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Great Photos of the Lexus LF-A Racing Prototype

The french website Endurance Info has some very nice exclusive photos of the Lexus LF-A racing prototype, including the one above this shot of the interior and engine: Judging by the news date (May 21st) and the lack of emblems, it looks like this site might have had the first public engine shots.

Kevin · May 27th, 2008

Lexus LF-A Racing Prototype completes Nürburgring 24h Race

The Lexus LF-A racing prototype finished the Nürburgring 24H race in 121st place, mostly due to some extended pitstops. Over the 24 hours, the LF-A managed 100 laps, 48 back of the winning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Motor Trend has a nice recap of the race, including this bit on the Lexus prototype: Did you …

Kevin · May 26th, 2008

The Lexus LF-A in the Nürburgring 24H Race this weekend

The Nürburgring 24hour race is happening this weekend, which the Lexus LF-A is pretend-competing in, using the race environment to see how the supercar holds up over an intensive run. Well, as it turns out, it’s probably best Lexus didn’t throw its hat fully into the ring, because one hour after the race started, the …

Kevin · May 24th, 2008

Lexus wins UK Security Award, LS wins Best Luxury Car

Here’s story that slipped through as I was finishing up the new version of this site: Lexus won two awards in the 2008 Fleet World Honours, taking home the Security award and the Best Luxury Car award for the LS: The Security Award reflects Lexus’s high levels of protection against theft of or from its …

Kevin · May 19th, 2008

Flickr Find: Lexus Nürburgring Duo

There’s been plenty of photos of the Lexus IS 250/LF-A duo currently racing in the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance series, but I just wanted to feature these two images from Flickr user nordschleifenfan, a photographer seemingly stationed at Nürburgring: nordschleifenfan has put together quite a collection of Nürburgring racing images, be sure to check them …

Kevin · May 15th, 2008

The Lexus LS 600h/Paul McCartney Fiasco

So, the big news of the day concerns an LS 600h that was sent by Lexus to Paul McCartney as a gift for his work promoting the company’s hybrids. Pretty uneventful so far, right? Well, turns out the car was sent by plane rather than by boat, creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times larger: …

Kevin · May 14th, 2008

Lexus UK launches IS 250 SR

Lexus UK is launching a special edition of the Lexus IS 250, dubbed the SR edition, and it features a full body kit, some very nice 10-spoke alloy rims and some sporty interior upgrades, including some aluminum pedals. The body kit’s very subtle, but it works, especially with the wheel combo. Once again, I was …

Kevin · May 14th, 2008

Lexus UK tops JD Power Customer Satisfaction study for 8th straight year

Count this among the news I missed last week when my head was buried in code, Lexus UK has topped the annual JD Power Customer Satisfication Index for the eighth year in a row: In the nameplate rankings, luxury Japanese brand Lexus ranks highest for an eighth consecutive year, receiving a customer satisfaction score of …

Kevin · May 13th, 2008

Mystery Lexus IS Solved

The mystery Lexus IS making the rounds round Nürburgring last week turned out to be the most obvious: it was a race car, and it appeared in the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance race in Germany this weekend: The TME/Team Gazoo IS competed in the first of seven four-hour endurance races. One six-hour and a 24-hour …

Kevin · May 12th, 2008

Car Magazine Video: Lexus IS-F vs. BMW M3 vs. Mercedes C63

UK’s Car Magazine has put in their video vote in the Lexus IS-f/BMW M3/Mercedes C63 race, and it’s probably the least qualitative comparison yet: I’m all for a little character in car reviews, but not to this extent. The gimmicks and poor lap timing method detract from an otherwise enjoyable watch. Surely this isn’t how …

Kevin · May 9th, 2008

Top Gear Comparison: Lexus IS-F vs. BMW M3 vs. Mercedes C63 vs. Audi RS4

We knew from last month’s Top Gear article that Tom Ford was quite impressed by the Lexus IS-F, though he wasn’t quite sure how it stacked up against its competitors. Well, now the answer’s out, as Ford got a chance to compare the IS-F with the BMW M3, Mercedes C63 and the Audi RS4: The …

Kevin · April 20th, 2008

Hybrids (Still) Central to Lexus Strategy in Europe

For whatever reason, Business Week has become particularly concerned with how Lexus is doing in other parts of the world. First there was an article a couple weeks ago about the company’s sales in Japan (which I partially refuted), and now a new story has sprung up about how hybrid technology may be the key …

Kevin · April 10th, 2008

Lexus LS 600hL is the UK Chauffeur Car of the Year

The Lexus LS 600hL has been named the UK Chauffeur Car of the Year by The Chauffeur Magazine (no, really): Key factors behind the judges’ decision included the Lexus hybrid system which allowed for lower emission and competitive fuel economy, build quality, and the reclining and massaging rear seats which can adapt for shiatsu back …

Kevin · April 8th, 2008

Lexus LF-A Video from European Debut

To mark the European debut of the Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Lexus put together a truly spectacular video, albeit with no actual in-motion footage. Click the photo below to be taken to the mini-site: I imagine this would have been used as a video introduction to the vehicle’s unveiling at …

Kevin · March 25th, 2008

Classic Top Gear 1990: Lexus LS 400 vs. Mercedes 420SE vs. Jaguar 4.0 vs. BMW 735i

Every once and a while, a classic Lexus LS 400 clip will show up on Youtube, showing the car up against its competitors, and it always amazes me just how throughly Lexus thought out their first model. Here we have a 1990 video clip from Top Gear, putting the LS 400 up against the Mercedes …

Kevin · March 18th, 2008

Hybrid is Lexus brand defining technology in Britain

There’s all sorts of interesting information in this BBC article about Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King trading in his Maserati Quattroporte for a Lexus LS 600hL, particularly when it comes to the state of Lexus in the UK: Lexus has gone from strength to strength with its hybrid-powered luxury. In the current atmosphere, its new …

Kevin · March 17th, 2008

Video from the Lexus Display @ the 2008 Geneva Auto Show

There may not be anything new to see from the Lexus presence at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, but this video gives a nice and funky recap of the booth, including a very neat LS 600h information display: Really, this just makes me even more disappointed that the LF-A Roadster Concept didn’t make its way …

Kevin · March 7th, 2008

Tiff Needell Drives the Lexus IS-F

Tiff Needell from British car show Fifth Gear got his hands on a Lexus IS-F, and despite his rather strange presentation style, turns in an enjoyable review: It’s funny, Needell’s biggest complaint is something that I thought myself — there’s an awful lot of beeping going on while driving the IS-F in its direct shift …

Kevin · March 4th, 2008

Hybrids Dominating Lexus Europe Sales

While Lexus may need a huge advertising campaign to bring awareness to their hybrid model range in the US, it couldn’t be any different in Europe, where hybrids are accounting for a major percentage of vehicles sold. In 2007, 38% of all Lexus sales in Eastern Europe were hybrids, up from 26% in 2006, and …

Kevin · February 29th, 2008

Lexus UK updates RX Entertainment Package

Lexus UK has debuted an upgraded backseat entertainment package for the RX called ICE, which is short for In-Car Entertainment. It consists of two eight-inch LCD screens with an integrated DVD player, USB and SD card readers, plus more: Two pairs of infrared headphones are provided, which are about 20 per cent smaller than before, …

Kevin · February 28th, 2008

Lexus ≠ Porn Pt.3

Another month, another porn star cease-and-desist notice sent out by Lexus. This time around, European model Lea Lexus was served papers (NSW link) to change her name, which she did almost immediately. This is the third legal action sent to a porn star in less than a year. It started with Detroit-based Lexus Cash, then …

Kevin · February 22nd, 2008

Details on Lexus Exhibit for 2008 Milan Design Week

As a way of extending their L-Finesse design language, Lexus has been taking part in the Milan Design Week since 2005. Always a collaboration with a unique comtemporary artist, the 2008 exhibit features work by Japanese design company nendo, and will be titled “Elastic Diamond”. Here’s some details: The 2008 Lexus exhibit, which has been …

Kevin · February 17th, 2008

Lexus RAV4 on the way?

According to the Automotive News, Lexus’ on-again/off-again infatuation with a RAV4-based X3 competitor has swung to the positive side, this time with some actual verification from Jim Lentz: Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president, says a small Lexus SUV could be a response to the “urbanization” of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers. Toyota’s …

Kevin · February 4th, 2008

Flickr Find: Lexus IS-F in Brussels

Reaffirming my belief that the Lexus IS-F should never have been marketed in electric blue, take a look at these photos by Flickr user PierterA from the 2008 Brussels motor show: The car really does have a fantastically muscular front 3/4 view, doesn’t it?

Kevin · January 30th, 2008

Lexus to Enter the DTM Racing Series?

According to Touring Car Times, the photo of the Lexus IS-F Racing Concept could be an indication that Lexus will be joining the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters car racing series: The rumors on which manufacturer would join Audi and Mercedes in the Deutche Tourenwagen Masters have been many during the recent years. Since the talks about …

Kevin · January 7th, 2008

Lexus LS 460 Lane Keep Assist Video Demonstration

The Lane Keep Assist feature, which effectively locks you into a highway lane, may only available on the European & Asian Lexus LS, but it’s incredibly effective, at least in the context of this video: I’m of two minds with this feature. You can never discount added safety, but the movement towards automated driving makes …

Kevin · December 16th, 2007

1989 Lexus LS 400 Featured in Old Top Gear Episode

It’s hard to discount the power of Youtube when you can watch a 1989 episode of Top Gear detailing the introduction of the then-newly released Lexus LS 400 (jump ahead to 1:26 to get there directly): Not a full-on review, which is a slight disappointment, but the praise is astounding, let me quote presenter Tiff …

Kevin · November 30th, 2007

Lexus LS is the World’s Most Beautiful Large Sedan

Not exactly sure how it happened, but for the 15th Annual L’Automobile più Bella del Mondo (Most Beautiful Cars in the World) Awards, Lexus managed to snag first and second place in the Limousine (Large Sedan) category, with the LS 600h taking top spot and the LS 460 taking second. I’m surprised they didn’t just …

Kevin · November 26th, 2007

The Lexus Symphony Orchestra Audio & Video

This past summer, Lexus staged two unique concerts in Britain using twelve LS 460s in place of an orchestra. These cars, with no modification or amplification, performed two pieces originally recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, which you can now listen to at a Lexus site dedicated to it. I really enjoyed the site, there’s …

Kevin · November 22nd, 2007

Lexus Europe Hopes to Triple Sales by 2010

According to Karl Schlicht, Head of Lexus Europe, Lexus is experiencing great success in Russia and hopes to increase their European sales three-fold by 2010: “If things continue as they are, by 2010 we will have doubled our Russian sales volume, which is currently at 17,000,” said Karl Schlicht, chief for Europe for the brand …

Kevin · November 21st, 2007

Comparison: Lexus LS600h vs. Audi A8

Right out the gate, the Audi A8 had a very significant advantage over the Lexus LS 600h in Autoweek’s recent comparison test — After all, the A8 is £20,000 cheaper than the LS 600h, and £20,000 is a steep hill to climb: More crucially, while the low 219g/km emissions are very impressive, it’s hard to …

Kevin · November 11th, 2007

The Small Lexus Moves Forward

There’s been rumblings for some time that Lexus could release a super-small sedan to compete with the likes of BMW’s 1-series and Audi’s A3, and a recent article from GoAuto suggests it’s much further in development than previously thought: To be manufactured in sedan and/or hatch guises beyond 2010, the new entry-level model plan was …

Kevin · November 10th, 2007

Flickr Find: Seeing Double

Flickr user Dougie Wands had to wait for the crowds to disperse around the Lexus LF-A at the Tokyo Frankfurt Motor Show before taking these photos, but the effect was well worth it: I can’t even imagine what the result might have been if the LF-A had been painted in high-gloss black!

Kevin · November 1st, 2007

Peacock & Lexus: A Love Story

A gay blue peacock, living at the stately British home of Sir Benjamin Slade, apparently developed quite a liking to an employee’s blue Lexus, and as a result, caused £4,000 of damage with its attempted lovemaking: The car was left with numerous scratches and dents as a result of the frisky bird’s amorous attack, and …

Kevin · October 4th, 2007

Comparison: Lexus LS 600h vs. Mercedes S420 CDI vs. BMW 745d

I would have thought that Auto Motor Und Sport’s comparison test of the Lexus LS 460 vs. Volkswagen Phaeton would be hard to beat in terms of bias, but they’ve outdone themselves, their comparison of the Lexus LS 600h vs. BMW 745d vs. Mercedes S420 CDI is a absolute gem. Posted on Autospies, the bulk …

Kevin · October 3rd, 2007

Lexus to Launch a Small Luxury Car in Europe?

Toyota exec Tokuichi Uranishi, in an interview with German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport, has stated that in order for Lexus to compete in Europe’s luxury market, the lineup will have to be expanded, and should include a small luxury car, a la the BMW 1-Series/Mercedes 1-Class. Increasing European marketshare has become a #1 …

Kevin · September 26th, 2007

Photo Gallery: Lexus @ 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show

The 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show may have been light on Lexus news, but there were plenty of photo opportunities nonetheless. Claude Feltz, who provided the silver IS-F photos featured earlier this week, also took some time to capture the rest of the Lexus Pavilion, including some shots of the GS series facelift and the Hybrid …

Kevin · September 20th, 2007

Lexus IS-F & LF-A Together on Nürburgring

This spy video montage, which shows a collection of upcoming cars taking their turn at Nürburgring, has an interesting segment featuring the Lexus IS-F and the LF-A taking a lap together (skip to 3:09 in the video for the action): The LF-A sounds like a monster compared to the IS-F, and I’m sure the additional …

Kevin · September 19th, 2007

Lexus IS-F in Silver!

As if on cue, photos emerged today on Club Lexus of a silver Lexus IS-F, taken by Claude Feltz at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Without a doubt, my point is proven, the IS-F doesn’t just look a little better in colors other than blue, it looks fantastic! (Special thanks to Claude for letting me …

Kevin · September 18th, 2007

Lexus Press Conference @ Frankfurt 2007

The Auto Channel has posted the full Lexus press conference from the 2007 IAA Frankfurt Auto Show, presented by Karl Schlicht, Vice President of Lexus Europe: For the most part, the press conference confirms my earlier thoughts on Lexus’ presence in Frankfurt, revealing no new information, but there’s another side to it. With his singular …

Kevin · September 14th, 2007

Lexus & The 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show

With the Tokyo Motor Show happening in less than a month, it’s no real shock that Lexus’ presence at the Frankfurt Auto Show was more than little subdued. The extent of their attendence seemed limited to only to a plastic molding of the LS 600h, pictured above, and the debut of the new GS refresh. …

Kevin · September 13th, 2007

The Lexus Police Force

Being in Canada, where the police drive Chevy Impalas and Dodge Chargers, I can’t imagine being pulled over by a GS 450h, it just doesn’t compute. But that’s not the case in Britain, where Lexus has been steadily making inroads into the Police Fleet market, and will be attending its sixth consecutive National Police Fleet …

Kevin · August 14th, 2007

The LS 460 Symphony Orchestra Takes the Stage

Twelve LS 460’s will be filling in for a symphony orchestra this August for two very special performances in Britain: The twelve vehicles will be arranged onstage to emulate a typical orchestral layout of individual instruments, with strings, brass, woodwind, basses and percussion being performed by each section. In essence each LS 460 will be …

Kevin · August 2nd, 2007

Comparison: Lexus LS 460 vs. Volkswagen Phaeton

A member of German Car Zone was nice enough to translate an article from German car magazine Auto Motor Und Sport pitting the Volkswagen Phaeton against the Lexus LS 460. (The full text appears on Autospies, if you don’t feel like signing up for GCZ account.) Now, whether it’s a case of German bias or …

Kevin · July 26th, 2007

Additional Footage of the LF-A at Nürburgring

We’ve all seen the Edmunds video of the prototype LF-A tearing up Nürburgring, but this additional footage, posted by Viper Productions on Youtube, really shows off the confirmed V-10 engine: Seems much faster than in the Edmunds video, it’s practically a black roaring blur. Now, the only question is, when is this blasted car going …

Kevin · July 11th, 2007

Lexus RX 400h, Wagoneer Edition

While I have strong doubts that Lexus will ever release a RX Wagoneer edition, one 400h owner isn’t about to wait to see. Discovered by Autoblog.it, this one-off wooden body kit was created by Italian tuner firm Castagna Milano for someone very rich and equally eco-obsessed: Most of the reactions to this unique body modification …

Kevin · June 11th, 2007

Fifth Gear Review of the IS220d

Another week, another Fifth Gear Lexus review posted on YouTube. This time up, it’s the Lexus IS220d, from an episode aired in 2005: There’s a few things that stand out in this review, when Tom Ford compares it to the BMW 320d: “Do you want to be able to say, ‘My car’s faster than your …

Kevin · May 30th, 2007

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