Details on the First Lexus LFA Owners Club Meet in Japan

Last weekend in Japan, 22 LFAs and 23 LFA owners participated in the inaugural meeting of the Lexus LFA Owners Club. The meet took place at the Lexus College campus inside of the Fuji Speedway. LFA Chief Engineer Tanahashi Haruhiko was in attendance, and the event was memorialized with a ceremonial planting of a Youkou-zakura …
Kevin · April 15th, 2014

2015 Lexus NX & NX F SPORT Information

Lexus has released the first real details on the new NX, including 11 new photos of the compact crossover in both standard and F SPORT models: The Full Lexus NX Press Release Lexus will unveil its new luxury compact crossover, the Lexus NX, at the 2014 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition to be held in Beijing, …
Kevin · April 10th, 2014

Lexus NX Compact Crossover Revealed Early by French Magazine

Scans of an article from French magazine L’Automobile have revealed the Lexus NX compact crossover before its official debut: The scans, which were posted earlier today on Club Lexus & World Car Fans, show a production NX that sticks close to the LF-NX concept — much of the exterior body work mirrors the concept, right …
Kevin · April 10th, 2014

Lexus Releases First Image of NX Compact Crossover

Lexus has released the very first teaser image of the NX compact crossover, which is set to debut at the Beijing Motor Show on April 20th — here’s the image in high resolution: The RC-style tri-LED headlights are visible, as are some of the defining sharp angles of the LF-NX concept. One of the biggest …
Kevin · April 3rd, 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

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

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

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

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

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

Spied: Is Lexus Developing a Four-Door Coupe?

An unusual Lexus prototype has been spotted by Japanese magazine Mag-X, here it is from three angles: Despite wearing the front-end of what looks like a GS F SPORT, the long hood and short trunk suggest something else entirely — could Lexus be working a four door coupe to complete with the Mercedes CLS & …
Kevin · January 20th, 2014

Lexus RC F Press Photo Gallery

A massive new collection of official Lexus RC F photos were released today — let’s start with the North American edition of the high-performance coupe: (I believe the single difference between the North American & non-North American versions is the hood — at this point, the RC F will not be available with a carbon …
Kevin · January 14th, 2014

Live Coverage: Lexus at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show

The 2014 North American International Auto Show starts today, and I’m here at the Cobo Center in Detroit to bring you live Lexus coverage from the show floor both today and tomorrow. The big news from Lexus is the debut of the RC F high-performance coupe, which will be revealed at 8:45am EST tomorrow. I’m …
Kevin · January 13th, 2014

Lexus to Enter Modified LFA CODE X in Nürburgring 24 Hour Race

Lexus & Gazoo Racing have announced that an “enhanced sports car research vehicle” called the LFA Code X will be racing in this year’s Nürburgring 24 hour race: Compared to the LFA’s base 4.8-liter V10 engine, the research vehicle’s engine displacement has been increased to 5.3 liters and system output and torque has been fine-tuned …
Kevin · January 10th, 2014

Lexus RC F High-Performance Coupe Revealed

After months of camouflaged prototypes and plenty of guesswork, Lexus has released the first official photos of the new Lexus RC F high-performance coupe — let’s start off with the full press release. Giving new meaning to “back to the grind,” the daily commute is now transformed into a day at the track with the …
Kevin · January 8th, 2014

Top Ten Lexus News Stories of 2013

It’s been a busy year for Lexus — the launch of the new third-generation IS, plenty of speculation on the future of the brand, and the recent reveal of the Lexus RC coupe made for some exciting news. As 2013 draws to a close, let’s look back on the top ten Lexus news stories of …
Kevin · December 31st, 2013

Lexus RC F to be Powered by 460 Horsepower V8?

The Lexus RC F will be powered by a V8 with 460 horsepower, according to a Detroit Auto Show VIP event invitation leaked by Autoblog — here’s the invite in full (click for a larger version): Judging by the website, this event looks to be hosted by local dealerships (RSVP page asks to select one …
Kevin · December 30th, 2013

Is this the Lexus RC F?

A convincing rendering of the Lexus RC F has been published in an unnamed Japanese magazine — here’s the full page: While there’s been some talk that this might be the real thing, comparing the rendering with the second teaser image shows the truth — the deep lines in the hood reaching to the front …
Kevin · December 30th, 2013

Lexus Concept Car Coming to Gran Turismo 6?

As part of the Vision Gran Turismo festival celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo video game, Lexus designers will be creating a two-door grand-touring concept car — here’s an advanced preview (click for a larger version): With the exception of the LFA-style hood vents, this image is identical to the LF-LC concept — …
Kevin · December 23rd, 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 …
Kevin · December 19th, 2013

Introducing LEXUS: THE LINE Magazine

If you’ve been a reader of Lexus Enthusiast for a while, you may recall I spent the first few months of 2013 at Team One, Lexus USA’s advertising agency, working as a consultant on a secret project. Seven months later, here are full details — I helped to identify the stories used in The Line, …
Kevin · December 18th, 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 …
Kevin · December 9th, 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 …
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 …
Kevin · December 4th, 2013

Lexus Set to Break Global Sales Record This Year

Lexus is on track to sell over 520,000 vehicles worldwide this year, which will break their all-time global sales record set in 2007 — from Automotive News: Mark Templin, executive vice president of Lexus International, today said worldwide sales would “finish on the north side of 520,000,” edging Lexus’ all-time high of 518,300 units in …
Kevin · December 2nd, 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 …
Kevin · November 22nd, 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Kevin · November 18th, 2013

Live from the Fuji Speedway: F SPORT Day

The first stop on the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show tour is the Fuji Speedway, where I’ll have a chance to drive the LFA Nürburgring Edition, IS F CCS-R, and most curiously, an IS 350 F SPORT with Lexus Dynamic Handling (LDH) with Dynamic Rear Steering. I’ll be writing about the experience in detail later, but …
Kevin · November 17th, 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 …
Kevin · November 11th, 2013

Lexus Releases Second Commercial in Global Branding Campaign

Lexus has released the second installment of their global marketing campaign — this time, it’s a collaboration with KMEL Robotics in the aptly-titled SWARM: Like the earlier STEPS commercial, this video doesn’t feature a Lexus vehicle at all — but instead of giant puppets, it’s a swarm of tiny quadrocopters escaping from museums and buildings …
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 …
Kevin · November 4th, 2013

2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT Spotted!

The 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT has been spotted by Leftlane News during a commercial shoot — here are photos of the front & back: There were no photos of the side profile, but here’s a closer look at the new spindle grille: All in all, it’s a great looking update — the spindle …
Kevin · October 14th, 2013

Lexus to Reveal Production Coupe at Tokyo Motor Show?

Lexus will debut a new production coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, according to the Australian GoAuto website: Get set for another two-door Lexus stunner when the doors open at the 43rd Tokyo motor show next month. Lexus is tight-lipped on the exact nature of its big expose, but you can expect it …
Kevin · October 9th, 2013

Video: Lexus LFA Special Event at Nürburgring

At the beginning of September, two Lexus LFA owners attended a driving event at the Nürburgring in Germany — here’s a fast video recap of their day on the track: The Lexus International website has more details: Craig Zinn of Florida, USA and Aberhard Jung from Switzerland joined with fellow enthusiasts of other illustrious car …
Kevin · October 1st, 2013

Video: Lexus Super GT GT500 Race Car in the Rain

Here’s the very first video of the Lexus Super GT GT500 race car — this thing is a monster: The race car is powered by a Lexus-developed 2000cc, inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine — could it be related to the 2.0L four-cylinder turbo expected to reach the Lexus lineup next year? (Thanks knoxviue!)
Kevin · September 29th, 2013

More Illustrations of the Rumored Lexus RC F Coupe

The September issue of Japanese magazine Holiday Auto has a five-page spread on the upcoming Lexus RC F, and included in the article are several illustrated attempts at what the new Lexus coupe might look like — here are the full pages (click for higher resolution): As is the case with any Japanese magazines, I’m …
Kevin · September 17th, 2013

Video: The Lexus LF-NX Concept

Following the debut of the Lexus LF-NX at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the very first promotional video of the concept has been released.
Kevin · September 10th, 2013

Lexus Reveals the LF-NX Compact Crossover Concept

Less than a week before its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Lexus has revealed their LF-NX compact crossover concept. Let’s start with the full press release (click on any image for a high resolution version). A new Lexus mid-size crossover concept, the LF-NX, will make its world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show, …
Kevin · September 4th, 2013

Lexus Enthusiast Now on Instagram

While on the topic of Instagram, Lexus Enthusiast has recently started posting on the photo-sharing site with the username LexusNews.
Kevin · July 22nd, 2013

Lexus to Bring Back the SC Nameplate?

In their latest issue, Japanese magazine BEST CAR suggests that Lexus may bring back the SC nameplate, and have created a new rendering to illustrate the possibilities.
Kevin · July 1st, 2013

Official: Lexus ES 350 to be Built in North America

At a press conference today in New York City, Toyota president Akio Toyoda & North American CEO Jim Lentz officially announced that the Lexus ES 350 will be built at the Georgetown manufacturing plant in Kentucky.
Kevin · April 19th, 2013

2014 Lexus IS Preview

Debuting at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, the 2014 third-generation IS is a critical model for Lexus.
Kevin · March 25th, 2013

New Details on the Lexus RC Coupe

Mag-X from Japan is reporting that the Lexus production model based on the LF-CC concept will be available by August 2014.
Kevin · March 20th, 2013

Is the Lexus IS F Being Discontinued?

In his review of the 2013 Lexus IS F, James Healey of USA Today claims that the high-performance sedan will be discontinued.
Kevin · March 11th, 2013

New Lexus Halo Car to Replace the LFA?

A recent report from Hans Greimel of the Automotive News explores the future plans of Lexus — let’s start with the possibility of a new Lexus halo car.
Kevin · January 2nd, 2013