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Lexus LFA Racing Supercars Revealed

With the Team Gazoo Lexus LFA team readying for their 24-Hour Nürburgring Race this weekend, new photos of the supercar pair are in order (click for larger images): From the accompanying press release: Entered by Gazoo Racing, the team hopes to repeat its class winning form in the 4-hour race earlier in the year. The …

Kevin · May 20th, 2009

New Lexus IS Convertible Mini-Site

As part of their IS convertible advertising campaign, Lexus USA has put together a mini-site that’s just as much fun as their new commercials: The website first demonstrates the new features of the IS-C, then asks how you would use each highlighted point—then rates your answer on the Live a Little scale. It’s easy to …

Kevin · May 20th, 2009

New Lexus LFA Spy Video

Stop everything and watch this video of the close-to-production Lexus LFA howling round Nürburgring: This car looks and sounds demonic, very exciting when you consider how close this will be to the real thing. Can not wait to see the production LFA. (Thanks Roberto!)

Kevin · May 19th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX 460?

According to Ward’s Auto, the next generation Lexus GX will be launched this fall, and will be powered by the 4.6L V8 engine that debuted in the 2010 Toyota Tundra. The 2010 GX 460 will see its exterior and interior redesigned, and should include Lexus’ Remote Touch system and a new rear door. When asked …

Kevin · May 19th, 2009

Lexus IS-C Commercials

Lexus USA’s advertising campaign for the IS convertible has hit Youtube, with three short, interconnected videos: Live a little, a lot looks to be the IS-C’s tagline—I wonder if there will be more episodes to this series. Neat idea.

Kevin · May 15th, 2009

Edmunds Reviews the Lexus IS 350C

If Edmunds’ initial review of the IS 350C is any indication, Lexus’ new convertible looks like it could be a real winner: When the top is down, sunlight floods the IS C’s cabin and you’re overcome with a sense of well-being, so different from the wretched life you lead locked away in the office during …

Kevin · May 15th, 2009

Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: IS-Convertible Action

With the Lexus IS-C arriving at dealerships this month, I thought it only fitting to put together a desktop wallpaper showing the convertible roof in action: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Pretty amazing to consider that it only takes 20 seconds for the roof to retract.

Kevin · May 14th, 2009

Autocar Reviews the Lexus RX 450h

Autocar’s quick review of the Lexus RX 450h is very complimentary of the hybrid’s new driving experience, and contains a very interesting passage I thought worth pointing out: And because this is the Euro-spec RX, it gets retuned suspension and a retuned power management unit that will provide better off the line acceleration but still …

Kevin · May 13th, 2009

Lexus LS 460 Crashes, Audience Claps

As a rule, I avoid posting any crash videos, but I suspect the only thing injured in this Tatry Donau Cup race footage is the driver’s pride: At least the crowd was entertained. Really though, who enters a race in a LS? Update: Looks like the LS driver wasn’t the only one who had a …

Kevin · May 13th, 2009

Lexus IS 350 Drift Car with Corvette Engine

Daijiro Yoshihara, one of the drivers in the Formula D series, has a new team and a new machine—a Lexus IS 350 with a Corvette Z06 LS6 engine: Looks like he’s going to need some more practice. [Via: Straight Line]

Kevin · May 12th, 2009

More Lexus LFA Spy Shots

More Lexus LFA photos are making their way online—World Car Fans has posted some additional images showing the supercar prototype at Nürburgring with its rear wing fully extended and the redesigned rear window air scoops visible: The LFA concepts have always been impressive, but this polishing towards production has the supercar looking better than ever. …

Kevin · May 12th, 2009

New Lexus LFA Spy Shots

A reworked Lexus LFA has been spotted, sporting some vinyl camouflage and looking much closer to production than ever before: Most of the changes over the last-seen mule are in the more aggressive front-end, but the whole vehicle looks more polished and sleek. Motor Authority also has some spy shots, including this brief look at …

Kevin · May 11th, 2009

Lexus Japan’s IS-C Interior Color Options

The Lexus IS 250 was released in Japan last week with some extremely unique interior color options (click for slightly larger images): No word if these options will be available in other markets outside of Japan, but it looks like the USA is getting a solid blue option the blue & white option if the …

Kevin · May 11th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 & 450h Body Kit by LX Mode

LX Mode has updated their website to include the brand new Lexus 3G RX body kit: All in all, it’s a nice looking kit—but what I’m really impressed by is the front grille replacement. Looking to be lifted directly of the LS 460, it changes the front-end significantly. Here’s a breakdown of the different options, …

Kevin · May 8th, 2009

Lexus IS-C Sales Expectations

Lexus has shared some of the sales expectations of the new IS convertible—according to Automotive News, the company is hoping for worldwide monthly sales of 1,600 units. Whether or not such numbers are possible will depend entirely on North America, where 70% of production will be sent. “This is meant to appeal as an entry-level …

Kevin · May 8th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Interior = Design Harmony?

Last month, when the new Lexus RX 450h was given Ward’s Auto Design Harmony award for its asymmetric interior, it wasn’t too clear what “Design Harmony” actually meant—luckily, Ward’s has come through with some clarification: Contributing to the serenity are enough artistic flourishes to warrant a special exhibit at the Guggenheim. Take the …

Kevin · May 7th, 2009

Crystallised Lexus LFA Photo Gallery

I’ve been waiting for an actual photo gallery of the Crystallised Lexus LFA currently being shown in Milan, and Japanese magazine Openers has delivered just that—here’s a selection of images: Fantastic. The rest of the gallery can be viewed at the Openers website.

Kevin · May 7th, 2009

Details on Lexus’ 1-Series Competitor

Details are emerging about Lexus’ compact car—according to Top Gear’s Foreman blog, the 1-series competitor will be a hatchback based on the Prius platform and only available as a hybrid: A Prius is designed to get small-car economy from a bigger car. But Lexus hybrids all have higher performance than their standard counterparts. Lexus has …

Kevin · May 6th, 2009

Photos of the Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior

Lexus enthusiast Harinder from Vancouver has done me two big favors—first he told me about the Passionate Black availability in Canada, and now he’s sent photos of his very own PB Lexus GS: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1126”} (The all-season mats are in place, but Harinder assured me that black carpet mats were also included. Also, in Canada, …

Kevin · May 5th, 2009

CAR Magazine Reviews the Lexus RX 450h

CAR Magazine has posted a review of the Lexus RX 450h, and offers some new figures about the upcoming hybrid SUV: The 3.5-litre V6 makes 246bhp on its own and two electric motors add the rest. One is solely responsible for powering the rear axle, and together they can propel the RX silently and unaided …

Kevin · May 4th, 2009

Lexus Canada April 2009 Sales Report

While auto sales are enduring a major slump in the US, Lexus Canada has just reported their best April ever, moving a total of 1,621 vehicles last month. This is a 4% increase over last year. Some specific points: The new Lexus RX 350 enjoyed an all-time record month, selling 748 units, up 48.4% over …

Kevin · May 4th, 2009

Fox Marketing to Build Lexus IS-F/IS-C Mashup

Fresh off their electric orange twin-turbo Lexus IS-F at SEMA 2008, Fox Marketing & Artisan Performance have already started planning their entry for this year’s event—a lime-green IS-C done up in the IS-F style (click for a larger image): This may be a computer render, but I’m impressed at how a IS-F and IS-C look …

Kevin · May 1st, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 2: Blue Grille

Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Keeping with the theme of my first GS 450h wallpaper, this image features a blue badge—this time from the front of the car. This was one of the last photos I took, and one of my absolute favorites. Enjoy!

Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Manufacturing Details

In preparation of the release of the RX 450h, Lexus GB has published an amazingly thorough document that details the new manufacturing processes behind the upcoming hybrid SUV. Some highlights: The Kokura plant, where the RX is built, has installed a 3 meter-high mesh “waterfall” that has reduced airborne dust by 90%. The chain conveyor …

Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 1: Blue Badging

One of the first things I did after completing my review of the Lexus IS 250 was buy myself a nice camera, a Canon Rebel XS to be exact, so that I could take better photos. As a result, I took over 1,100 photos of the GS 450h for my review, and ended up with …

Kevin · April 29th, 2009

2009 Lexus GS 450h Review

The first time I saw the third-generation Lexus GS, I didn’t like it one bit. Compared to the previous generation’s sharp, aggressive lines, the current GS seemed to lack any real visual punch. In particular, I really disliked the rear third of the car, and constantly referred to it as “frumpy” at any opportunity. At …

Kevin · April 28th, 2009

More Details on the Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior

After the discovery of the Lexus GS Passionate Black interior in North America, I was possessed to find out more details, so I arranged a quick email interview with Greg Thome, Lexus USA’s Communications Supervisor: TLE: Lexus Japan released the Passionate Black interior as a special edition last year, and now Lexus USA has started …

Kevin · April 28th, 2009

Car Middle East: Lexus LS 600hL vs. Mercedes S400 Hybrid

Car Middle East has published a quasi-comparison of the Lexus LS 600hL and the upcoming Mercedes S400 Hybrid, though it reads more like a hybrid primer: Whereas Mercedes’ mantra has been to make the S-class hybrid as green as possible, Lexus has taken a different approach with the LS600h. Here, performance is the number one …

Kevin · April 27th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Commercial from Japan

Let’s start off the week with this GS 450h commercial from Lexus Japan, brimming with the positive message “ON and GO!”: One thing I noticed is the alternative markings for the kW energy gauge: Japanese Energy Gauge North American Energy Gauge While the North American version is much more exact, the Japanese gauge gives more …

Kevin · April 27th, 2009

Crystallized Wind LFA @ Milan Design Week

Here’s a new image of the acrylic Lexus LFA, or Crystallized Wind, currently on display during Milan’s Design Week: Still impressed by the very idea of this transparent art piece, and would love to see it in person. For a couple more quick glimpses of the model, and a full Japanese interview with designer Sou …

Kevin · April 24th, 2009

Akio Toyoda Will Drive Lexus LFA in Nürburgring 24h Race

Akio Toyoda, incoming president of Toyota and grandson of the company’s founder, has been confirmed as one of the drivers in the upcoming 24h Nürburgring race: The grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda is one of four drivers on a Toyota team entering the May 21-24 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany, company spokesman Paul …

Kevin · April 24th, 2009

Lexus USA Announces RX 450h, IS 250C & IS 350C Pricing

The US pricing for the Lexus RX 450h, IS 250C & IS 350C was announced today, let’s break it down: The starting price for the Lexus 450h FWD is $41,660, which amounts to $420 less than the outgoing first-generation hybrid. The AWD version of the 450h will have a MSRP of $43,250, $230 less than …

Kevin · April 23rd, 2009

Lexus IS 250C Promotional Video

From Lexus Japan comes this new promotional video for the IS 250C: I know that the IS 250c is essentially killing two birds with one stone, as Lexus gets a new coupe and a new convertible in the lineup, but there’s some angles in this video that make me wish a coupe-only version was available. …

Kevin · April 23rd, 2009

Lexus Australia’s Unique RX Accessories

Just like the last generation, Lexus Australia is offering some unique accessories for the 2010 RX, including a bunch of roof racks, a nudge bar, side steps, mud flaps and some wild 19” wheels. Here are some closeups: Really, it’s almost comical to see an RX done up in this fashion, but some of these …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2009

New Lexus HS 250h Videos

Lexus has published some new HS 250h videos: These videos give a better insight into just how important the ecological aspect was in the design and production of the HS—I’d say it’s the very definition of the vehicle, right down to how it looks. Speaking of which, take a look at this new photo of …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Lexus LFA to Compete in Nürburgring 24h Race

For the second year in a row, the Lexus LFA will be taking part in the 24h Nürburgring Race, the full-day endurance race to take as many laps ‘round The Ring as possible: Based on a prototype of the LF-A being developed with an eye toward commercial release, the race vehicle, entering the Nürburg event …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Rumormill: The Lexus IS-F Evo Strikes Again

JDM blog 7tune has pushed out a rumor that the Lexus IS-F Evolution, the unconfirmed, carbon-fiber-covered editon of the IS-F, will be limited to 500 units and will cost a staggering $250,000USD. From the source: Focus has not changed much either with previous reports of the new body losing 140kg all round and dropping to …

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

New Lexus RX Commerical: We’ve Never Been Closer

This new RX 350 commercial from Lexus Australia is an absolutely literal interpretation of the slogan “The Pursuit of Perfection”: Just what is that Lexus RX going to do when it catches perfection?

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior Now Available in North America!

In what could only be described as “my dreams come true”, Lexus USA and Canada have started offering the Passionate Black interior on select models of the GS! This unique blood red & black interior color combination was first seen in a Japan-only limited edition of 500 models—here are some more photos: In Canada, the …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Auto Guide Reviews the Lexus IS F-Sport Performance Parts

Auto Guide has put together a review of the F-Sport performance accessories available for the Lexus IS 350, and came away impressed with the results—here are some of their observations: We did note the sexy new timbre to the motor’s voice [due to the F-Sport intake & exhaust], however. Tipping the throttle produces an aggressive, …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Javier Quiros Racing the Lexus IS-F @ Nürburgring

This is just plain wild—here’s Javier Quiros, one of the drivers of the recent Lexus LFA race win and owner of a Lexus dealership in Costa Rica, piloting an IS-F around Nürburgring on a practice run: Crazy how you can almost feel the downshifts, especially with that rough audio blip. An interesting perspective, it also …

Kevin · April 15th, 2009

New Lexus LX 570 Print Ads from Australia

Took a second for me to figure out these new Australia print ads for the Lexus LX 570, be sure to click on the images for a larger version: These remind me of the previously featured LX 570 print ads from last year. [Source: Pixel Blog]

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Jeremy Clarkson Reviews the Lexus IS 250

In a comment on my last post, TLE reader Jay wanted to know if the current Lexus IS had ever made it onto the Top Gear show. The answer, it turns out, is “No” (though their magazine counterpart did name it the Best Executive/Luxury Car in 2005). Later on, I found something much more interesting—in …

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Classic Top Gear: 1999 Lexus IS 200 Review

In keeping with the IS theme from yesterday, here’s a throwback Top Gear segment from 1999, with James May test-driving the first-generation Lexus IS 200: James May certainly looks quite young—but still exhibits that special “Captain Slow” driving style. It does sound like IS 200 suffered the same sort of low-band power deficiency that I …

Kevin · April 13th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Review

The Lexus IS has a special place in my heart. It was the first Lexus I ever drove, back in 2000. It was my birthday, and my future-wife surprised me with a lengthy test drive of a yellow first-generation IS 300, courtesy of Performance Lexus in St. Catharines. I had only just received my driver’s …

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Photo Gallery

In the time I spent with the Lexus IS 250, I only had a point-and-shoot Canon to take photos with—luckily my friend Billy Plante came out and took some picks as well. Here are the best shots: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1083”}

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Named to Ward’s Top Interiors of 2009

Ward’s Auto has handed out their 2009 Interior of the Year awards, and the upcoming Lexus RX 450h took one of the special-achievement awards: Among the winners is the all-new Lexus RX 450h hybrid-electric cross/utility vehicle, which goes on sale in August. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the current RX 400h hybrid starts …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: LS Generations Part Two

To celebrate Lexus’ 20th anniversary, Club Lexus member Encore888 created a desktop wallpaper showcasing the four generations of the LS: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 For comparison, there was a similar wallpaper featured last year, though with this head-on angle, it’s much easier to see how each generation built on the …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

More on the Lexus LFA Win @ Nürburgring

As mentioned, the Lexus LFA racing concept won its class (SP8: 4000cc ~ 6200cc) in the Nurburgring 4 hour race this weekend—and now sponsor Gazoo has posted some photos from the race: Here’s a photo of drift champion Iida Akira, soon-to-be Toyota President Akio Toyoda, and dealer owner/racer Javier Quiros with their trophies: I also …

Kevin · April 8th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Commercial from Canada

Last up is a Lexus RX 450h commercial from Canada, which also manages to feature a canine (however brief): Strange that it’s taken me so long to post this, considering that I’ve seen this commercial repeatedly over the last month or so. Filmed in Vancouver, the song is Clair de Lune by Debussy. I’m always …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 Commercial from the Middle East

Next up, here’s a Lexus RX 350 commercial that borders on the just-plain weird: From what I can gather, the central point seems to be that using the Remote Touch controller won’t distract away from driving, but why a coyote? (What’s funny is that this has actually happened to me, driving home late at night …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Video Promo

Three Lexus RX videos to post today, let’s start with the longest: This really is an almost pitch-perfect marketing promo, and goes a long way to infusing the RXh with some real personality. Also, I’m assuming that Welcome to Forward Living will be RXh’s tagline, and this video certainly captures the sentiment. [Via: iMotor] Update: …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus LX 570 Interior

As part of their recurring Inside Story feature, Canadian Driver took a look at the Lexus LX 570’s interior, and it’s a fully detailed breakdown of the SUV’s internals. While extremely positive for the most part, the article is bookended by some unfortunate badge engineering rants: Before you start shouting, “well-heeled Sequoia,” there are a …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Edmunds Lexus RX 450h Video Review

Here’s the companion video to Edmunds’ review of the Lexus RX 450h: As with the written review, Edmunds wasn’t all that impressed with the hybrid RX, though most of the complaints seem to be against hybrids in general. I’m interested to compare the new hybrid technology against the system in the RX400h, surely there has …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Lexus LFA Makes a Nürburgring Appearance

For the first time this year, the Lexus LFA racing concept car has been spotted at Nürburgring, likely due to its upcoming appearance in the upcoming 56. ADAC Westfalenfahrt being held this weekend at the Nordschleife—the same four-hour long distance race on the Nürburgring grand prix circuit that the LFA won last year. Here’s the …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Flickr Find: Soarer Rocket

Posting the Lexus SC 400 review from TTAC yesterday reminded me of a Flickr photo by Jon Sylvester (best viewed in original size): Love the panoramic feel and the lighting—great location as well. (This, of course, is the Japanese version of the SC 400, the Toyota Soarer, which uses a griffin as its logo.)

Kevin · April 3rd, 2009

TTAC Review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400

The Truth About Cars has posted a review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400, a car many consider Lexus’s most influential design and perhaps the greatest Lexus ever made—here’s an excerpt: Combined with the four-speed electronic automatic transmission, the engine is just plain unkillable. It can literally out-diesel a diesel when it comes to longevity, …

Kevin · April 2nd, 2009

Car Magazine’s Long-Term Lexus IS-F

Car Magazine is issuing monthly website updates on their long-term Lexus IS-F, and this month the magazine editors had their first service stop: It took an hour to get there but when I arrived at Lexus Leicester I was greeted by a smart showroom, courteous staff and a decent cup of tea. I was even …

Kevin · March 31st, 2009

Spending Time with the 2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD

Early this morning, I made my way to Toyota Canada’s corporate HQ outside of Toronto and took possession of a Lexus IS 250 for review. It’s the AWD config, an automatic, with Truffle Mica exterior and Ecru leather interior, a very flattering combination. The rest of the day was spent powering through highway traffic and …

Kevin · March 30th, 2009

China’s BYD Auto Releases Lexus RX Clone

While it’s true that all car companies have been guilty of design plagiarism at some point, Chinese automaker BYD has taken it too far with their shamelessly brazen copy of the second generation RX, the S6: These Chinese copycat designs are a rampant problem in automotive design, and what makes the situation worse is that …

Kevin · March 27th, 2009

Wald Body Kit for the 2010 Lexus RX 350

Wald International has released a Black Bison body kit for the new Lexus RX—first off, here’s the photo gallery: All the things that made the Black Bison design look so awkward on the IS-F end up adding some real character to the RX. There are minor complaints: the IS-F style grille looks great but clashes …

Kevin · March 26th, 2009

Flickr Find: Lexus GS Panning Practice

While working his panning skills, photographer Otis Blank snapped this great pic of a Lexus GS in transit: I’d say the practice is paying off!

Kevin · March 26th, 2009

Automobile Mag: Lexus IS-F Long-Term Test Update

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post a photo of the Lexus IS-F in the snow, but Automobile Magazine’s Four-Seasons update is definitely worth the quick read as well: I hand the car off to Mr. Kitman, who makes several trips into and out of New York City. “I love the sound of the …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Lexus Enform Service to arrive with the Lexus HS 250h

Arriving late this summer, the Lexus HS 250h will be the first vehicle offered with the new Lexus Enform + Safety Connect telematics system. Safety Connect, a service that will be offered on both Toyota and Lexus vehicles, provides a support network in the event of an emergency—offering automatic collision detection, locating a stolen vehicle, …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Production Lexus LFA to debut at Tokyo Auto Show?

This year’s Toyko Motor Show could be the location for a major moment in Lexus history—according to an Edmunds insider, the production version of the Lexus LFA will debut at the October autoshow. Of course, at this point it’s still a rumor, but when you consider that Toyota’s new president, Akio Toyoda, has been the …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Michael Bay’s Lexus ES 330 Commercial

Loud, blurry and preposterous, this Lexus ES 330 commercial by Michael Bay would fit neatly into any one of his movies (jump to 1:02 to see the Lexus commercial directly): Somehow I doubt an airbag is going to save you from being hit by a tractor trailer.

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Lexus Japan’s RX Museum Party Video

Should we need any proof that Lexus is being marketed differently in Japan as compared to North America, look no further than this video from the Japanese RX launch party, featuring DJ No+Chin in a “battle” with visual artist Saori Kanda: Feels more like Scion than Lexus, color me impressed by how uniquely Japanese this …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus ES 350

The Lexus ES 350 doesn’t get a lot of play, particularly with it in the third year of its design cycle, but this Canadian Driver review of the 2009 model is worth noting, as it manages to capture the ES’ appeal and includes a previously unheard (and likely untrue) rumor: The 2009 model retains the …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

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