Video: Lexus GX 460 Tows a MIG-31 Fighter Jet

It might not be the space shuttle, but here’s a Lexus GX 460 towing a 24-ton MIG-31 fighter jet (be sure to turn down the sound): Have a great pre-Holiday weekend, everyone!
Kevin · December 20th, 2013

Lexus Releases Second Teaser Image of F Performance Model

Lexus has released another teaser image of the F performance model set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January — here the photo in high-resolution (click for the larger image): Believed to be a high-performance version of the RC that was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, this photo shows a …

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Kevin · December 19th, 2013

Lexus ES 300h Named Best Luxury Value by Consumer Reports

The Lexus ES 300h has been named the top luxury car value in the Consumer Reports annual Best & Worst New Cars. Consumer Reports judges vehicles on a combination of reliability, resale value, fuel economy and driving performance — the ES 350, RX 450h, & RX 350 also ranked high in the list. Read more …

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Kevin · December 19th, 2013

Lexus IS in Atomic Silver Wins Japanese Color Award

The Atomic Silver/Sonic Titanium exterior color & Topaz Brown interior color offered on the Lexus IS has won the 2014 Auto Color award from the Japan Fashion Color Association, which may be the strangest award the sedan will win this year. (In all seriousness, the Atomic Silver/Sonic Titanium exterior color is a great addition to …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus IS F in Matte Gray

The folks at Spinelli Lexus in Quebec sent in some photos of a matte gray IS F — they must know I’m a sucker for this color: The signature IS F elements (like the giant fender vents and massive hood) have aged well over the years — going to be interesting to see how the …

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Kevin · December 16th, 2013

Beyond Magazine Feature on the Lexus LS

There’s a feature on the Lexus LS in the latest issue of Beyond Magazine, and the story has just been published online: The LS finally launched in the United States in 1989, to almost universal media acclaim. Its bulletproof reliability, great value specification and whisper-quiet cabin, as well as Lexus’s superior customer service, allowed it …

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Kevin · December 16th, 2013

The Telegraph Reviews the Lexus GS 300h

Andrew English of The Telegraph has reviewed the Lexus GS 300h, and believes the 2.5L hybrid sedan compares favorably with its competition: This latest GS might not be as sporty or exciting as Lexus suggests, but it’s not bad and is at least on a par with its occasionally quite raucous 2.0-litre diesel German rivals. …

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Kevin · December 15th, 2013

Lexus RC F, Illustrated

Building off the teaser photo released this week, Leftlane News has created an illustration of what the new Lexus RC F might look like — here it is in higher resolution: It’s certainly a valiant attempt, though I have to think the RC F will retain the standard RC’s 3-L headlights and separated daytime running …

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Kevin · December 13th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC in Detail

The Lexus International Facebook page posted a nice photo gallery showing the details of the RC coupe: This is nicely put together — there’s so many great individual elements to the RC design, and this gallery showcases them all. [Source: Lexus International FB Page]
Kevin · December 13th, 2013

Imagining a Lexus RC Convertible, Part Two

We’ve already seen one attempt at rendering the possible Lexus RC convertible, and now photochopper X-Tomi has given it a shot with the above image. (Will the next Lexus convertible be a hard or soft top? Have to think it would be a hard top — the IS-C roof was expertly done, and I believe …

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Kevin · December 12th, 2013

Video: Lexus GS F SPORT vs. the Queen’s Guard

To demonstrate the capabilities of the GS 350 F SPORT, Lexus Puerto Rico imported two Queen’s Guards from England and put them into the sedan with a race car driver: While very similar to the fantastic video from Lexus Italia last year, it’s still a very effective (and hilarious) campaign.
Kevin · December 11th, 2013

Video: Justin Bell Drives the Lexus LFA

In the latest episode of The One, Motor Trend presenter Justin Bell hits the track in a Lexus LFA borrowed from the Toyota Museum in Torrance, California: Haven’t been a fan of this show in the past, but I love seeing that red LFA out on the track — worth it for the visuals.
Kevin · December 11th, 2013

Camouflaged Lexus NX Prototype Spotted in Japan

A Lexus NX prototype has been spotted by Japanese magazine Mag-X in some pretty wild camouflage — here are the two photos: The vehicle has been expertly disguised, with only the front spindle grille giving away that fact the model is a Lexus at all — makes me wonder, wouldn’t this amount of camouflage affect …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2013

Autocar Reviews the 2014 Lexus GS 300h

The European press have started driving the all-new Lexus GS 300h, and finding it a compelling alternative to its German competitors — here’s the first review from Autocar: Until now, Lexus’s E-segment saloon had been without a [Benefit in Kind]-friendly car capable of competing with the ultra efficient diesel-engined offerings of the Big Three at …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2013

Interview with Lexus RC Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama

While at the Tokyo Motor Show last month, I had a chance to interview Junichi Furuyama, the chief engineer of the new Lexus RC coupe. The following is a transcript of our conversation, by way of a Japanese translator. Kevin: First question — were the Lexus IS & RC in development at the same time? …

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Kevin · December 9th, 2013

Lexus Announces RC F to Debut at Detroit Auto Show

Lexus today confirmed that the F performance model will be making its debut at the Detroit Autoshow in January — here’s the full high-resolution teaser image: Not much can been seen in the photo other than the Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the large fender side vent, but this is clearly a F version of …

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Kevin · December 9th, 2013

Lexus IS F Racing Team Finishes Fourth Overall in 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Earlier today, the Lexus IS F CCS-R team of Jeff Westphal, Tom Dyer & Ken Dobson finished 4th overall in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race. Only a late-night axle replacement kept them off the podium — the team completed 659 laps, finishing just 3 laps behind the third place GMG Motorsports Audi R8. …

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Kevin · December 8th, 2013

Live: Lexus IS F CCS-R Racing in 25 Hours of Thunderhill

The Lexus IS F CCS-R will be racing in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this weekend in California — drivers Jeff Westphal, Ken Dobson & Tom Dyer are competing in the ES class of the longest endurance race in North America, which runs Saturday morning to Sunday morning. With the help of my friend Paul …

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Kevin · December 7th, 2013

Two Lexus LFA Convertibles Spotted in Japan

At the Odaiba Motor Festival celebrating the Tokyo Motor Show last month, Toyota President Akio Toyoda brought out two Lexus LFA Spyders — here they are, briefly: (The white LFA Spyder I can only assume is the same one Jay Leno drove earlier this year, but the yellow Spyder is completely new to me.)
Kevin · December 6th, 2013

First Impressions of the Lexus LF-NX Turbo Concept

After staring at photos for months, I finally had a chance to see the Lexus LF-NX concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Before seeing the LF-NX in person, I had no idea how Lexus was going to transform it into a production model — the concept appeared architectural, more structure than automobile, like a solid …

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Kevin · December 5th, 2013

Photo Gallery: 2014 Lexus CT F SPORT with Redline Exterior

On display at the San Francisco Auto Show was this 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT in the brand new Redline exterior color — here are some photos from Kaizen Factor: This new Redline color looks much brighter than Matador Red Mica, it almost looks like the same tone as the red offered on the …

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Kevin · December 5th, 2013

Production Lexus NX Compact Crossover to Debut at the Geneva Motor Show?

Auto Express is reporting that the production version of the Lexus LF-NX concept will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next March: Previewed by the striking LF-NX concept, first shown at the Frankfurt show in September, the compact SUV will retain the concept’s stand-out styling, according to Lexus’ European director Paul Van der Burgh. “What …

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Kevin · December 4th, 2013

Lexus NXB Mountain Bike Concept Displayed at Tokyo Motor Show

Debuting alongside the Lexus LF-NX Turbo concept at the Tokyo Motor Show was the Neo eXtreme Bike Concept, a mountain bike produced using the same carbon fiber loom that weaved the LFA — here are some photos: Beyond the frame, the NXB concept features XeNTiS Kappa2 CC carbon fiber aero wheels with a custom Spindle …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 2013

Lexus RC Convertible in the Works?

According to a Motoring Australia interview with Lexus RC chief engineer Junichi Furyama, the new coupe has a potential future as a convertible: However, while willing to reveal the rear-wheel drive two-door coupe boasted underbody bracing that would aid development of a replacement for the outdated IS 250C, Furyama was not prepared to confirm that …

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Kevin · November 29th, 2013

Videos: Up Close with the Lexus RC & LF-NX

During the Tokyo Motor Show last week, Lexus asked their Twitter followers to submit ideas for videos from the show floor — 20 videos were created over the course of a single day, including my request for a detailed look at the RC’s headlights: The full collection of videos can be seen on the Lexus …

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Kevin · November 28th, 2013

Photo: Lexus LFA, Toyota 2000GT & Toyota Supra All Together

Here’s something you don’t see every day — the Lexus LFA, Toyota Supra & Toyota 2000GT all together all in red. These three Toyota performance icons belong to Javier Quirós, the president of Purdy Motor (the Toyota distributor in Costa Rica) and a previous Gazoo Racing LFA team driver — here’s the photo in desktop …

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Kevin · November 27th, 2013

Video Collection: The Lexus RC at the Tokyo Motor Show

There are plenty of Lexus RC videos floating around on Youtube — let’s start with this 360° view of the new coupe: This Autoguide video of the RC is worth watching for the visuals, but the presenter’s over-the-top descriptors are a little much (he also makes a factual error, the RC is not a production …

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Kevin · November 26th, 2013

Lexus to Introduce Full Range of Turbocharged Engines?

Motoring Australia has some details on the future of turbo engines in the Lexus lineup: Little technical information was released in Tokyo and no outputs confirmed, however Lexus group manger engine product design Teru Ogawa told motoring.com.au that a family of engines was being developed. Asked what capacities would be offered, he said “both larger …

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Kevin · November 25th, 2013

Lexus IS F CCS-R to Participate in 25 Hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race

Lexus USA has announced an official IS F CCS-R team will be participating in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, an annual endurance race at the Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Lexus released details on the three-driver team: Jeff Westphal: Leader of the Lexus team at Thunderhill.  Jeff is well-known for setting nearly a dozen …

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Kevin · November 25th, 2013

Live Photos of the Updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Kicking Tires has a photo gallery of the updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT from the LA Auto Show — here’s a selection: The update to the front grille brings the hatchback in line with the rest of model lineup, and seems to work well — that said, I do wonder if the F …

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Kevin · November 24th, 2013

First Impressions of the Lexus RC

This week in Japan, Lexus debuted their new RC coupe — it was first revealed at a special event at Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo stadium on Monday, and then it had its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. This is the brand’s first mass-production hardtop coupe since 2000, and marks the beginning of an exciting …

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Kevin · November 22nd, 2013

Video: Introducing the 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Fresh from its debut in China, there’s a video with the newly updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h: (A quick note to anyone in the Los Angeles area — the 2014 CT will be on display at the LA Auto Show starting today.)
Kevin · November 21st, 2013

The Updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h & CT 200h F SPORT

The updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h & CT 200h F SPORT debuted at the Guangzhou Motor Show today — still waiting to see live photos from the show floor, but here’s the full press release and a new collection of photos.
Kevin · November 21st, 2013

Lexus RC Official Photo Gallery

Along with the launch video, Lexus has released a new set of RC coupe photos — let’s divide it up into a couple different groups. Lexus RC in Silver Lexus RC in Red Lexus RC Interior Lexus RC Technical Images Looking through these photos, the car looks much better in person — more sculpted, much …

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Kevin · November 20th, 2013

Video: Introducing the All-New Lexus RC Coupe

Lexus has released the launch video for the new RC coupe, and it’s a wild one: Related in style to the Lexus IS launch in January, this video is full of random, near-terrifying imagery — meteors crashing to earth, shrieking foxes, sparkling blood, there’s nothing off-limits. It’s so out of control that I found myself …

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Kevin · November 20th, 2013

2014 Lexus RC Information

There’s going to be a lot of new information on the Lexus RC over the next few days — I’ll have a full live photo gallery and an interview with RC chief engineer Junichi Furuyama shortly — but let’s start with the press release and a collection of official photos.
Kevin · November 20th, 2013

Live Coverage: Lexus at the Tokyo Motor Show

The Lexus RC coupe will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show today, and I will be in the Big Sight convention center with live coverage throughout the day. The press conference will also be broadcast live starting at 6:30pm EST/3:30pm PST — here’s the video player: You can follow along with my live coverage in …

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Kevin · November 19th, 2013

Lexus RC 500 F Trademark Registered in Canada

According to My.IS moderator k3vo, Lexus has filed for the RC500 F trademark in Canada due to a possible name conflict over RC F: …there was a Canadian trademark application that was previously filed November 3, 2010, by Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for the mark “RCF” which covers products like …

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Kevin · November 18th, 2013

Joe Bacal & Lexus LX Win Stock Full Class in 2013 Baja 1000 Off-Road Race

Joe Bacal’s JTGrey racing team have won the Stock Full class of the SCORE International Baja 1000 with their Lexus LX racer. This marks the third time in five years that JTGrey have won the 1,000 mile off-road race through Mexico’s Baja peninsula — the team finished the race in 29 hours and 21 minutes …

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Kevin · November 18th, 2013

Lexus RC Debuts at Special Event in Tokyo

In a surprise move, Lexus unveiled the RC sports coupe at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo stadium in Tokyo tonight. Getting proper photos in the party people atmosphere was difficult, so I decided instead to focus on details and leave the more extensive photo galleries until tomorrow’s official debut at the Motor Show: With a limited …

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Kevin · November 18th, 2013

2013 Tokyo Motor Show Trip: A Visit to Japan

The Lexus RC will debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this week, and I’m here in Japan to bring you live coverage of the new coupe’s reveal. Along with the Motor Show, the week in Japan will be full of activities — among the highlights is to the Fuji Speedway to drive some unusual F …

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Kevin · November 17th, 2013

Interview with Lexus LX Baja 1000 Racer Joe Bacal

This weekend, Joe Bacal & the JT Gray team will once again be racing the Baja 1000 with their Lexus LX racer — earlier this month, Lexus Enthusiast contributor Tim Esterdahl spoke with Joe about the LX was built for off-road racing. Lexus is known for its quality and nobody probably knows that better than …

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Kevin · November 15th, 2013

Lexus Designer: “LF-NX is a Lightweight Fighter”

The second issue of Lexus’ BEYOND Magazine will soon be published, and the Lexus International website has a preview of the feature LF-NX story: “To use boxing terminology, the LF-NX is a lightweight fighter,” says designer Nobuyuki Tomatsu when asked to describe the latest Lexus concept car, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. …

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Kevin · November 15th, 2013

Video: Cruising Estonia in the Lexus IS 300h F SPORT

Time to take a little break and cruise Estonia in the Lexus IS 300h F SPORT: This video was produced by the Lexus Tallinn dealership in Estonia, and it’s extremely well done — the quality reminds me of a less intense Vossen video. (Thanks Taavi!)
Kevin · November 14th, 2013

Will Lexus Ever Build a Diesel SUV?

Will Lexus ever make a diesel SUV? According to a Drive Australia interview with Lexus International executive vice president Mark Templin, there is a remote possibility: Templin also reaffirmed the brand’s aversion to diesel engines, despite soaring sales of diesels in other luxury marques. “At Lexus we don’t have plans for diesel at the current …

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Kevin · November 14th, 2013

Personalized Live Lexus Video from Tokyo Motor Show

As part of the RC 350 coupe reveal next week at the Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus is running a social media initiative through Twitter & Vine: On the 21st, send your tweet to Lexus via Twitter – using the Twitter hashtag #LexusInTokyo – with your request for an up-close view of the design details of …

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Kevin · November 13th, 2013

More Lexus F High-Performance Models in the Works?

Lexus International executive vice president Mark Templin shared his first public comments on the upcoming RC coupe with Motoring Australia: “The car is great because it is wider than IS, it’s got the track width of GS, it’s shorter than IS. It’s got bits from both of those cars and it’s going to be a …

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Kevin · November 13th, 2013

2014 Lexus IS Wins Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award

Popular Mechanics have awarded the 2014 Lexus IS their Automotive Excellence Award in the Luxury category: Every Lexus parked on the showroom floor is stuffed with the comfort, craftsmanship, and refinement that have made the brand famous. The new IS overflows with these hallmark qualities, but what’s new here is that Lexus has infused the …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2013

Motor Trend Comparison: Lexus GS 350 F SPORT vs. Cadillac CTS V SPORT

In this latest Motor Trend video, host Jonny Lieberman puts the Lexus GS 350 F SPORT against the Cadillac CTS V SPORT: With all of its performance upgrades and 100+ horsepower advantage, the CTS V SPORT was almost guaranteed to win this track-focused comparison. However, this didn’t stop Lieberman from being extremely positive about the …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2013

Updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h to Debut at Guangzhou Motor Show in China

Lexus has announced that the 2014 CT 200h will debut at the 2013 Guangzhou Motor Show in China on November 21st — from the press release: This compact luxury hybrid receives a new Lexus “spindle grille,” one of several dynamic and sophisticated exterior styling changes implemented for 2014 model year. Other exterior changes include newly …

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Kevin · November 11th, 2013

2.0L Turbo Powered Lexus CT on the Way?

In an interview with Motoring Australia, Lexus International executive vice president Mark Templin makes the case for a higher powered CT hatchback sometime in the future: “I think the CT got a reputation for its handling steering and suspension system. If we had had a second powertrain in that car, I think sure we would …

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Kevin · November 11th, 2013

Imagining the Lexus RC Convertible

Master photochopper Theophilus Chin has created a Lexus RC convertible based on Motor Trend’s photos: Unlike the previous generation IS, the shape of the RC lends itself to a convertible — a hard top convertible variant of the RC feels inevitable, and if these renderings are anywhere close to the final production model, it’s going …

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Kevin · November 10th, 2013

More Photos of the 2014 Lexus CT 200h

The updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h has been spotted once again — Car Advice has the photos: The pure white license plate matches the spy photos seen last month, as does the white exterior and blacked-out roof — Car Advice speculates on when the new CT will debut: The 2014 facelift is tipped to be …

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Kevin · November 8th, 2013

Lexus GS 200t Trademarked in Japan

According to Japanese Lexus fan site Lexus Musts, Lexus has trademarked GS 200t in Japan — here’s a screenshot of the filing: GS 200t has also been trademarked in Australia — the 200t designation is expected to be the 2.0L four-cylinder turbo that’s set to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month in …

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Kevin · November 7th, 2013

Hybrid Lexus LX in 2016?

According to Reuters, the Nikkei newspaper in Japan reports that Toyota will release hybrid versions of its large SUVs in 2016: Toyota Motor Corp plans to roll out hybrid versions of its large sport utility vehicles from 2016 to prepare for tougher environmental regulations, the Nikkei reported, quoting sources. The automaker intends to develop hybrid …

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Kevin · November 7th, 2013

Lexus & BMW Working Together on a Hybrid Supercar?

Peter Lyon from Motoring Australia is reporting that BMW & Lexus are working on a next-generation LFA supercar: It’s been nearly two years since Toyota and BMW announced an agreement to co-develop sports cars using state-of-the-art hybrid technologies, and now a source close to the two companies says the pair has decided on its first …

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Kevin · November 6th, 2013

More Photos of the Lexus RC Coupe

Motor Trend has exclusive photos of the 2013 Lexus RC, including high-resolution images of the all-important front/side/rear of the car: Motor Trend also spoke with RC Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama about the new production coupe and how it fits in the Lexus lineup: Speaking of the IS, in asking Furuyama why Lexus wouldn’t use the …

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Kevin · November 5th, 2013

Lexus RC Coupe to Introduce Next-Generation Remote Touch Controller

Looking over the photo of the Lexus RC interior, it shows a design very similar to the third-generation IS — in fact, the only noticeable difference is the new Remote Touch controller: As seen in previous spy photos, the earlier mouse-like puck has been replaced with a touchscreen divided into four quadrants, with the HOME, …

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Kevin · November 4th, 2013

Turbocharged Lexus LF-NX Concept to Debut at Tokyo Motor Show

Lexus will be showing a new turbocharged LF-NX concept alongside the production RC coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show: The Lexus LF-NX concept, which made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year, has been outfitted with a newly-developed 2.0-liter turbo engine for guaranteed power and improved fuel economy. A lower center of …

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Kevin · November 4th, 2013

Lexus RC Sports Coupe to Debut at Tokyo Motor Show

The long-awaited Lexus RC coupe will make its worldwide debut at the Tokyo Motor Show on November 20th — let’s get straight to the fresh new photos released moments ago: Two versions will be unveiled: the RC 350, with a 3.5L V6 engine; and the RC 300h hybrid, with a 2.5L four-cylinder engine — the …

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Kevin · November 4th, 2013

Video: Neon-Light Lexus LS 430 from Japan

Let’s end the week with an absolutely bonkers neon-lights Lexus LS 430/Toyota Celsior from Japan: Have a nice weekend, everyone — next week is SEMA, get ready for live coverage! See more photos of the Neon Light Celsior
Kevin · November 1st, 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