of the ENEOS Lexus RC F GT500 from a recent fan appreciation day: ENEOS driver Kazuya Oshima also posted this photo from the paddock: There are six Lexus RC F GT500 teams taking part in the 2014 SuperGT season, which starts April 6th at the Okayama International Circuit. [Source: …
Kevin · March 14th, 2014

More Photos of the Black Lexus RC F

More photos of the black RC F in California arrived in my inbox today, this time from Lexus Enthusiast friend Guy from Endles Automotive: With the car stationary, we get a good look at a new set of previously unseen optional wheels — what do you think of the new design? (Thanks Guy!)
Kevin · March 13th, 2014

Review: The 2014 Lexus GX 460

The updated 2014 GX 460 has been out for a few months now, and Lexus has to be happy with the public response. A perennial slow-seller since the second generation debuted in 2010, this recent facelift has been a major success — in the last two months, sales have increased 125% in the USA and …
Kevin · March 13th, 2014

More Information on the Lexus RC F’s Horsepower

Motoring Australia has more information on the ongoing mystery of the Lexus RC F’s final horsepower figure: “More than 450 horsepower” – or 335kW – is the inkling as to the new car’s performance. But even that number is due to change, with engineers still working on enhancements tipped to add another 10 or 15kW. Lexus …
Kevin · March 12th, 2014

Interview with Lexus CT Chief Engineer Chika Kako

The Lexus UK blog has an interview with Chika Kako, the chief engineer of the updated CT 200h and the very first female chief engineer in the Lexus brand’s history: How did consumer feedback shape the improvements that have been made to the CT? Chika Kako: Some customers complained about the CVT noise, and to …
Kevin · March 12th, 2014

Black Lexus RC F Prototype Spotted in California

Club Lexus member Rominl has posted photos of a black Lexus RC F prototype cruising the highways of Southern California — here’s a couple shots from the gallery: Not much in the way of detail, but these are likely only the first photos to be seen online — I’ve been looking forward to seeing the …
Kevin · March 11th, 2014

Lexus LX Offroad Racing Program Cancelled

After five seasons, the Lexus LX offroad racing program has been discontinued — driver Joe Bacal posted the following message on his Facebook page: We were informed yesterday by Lexus USA that they will not be continuing the off-road racing program. It has been an awesome 5 years with much success including 3 Baja 1000 …
Kevin · March 11th, 2014

First Live Photo of Full Lexus RC F Carbon Fiber Package

The latest episode of Japanese television show Super GT Plus featured the very first live look at the Lexus RC F in its full carbon fiber performance package — so far, this is the only image I’ve seen from the show: This RC F looks to be the same model featured in the official launch …
Kevin · March 10th, 2014

Lexus to Build Le Mans GT Racecar for 2016

Lexus will build a new GT race car capable of racing at the Le Mans 24 hours in 2016, according to a Racecar Engineering interview with RC F chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi: The firm surprised many by revealing an all new GT3 car at the Geneva motor show, but the car is the starting point …
Kevin · March 10th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Ultrasonic Blue Lexus IS F SPORT & the Canadian Sunset

Lexus Canada has just posted an Ultrasonic Blue IS F SPORT gallery from photographer Kevin King Uy: I’ve been a huge fan of Kevin King Uy ever since his LFA/Supra photoshoot a couple years back — happy to see his work featured on the Lexus Canada Facebook page.
Kevin · March 9th, 2014

Interview with Lexus RC F Chief Engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi

As mentioned earlier this week, Lexus RC F chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi participated in a Q&A during the Geneva Motor Show, answering questions from enthusiasts about the new Lexus high-performance coupe. The final interview has been posted by Lexus Europe — here’s some of the questions Yaguchi-san answered: Erich Kerner: Is the RC F Coupe …
Kevin · March 7th, 2014

Lexus LFA Meet in New Orleans: One Owner’s Experience

Last year, Lexus invited LFA owners for a day at the New Orleans Motorsport Park — one of the LFAs participating is owned by Robert & Charity Lee, who are the subject of this new Lexus video feature: Robert is a good friend of mine, and has previously shared his experiences on Lexus Enthusiast — …
Kevin · March 6th, 2014

Auto Express Reviews the 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Auto Express has posted a complimentary review of the updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h: It’s easy to dismiss the Lexus CT 200h as dull, but for customers with no interest in driving fast, it’s ideal. Quality, refinement and ride are all improved, while the styling is fresher all round. Read the Auto Express CT 200h …
Kevin · March 6th, 2014

Photo Gallery: The ZENT CERUMO Lexus RC F GT500

The ZENT CERUMO Lexus RC F GT500 recently took part in a fan appreciation day at the Suzuka circuit in Japan — here are some photos from Racerlink & Autosport Web: There are six Lexus RC F GT500 teams taking part in the 2014 SuperGT season, which starts April 6th at the Okayama International Circuit.
Kevin · March 5th, 2014

Correction Regarding Yesterday’s Lexus NX Image

There’s a correction on yesterday’s post regarding the Lexus NX crossover: Lexus Europe has informed me that the image above is the LF-NX concept, and not a teaser of the production NX model. (The confusion was caused by a mislabeled image on the Lexus Europe pressroom.)
Kevin · March 5th, 2014

More Photos of the Lexus RC F SPORT

Here are some more photos of the Lexus RC F SPORT from the Geneva Motor Show floor — first off, a friend at Lexus Europe sent over these shots: There’s also a photo gallery of the RC F SPORT at Autoblog — here’s a selection of images: (Thanks David!)
Kevin · March 5th, 2014

Production Lexus NX Compact Crossover to Debut at Beijing Motor Show

During a press conference today in Geneva, new Lexus Europe general manager Alain Uyttenhoven announced the NX production compact crossover will debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April: The LF-NX Concept, presented last year in Frankfurt, showed the Lexus design direction for a mid-size crossover, positioned below our RX. Today I can confirm that …
Kevin · March 4th, 2014

Q&A with Lexus RC F Chief Engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi

Is there anything you would like to know about the Lexus RC F or the new RC F GT3 race car? You could get your questions answered tomorrow during a Lexus Europe interview with chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi, the man responsible for both cars. To participate, you can leave a comment on the Lexus Europe …
Kevin · March 3rd, 2014

The Lexus RC F GT3 Racing Concept

Lexus will debut the RC F GT3 racing concept at the Geneva Motor Show next week, as the first step in the brand’s plan to support GT3 sports car racing in 2015 — here are the first published photos: Developed over two years by Lexus International and subsidiary Techno Craft, the RC F GT3 concept …
Kevin · February 28th, 2014

Photo Gallery: The 2015 Lexus RC F SPORT

Lexus has released new information about the Lexus RC F SPORT, including this full photo gallery: The front end and wheel design may be the only changes, but this RC F SPORT is a near-perfect balance between the standard RC and the RC F — Lexus has done an excellent job creating a wide range …
Kevin · February 28th, 2014

2015 Lexus RC F SPORT Information

Lexus has released more information on the RC F SPORT set to debut in Geneva next week — here’s the full press release along with a selection of fresh new photos. The RC 350 F SPORT, based on the RC 350, will feature exclusive design elements and enhanced driving performance. The F SPORT’s dynamic upgrades …
Kevin · February 28th, 2014

2015 Lexus RX 350 & RX 450h Information

Lexus USA has announced the 2015 Lexus RX 350 & RX 450h, and the new model year brings some new standard equipment and changes to the option packages: All RX models will now come standard with a seven-inch display screen and backup camera The Remote Touch infotainment controller has been revised for improved ease of …
Kevin · February 27th, 2014

A Closer Look at the Lexus RC F

Lexus revealed the RC F coupe at the Detroit Auto Show last month. It’s the brand’s first high-performance production car since the release of the LFA supercar in 2010, and will play a leading role in the brand’s new “fun to drive” direction. While much of the RC F still remains a mystery, here are …
Kevin · February 26th, 2014

Should the Production Lexus LF-LC Look Like This?

Japanese magazine Best Car has published an attractive rendering of a production Lexus LF-LC coupe. Merging the best of the LF-LC concept with the design of the RC coupe, the “LC F” rendering above is quite believable with its extreme polish — I could definitely see the production LF-LC looking very similar. Best part of …
Kevin · February 26th, 2014

Wald International Releases Lexus RX Body Kit

Japanese tuner Wald International has released an updated Executive Line body kit for the Lexus RX: The body kit is simple enough, adding a front lip spoiler and rear skirt to the Lexus crossover. Pricing has yet to be released. See more photos of the Wald Lexus RX
Kevin · February 25th, 2014

Photo Gallery: 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT with *Redline* Exterior

Japanese website Car Watch has posted some photos of the updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT in the new Redline exterior color: I saw the CT 200h in Redline a couple weeks back at the Toronto Auto Show, and thought it was a strong color that suited the CT perfectly — anyone else seen …
Kevin · February 24th, 2014

Video: Glowing Lexus LFA Art Installation in Japan

Video of the Lexus LFA Media Ambition art exhibit has surfaced: The earlier photos made the lightshow appear much more intense, but the installation by Rhizomatiks still has its moments — really liked the glowing tri-exhaust tips.
Kevin · February 23rd, 2014

Lexus GS Named Top Luxury Car in 2014 Canadian Black Book Retained Value Awards

For the third consecutive year, the Lexus GS was named the best value in the Luxury Car category of the 2014 Canadian Black Book Retained Value awards. For this year’s awards, Canadian Black Book analyzed 2010 model year cars and trucks and determined the vehicles that retained the highest percentage of their original MSRP after …
Kevin · February 20th, 2014

New Lexus IS Receives European 5-Star Safety Recommendation

The Lexus IS 300h has been given a five-star safety ranking from Euro NCAP, making it the safest new car in the Large Family category and one of the top performing cars of 2013. Here’s a video of the crash tests: The IS scored the maximum points in the side barrier test for adult occupants …
Kevin · February 19th, 2014

360° Tour of the Lexus RC F

The Lexus International RC F product page has a very cool 360° tour of the high-performance coupe, showing it off from every perspective. (My favorite angle is straight on — I think the RC F is the single best interpretation of the Lexus spindle grille so far.) View the Lexus RC F in full rotation
Kevin · February 19th, 2014

Video: Lexus RC F Engine installed in the IS F CCS-R

As previously mentioned, the Lexus IS F CCS-R race car that participated in both the Pikes Peak Hill Climb & 25 Hours of Thunderhill was powered by the 450+ horsepower 5.0L V8 engine from the upcoming RC F — here’s a video of Lexus mechanics swapping the engine: No two ways about it, the sound …
Kevin · February 18th, 2014

Lexus Sponsors Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Once again, Lexus will be one of the sponsors of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue — here’s a video with the RC F and Brazilian supermodel Lisalla Montenegro: This is the fourth year in a row that Lexus has been involved in the annual magazine — here’s the details on this year’s sponsorship: Sponsorship of …
Kevin · February 17th, 2014

BEYOND Magazine: Roadtrip with the Lexus IS 300h

Official Lexus publication BEYOND Magazine has a featured road trip across the Shikoku island in Japan with architect Hironaka Ogawa and a Ultrasonic Blue IS 300h F SPORT: The journey that Ogawa is embarking on across the island of Shikoku begins here, and a metallic blue Lexus IS is peacefully parked outside. The vehicle’s bright …
Kevin · February 16th, 2014

Unique Yellow Lexus LFA Spyder on Display in Japan

The yellow Lexus LFA Spyder will be displayed alongside a 1967 Toyota 2000GT as part of a unique event at the Toyota Kaikan museum in Nagoya, Japan. First spotted during a Tokyo Motor Show event, this yellow LFA Spyder will be in the museum until the end of April. [Source: Toyota Japan Facebook]
Kevin · February 14th, 2014

2012-2013 Lexus RX 350 Recalled for Potential Braking Software Issue

Lexus USA has issued a voluntary safety recall for certain 2012-2013 RX 350 models due to a potential issue with its braking software. Lexus will update the skid control ECU software in order to address an electronic circuit condition that can cause the Vehicle Stability Control, Anti-lock Brake, and Traction Control functions to intermittently turn …
Kevin · February 13th, 2014

Lexus RC F SPORT & RC F GT3 Concept to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

The Lexus RC F SPORT will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, according to a new press release — here are the details: Based on the striking Lexus RC coupe, the F SPORT model features exclusive, even more sporting and aggressive exterior and interior design features, and enhanced driving dynamics. This announcement comes …
Kevin · February 13th, 2014

Lexus RC F SPORT Prototype Spotted?

A blue Lexus RC 350 has been spotted in California sporting a covered up fender badge — here a couple more photos: The coupe is near identical to the standard RC, but look closely at the fender and there’s a piece of blue tape covering up what I would assume is an F SPORT badge: …
Kevin · February 12th, 2014

Four New Lexus CT 200h Commercials

With the release of the updated Lexus CT 200h, there are new commercials springing up around the world — let’s start with three from the USA: Here’s the CTh commercial for European markets, like the music in this one: (Any other regional Lexus CT commercials out there that I’ve missed? Leave a link in the …
Kevin · February 12th, 2014

Lexus IS Nominated for 2014 World Car of the Year Award

The Lexus IS has been nominated for the prestigious 2014 World Car of the Year award. The twelve finalists are the Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and the Skoda Octavia. The IS has also been nominated for …
Kevin · February 11th, 2014

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Featured in Japanese Art Installation

The Media Ambition Tokyo 2014 event features eighteen artworks by 16 of Japan’s most cutting-edge technological artists, and as a sponsor, Lexus is featured in an installation by Rhizomatiks The placement of long light tubes gives the LFA Nürburgring the appearance of movement, and makes for quite a spectacle — would be something to see …
Kevin · February 11th, 2014

2014 Lexus IS Wins Russia’s Golden Klaxon Award

The Lexus IS has won the 2014 Golden Klaxon award as the best midsize luxury car in Russia. (This marks the eighth win by a Lexus since the Golden Klaxon awards were established in 2000 — the ES was last year’s winner in the Business Class category.) See the other 2014 Golden Klaxon winners
Kevin · February 11th, 2014

New Information on the Lexus NX Compact Crossover

Auto Express has some new information on the Lexus NX, including the new rendering seen above: Lexus has revealed that its new NX crossover will arrive in the UK in October, and prices are expected to start at around £30,000 – putting it in close contention with its Audi Q5 and BMW X3 rivals. A …
Kevin · February 10th, 2014

CAR Magazine Reviews the 2014 Lexus GS 300h

CAR Magazine has reviewed the Lexus GS 300h, and found it to be “a lot of car for the money”: …its sharp nose with LEDs and North American market-looking rear lights are connected by flat, slabby sides – the complete opposite of the overdesigned Mercedes flanks. It’s not a work of art, but it’s understated …
Kevin · February 10th, 2014

Lexus NX Prototypes Spotted!

Japanese magazine Mag-X has released two spy photos of the upcoming Lexus NX compact crossover — the masked version above, and this camouflaged prototype: These two images don’t show nearly as much detail as the recently leaked production NX photo, but they do give a better indication of the compact crossover’s overall shape — really, …
Kevin · February 6th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Blacked Out Lexus RX 450h F SPORT

My friends from Lexus of Perth in Australia sent me these photos of a custom RX 450h F SPORT: The RX F SPORT looks pretty good with a blacked out bumper — reminds me of the special edition RX that was released in Europe late last year. What do you think of the custom work? …
Kevin · February 6th, 2014

Lexus Named Top Luxury Brand in KBB 2014 5-Year Cost to Own Awards

For the second year in a row, Lexus was named the top luxury brand in the Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Awards. The awards are based on analysis of the 5-year ownership costs of 2014 model-year vehicles, and looks at the purchase price, financing costs, insurance costs and state fees along with the …
Kevin · February 5th, 2014

Autoblog Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS 350

Jeffrey Ross of Autoblog has reviewed the 2014 Lexus IS 350: For now, the BMW 3 Series is probably still the top contender in its class, but in a short time, the new IS – along with the ATS – has proven that small, fun luxury cars exist outside of German showrooms. Love or hate …
Kevin · February 5th, 2014

Lexus LX 470 Named Best Used Car Value in New Reliability Study

The 1998-2007 Lexus LX 470 has been named the best used car value in a new long-term reliability study from automotive journalist Steven Lang & statistician Nick Larivere. The study is based on nearly 300,000 vehicles from across the entire United States, in an attempt to provide objective, quantifiable, information about the used car market. …
Kevin · February 4th, 2014

Rendered: Lexus RC F on Vossen Precision Series Forged Wheels

Using some Photoshop magic and a dose of creativity, Vossen Wheels has managed to create the first modified Lexus RC F months before its official release date: Rendered by Hugo Silva, this RC F has been done up with forged wheels from Vossen’s upcoming Precision Series. Makes for quite a bold look, and shows off …
Kevin · February 4th, 2014

Amazing Trick Photography with the Lexus CT 200h

In a continuation of their excellent CT commercial, Lexus Japan has sent a team of creatives on a road trip to take more trick photography — here are some examples: This is some seriously amazing work — there’s currently 19 trick photos (and accompanying videos), with 11 more still to come. So good. Visit the …
Kevin · February 3rd, 2014

TTAC Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS 250 AWD

Winston Braithwaite of The Truth About Cars has written a glowing review of the 2014 Lexus IS 250 AWD: After spending a week with the 2014 Lexus IS250 AWD it took me another couple weeks to shut up about it. That rarely happens, and when it does, it means that the car is simply fantastic. …
Kevin · February 3rd, 2014

Jeremy Clarkson “Quite Likes” the Lexus RC F

The new season of Top Gear starts tonight, so it’s only fitting to share what presenter Jeremy Clarkson said about the Lexus RC F on Facebook: Hate to admit I quite like it. If Clarkson’s transformation from Lexus-basher to reluctant Lexus enthusiast shows anything, it’s that the brand’s new focus on performance & design can …
Kevin · February 2nd, 2014

Video: Rainy Donuts with the Lexus LFA

It’s been a pretty long week and I’m sick as a dog, so let’s watch this red Lexus LFA do some donuts on wet pavement: Have a good weekend everyone!
Kevin · January 31st, 2014

Photo Gallery: Black & White Lexus GS 300h in London

Lexus UK has published a nice black & white Facebook photo gallery with the GS 300h in London: I really wish Lexus would reconsider bringing the GS 300h to North America — I just did a rough calculation using GS 450h prices as a baseline, and a GS 300h could cost as little as $41,000 …
Kevin · January 29th, 2014

Production Lexus NX Compact Crossover Leaked?

An unusual slide was shown during Toyota CEO Jim Lentz’s speech to the Society of Automotive Analysts prior to the Detroit Auto Show — while talking about Lexus in 2014, an image of what looks like a production LF-NX compact crossover was shown: There’s little reason to doubt the authenticity of this image, which is …
Kevin · January 28th, 2014

Imagining the Lexus ES Shooting Brake

Here’s a funny mashup — photochopper Theophilus Chin took the Lexus ES and merged it with the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake, creating the ES Sportcross wagon. (Considering the ES is not offered in Europe and the CLS Shooting Brake is unavailable in North America, it’s a strange combination — I have a hard time imagining …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Lexus Manufacturing Plant in Japan Displays Custom CT 200h at Local Auto Show

The Lexus manufacturing plant in Fukuoka, Japan, has built a custom Lexus CT200h for display at the 2014 Fukuoka Motor Show in last week. Inspired by traditional handicrafts, the interior of this special edition CT 200h incorporates local fabrics, ceramics, tortoiseshell and mat rush — here’s the only photo I’ve been able to find: This …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Lexus IS 300h Finishes First in Real-World Gas Mileage Test

UK magazine What Car? has compared the real-world gas mileage of five luxury sports sedans and found the Lexus IS 300h to deliver the best results. The IS 300h, which is officially rated at 64.2 mpg in Britain, returned 59.6 mpg in the What Car? test. The Mercedes C220 CDI, despite having an official rating …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Photo Gallery: 2014 Lexus CT 200h in Hong Kong

For the Hong Kong launch of the 2014 Lexus CT 200h, Lexus worked with photographer Chester Ng — here are the results: [Source: Chester Ng Via: Lexus Europe]
Kevin · January 24th, 2014

Next-Generation Lexus IS F Planned?

Despite rumors of its cancelation, Japanese magazine Mag-X reports that Lexus plans to release a next-generation Lexus IS F after all. The first mention that the high-performance sports sedan would be discontinued came last year in an article from USA Today — the debut of the RC F coupe and spy shots of a GS …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus IS F CCS-R Used as Secret Development Car for RC F V8 Engine

It’s been widely reported that the Lexus IS F CCS-R racecar was essential to the development of the new RC F high performance coupe, and now we’ve found out just how far this influence runs. Lexus USA marketer Jim Lee announced on Instagram today that the IS F CCS-R that raced at Pikes Peak and …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus RC F in Black, Gray, Red & Yellow

How will the Lexus RC F look in colors other than Ultrasonic Blue? Lexus Enthusiast Facebook fan Alaa Tarawneh sent in these photoshopped samples: While I’m not sure yellow is necessary no matter what the competition is doing, the RC F in black is going to be hard to beat — just plain mean looking. (Thanks …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus Wins Three Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards

Owners of the Lexus RX, LS, & CT were recognized for customer loyalty at the annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards. The Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards measures loyalty as a household that owns a new vehicle choosing another new vehicle of the same model or make. This year’s awards are based on more than 7.4 million …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014

2014 Lexus GX 460 in Short Supply at US Dealerships

The updated 2014 Lexus GX 460 has been a huge success, and dealerships are having a hard time keeping up with the demand — from Edmunds: Through the middle of this month, Lexus had only a nine-day supply of GX models in stock, up from four days at the end of December. Automakers and dealers …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F GT500 Racecar in Detail

At this point, we’ve all seen the Lexus RC F GT500 display from the Tokyo Auto Salon, but Lexus International has just posted up some great photos of the racecar and its super-stylish mannequin pit crew: Can’t wait to see how the Lexus Super GT teams customize their RC Fs, it’s going to be quite …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014