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SEMA Preview: Lexus LS 600hL by Fox Marketing

With just a couple weeks before SEMA, Fox Marketing has unveiled their modified LS 600hL that will be shown as part of the Lexus display: Like what was done to the front grille: Here’s probably the best look at the real color: I like the blacked/greened-out look well enough, especially in the way it tones …

Kevin · October 18th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Package

We knew it was coming — today, Lexus pulled the covers off and revealed the CT 200h F-Sport package at the the Australian International Motor Show — some photos first of all: As for specific changes, here’s a direct quote from the Lexus Australia press release: F Sport CT 200h receives a number of visual …

Kevin · October 14th, 2010

2011 Lexus CT 200h: First Drive

Over the past month, I’ve had two occasions to drive the Lexus CT 200h — first time up was at the NYC stop of the CT 200h World Tour, where I found the CT 200h to be a perfect fit on the busy New York streets, easily absorbing the rough edges of city driving without …

Kevin · October 12th, 2010

Lexus LC 600h to Replace SC?

According to Motor Trend, Lexus is planning to replace the dearly-departed SC 430 with a brand new coupe based on the next-generation LS. Called the LC 600h, this flagship coupe would be AWD and powered by an updated version of the same 5.0L V8 Lexus Hybrid Drive found in the current LS 600hL, and is …

Kevin · October 11th, 2010

2012 Lexus IS Spy Shots

Not even 24 hours after spy shots of the next-generation Lexus GS emerged, we have some photos of a similarly taped up IS driving around Germany: There’s even fewer details revealed in these shots, other than that the rear bumper has been cut and stretched, likely to make the shell fit over the new platform …

Kevin · October 6th, 2010

Next-Gen 2012 Lexus GS Mule Spotted!

At long last, the first spy-shots of the next-generation Lexus GS have been published after a prototype-mule was spotted in Germany: Admittedly, with the shell of the current GS covering much of the action, there’s not much to go on — one thing that’s clear from the taped-up fenders is that the next-gen GS will …

Kevin · October 5th, 2010

More Details on the Pearl Grey Lexus LFA

Last week, we caught our first glimpse of Lexus USA’s color-changing LFA — which now sports a Pearl Grey exterior after spells of being Matte Black & Starfire Pearl — and now Inside Line has published the first set of photos: There’s also a shot of the reworked interior: As for the reasoning behind painting …

Kevin · October 4th, 2010

Lexus September 2010 Sales Report

USA September’s now in the books, and Lexus USA has reported their sales figures for the month — here’s the full model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 3,697 3,046 21.4 33,960 33,431 2.0 HS 711 1,242 -42.8 7,962 1,785 348.0 LS 712 777 -8.4 8,287 …

Kevin · October 1st, 2010

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Accessories

Today was my first day at the Lexus CT 200h press launch event in Paris, France, and there’s been some pretty exciting new details announced for the hybrid hatchback. Let’s start with something big — Lexus USA will be offering a number of F-Sport accessories for the CT 200h. Here’s the only image released so …

Kevin · September 28th, 2010

Photos from the NYC Lexus CT 200h Event

While my driving impressions of the Lexus CT 200h will have to stay under wraps until my article is published by Lexus Magazine later this month, I do have some photos to share from the event in NYC this past weekend (click on any image for a larger version): Like anything in New York, space …

Kevin · September 14th, 2010

Two New Lexus Hybrids by 2012

There were two separate stories today regarding Lexus’ future hybrid plans that just so happen to tie together quite nicely. First off, the New York Times reports that Toyota will release 6 new hybrids by 2012: [Toyota] did not provide details about the coming hybrids, though it provided a chart indicating that four of the …

Kevin · September 14th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Horsepower & Fuel Economy

While I was travelling back to Canada after attending the Lexus CT 200h event in NYC, Lexus USA unleashed eight press releases and over 11,000 words on the new hybrid hatchback. Admittedly, it’s going to take some time to read through it all, but included in the all the information was some details on both …

Kevin · September 13th, 2010

New 2011 Lexus IS Commerical: Music Track

This new IS commercial from Lexus USA is a musical masterpiece: Such a great concept, so well done — love it.

Kevin · September 3rd, 2010

Photos from the Lexus CT 200h Toronto Event

Last weekend, Lexus Canada held a concert series in Toronto that also provided the first public look at the latest CT 200h prototypes, one a Euro-spec Matador Red Mica and the the other an Obsidian CT built for the US market. Living only a couple hours away from Toronto, I spent the weekend in the …

Kevin · September 2nd, 2010

Lexus August 2010 Sales Report

USA Here’s the full model-by-model breakdown of Lexus USA’s August 2010 sales: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 4,161 5,629 -23.1 30,263 30,385 0.1 HS 594 543 13.8 7,251 543 1241.9 LS 939 880 11.0 7,575 6,611 15.1 SC 35 34 7.1 257 576 -55.2 GS 619 …

Kevin · September 1st, 2010

More 2011 Lexus IS F Details

Lexus Europe has released further details on the 2011 Euro-spec IS F, which will be getting a number of exterior & interior design changes for the new year: 5.0 litre V8 is now Euro 5 compliant The HID headlights will get getting the arrowhead LED daytime running light strip New Starlight Black exterior color Dark …

Kevin · August 31st, 2010

Red Lexus CT 200h in Toronto

Yesterday was the public unveiling of the red & black Lexus CT 200hs, and I was on hand to take some photos — here’s a few of my early favorites: The Matador Red Mica is an absolutely brilliant color on this car — perfectly suited and great to look at. The black CT was also …

Kevin · August 28th, 2010

Lexus Japan Art Works: GS in Sunset

We’ve already taken a look at the RX & IS Art Works special editions released by Lexus Japan today, but I’ve saved the best for last — just take a look at this GS in Sunset interior: Here’s some close-ups: This color combo is really something else (reminds me of the LS Sport interior), tasteful …

Kevin · August 26th, 2010

Lexus Japan Art Works: IS in Sunrise

As part of their new Art Works initiative, Lexus Japan has teamed up with design studio Stone Designs to create some extremely unique interior options — the first of which is this Lexus IS in Sunrise: The IS in Sunrise is the only design we’ve seen previously, and it features a decidedly oceanic color scheme: …

Kevin · August 25th, 2010

Official Yellow Lexus LFA Photos

Last week, we saw the first photos of Lexus USA’s new yellow LFA, and today we have official photos from the very same photoshoot: As it turns out, the black leather/silver stiching interior features black alcantara seats and a bronze center console: The LFA is definitely getting more refined with every new prototype — here’s …

Kevin · August 12th, 2010

What’s Next for Lexus Design

There’s a big interview with Lexus’ head of global design, Simon Humphries, at Lexus Magazine that brings some major insight into the direction of the brand — I definitely recommend reading the full thing, but I want to focus on three quotes: LEXUS: First of all, now that we know that the 2011 IS will …

Kevin · August 11th, 2010

Lexus LFA to Enter FIA GT1 Series?

According to Motor Trend, Lexus will be taking the LFA and the experience they gained at the Nürburgring into the FIA GT1 Championship: In a series that is widely considered to be the pinnacle of sports car racing, Toyota will come up against the likes of Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, Lamborghini, Nissan and Maserati. LFA …

Kevin · August 10th, 2010

First Photos of the Yellow Lexus LFA

Just received photos of Lexus USA’s new LFA prototype, which is just about as bright as the sun (click for larger images): It’s hard to top yellow in terms of vibrance, it’s literally impossible to take my eyes off this LFA. Such a bold color really shows off the shape of the LFA, I especially …

Kevin · August 4th, 2010

2011 Lexus Release Schedule

Lexus USA has published a general schedule for their 2011 lineup — here’s what we can expect for the rest of this year: Summer The 2011 GS arrives at dealers with no changes from the 2010 model, save for the new brake override system. Late Summer The new IS 350 AWD will debut along with …

Kevin · July 21st, 2010

New Black Lexus LFA Spotted!

A shiny black Lexus LFA has been spotted in Japan: I’m thunderstruck — that’s one sinister supercar.

Kevin · July 21st, 2010

2011 Lexus IS F-Sport Package

Lexus USA will be offering an F-Sport option package on all RWD IS 250/IS 350s that borrows from the IS F — here’s what’s included: An all-new suspension with tuned steering New 18″ alloy wheels with a dark super-chrome finish A front lip spoiler and a rear deck spoiler Dark super-chrome front grille F Sport …

Kevin · July 16th, 2010

2011 Lexus IS Official Details

Lexus USA has announced details on the 2011 IS, and as expected, the model will be receiving some minor updates for new year: The HID headlights have been redesigned and now include LED daytime running lights. Update: HID lights are optional on the IS 250 and standard on the IS 350. The front grille & …

Kevin · July 16th, 2010

Lexus Electric Supercar?

According to Motor Trend, Toyota President Akio Toyoda has signed off on the development of a Lexus electric supercar: The car is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower and would sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds. The car is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower and would sprint from …

Kevin · July 15th, 2010

Tesla Building Electric Lexus RX Prototype?

Toyota & Tesla are now two weeks into their partnership (in which Toyota purchased a $50M stake in Tesla), and it’s rumored that their first joint-project will be converting a Lexus RX to a full electric prototype: Tesla said July 10 that it will deliver two prototypes vehicles to Toyota this month without identifying the …

Kevin · July 12th, 2010

Live Lexus CT 200h Video!

And now for our first video look at the Lexus CT 200h in Brown Spice Mica (just a warning, you may want to turn down the volume): The CT looks great on the road, even if the color isn’t my favorite — and just how good is this car going to look with bigger wheels, …

Kevin · July 8th, 2010

More on the Lexus Engine Recall

Lexus USA will be formally submitting their recall of approximately 138,000 Lexus vehicles next week with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall will apply to certain 2006, 2007 & 2008 GS, IS, and LS models equipped with 4.6 and 5.0L V8 and 3.5L V6 engines. Here’s the full breakdown: GS 350: 2007-2008 GS …

Kevin · July 2nd, 2010

Lexus June 2010 Sales Report

USA USA June sales are in — here’s a full model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 3,366 3,918 -14.1 22,009 20,363 8.8 HS 603 0 N/A 6,492 0 N/A LS 739 806 -8.3 5,650 4,857 17.1 SC 39 82 -52.4 186 485 -61.4 GS 539 …

Kevin · July 1st, 2010

Live Lexus CT 200h Interior Photos

I just received a massive stack of Lexus CT 200h photos in my inbox, including some pics of a wonderful beige Ecru leather interior with a bamboo (?) wood trim — look at this (click for a larger image): That sliver of wood really sets the whole thing off — I’m extremely impressed with how …

Kevin · June 27th, 2010

In Memory of Hiromu Naruse

Today, the automotive world lost an icon — Toyota’s Chief Test Driver Hiromu Naruse was killed in an accident outside of the Nürburgring racetrack while driving a Lexus LFA Nürburgring prototype. Naruse-sama was influential in the development of every production sports car produced by Toyota, from the 2000GT to the MR-S, and was so widely …

Kevin · June 23rd, 2010

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition Photos

After scoping out the same rendered versions of the Lexus LFA Nürburgring edition for a while now, there’s finally some real photos of the track-optimized version of the supercar courtesy of Autoblog (click for larger versions): Conveniently, Lexus has highlighted all the Nürburgring edition’s aero-parts in black, making it easy to see the larger front …

Kevin · June 22nd, 2010

The 2011 Lexus IS

Earlier this month, we saw some leaked photos of the possible 2011 Lexus IS, and now Japanese weblog レクサスとの道 has published proof (click images for larger images): For the most part, the changes are minor — LED daytime running lights, revised bumpers, some small interior updates — however, let’s take a closer look at this …

Kevin · June 21st, 2010

New Lexus CT 200h Photos

Here’s a bunch of new Lexus CT 200h photos showing the new hatchback in a more natural setting: The more I look at the CT, the more impressed I get. Sure, there was plenty of L-Finesse design cues that could be drawn from, and there’s certainly some elements of the RX & the IS, but …

Kevin · June 14th, 2010

Reader Review: Lexus LS 460 Sport

TLE reader Heimdall222 has put 1,800 miles on his brand new 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport — here are his impressions of the sport-infused flagship sedan. The 2010 LS 460 Sport is my second Lexus, following a GS 350, and I’ve also owned several Infinitis. The basic Sport Package is, of course, what converts a …

Kevin · June 10th, 2010

Car Magazine: Lexus LFA vs. Mercedes SLS

Car Magazine has a supercar comparison we’ve all been waiting for as they pit the Lexus LFA against the Mercedes SLS — some choice quotes: The LFA in particular is infamous for its insane intonations of raw power. Redlined at 9000rpm where the rev counter changes colour from snow white to devil´s red, the V10 …

Kevin · June 8th, 2010

2011 Lexus IS Update?

By way of Chinese website Sohu, here’s a sneak peek at what’s just may be the 2011 Lexus IS: There’s plenty of tweaks here: The LED daytime running lights first seen on the 2010 LS have been incorporated into the headlights. The steering wheel will be getting some new accents, and a chrome strip has …

Kevin · June 4th, 2010

Lexus May 2010 Sales Report

USA USA May sales are in — here’s a full model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 5,115 4,125 24.0 18,643 16,445 14.3 HS 1,360 0 N/A 5,889 0 N/A LS 944 830 13.7 4,911 4,051 22.2 SC 34 93 -63.4 147 403 -63.2 GS 771 …

Kevin · June 2nd, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial

Lexus USA has just put out a commercial for the Lexus LFA: It’s a nice play on the one of the inaugural LS 400 commercials (and was revisited during the LS 460 launch), and will be part of a wider campaign promoting the halo supercar. The NY Times has more details: The online elements, scheduled …

Kevin · June 1st, 2010

Lexus LS Recall Video Demonstration

Here’s a video demonstrating the steering issue that made the current Lexus LS recall necessary: All in all, this LS steering issue looks to be relatively non-critical — something that should be fixed and deserving of a recall, to be sure, but of minor importance to anyone outside of the affected owners. Still, good on …

Kevin · May 27th, 2010

Lexus Performance Registry

Major news today! Next month, Lexus USA will be launching a worldwide Performance Registry on their website — but it’s been opened early for Lexus Enthusiast readers! The registry will be an online resource that will let enthusiasts share information on their Lexus vehicles and connect with other owners — making it easy to tap …

Kevin · May 24th, 2010

Driving the Lexus LFA

Picture the most intense, heart-pounding roller-coaster ride of your life, only instead of rails and a cart, you’re strapped into a prototype supercar driven by a race car driver. That was the scene two weeks ago at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, where I found myself in the passenger seat of Lexus USA’s (formerly matte …

Kevin · May 17th, 2010

Lexus 2010 Nürburgring 24h Race Open Thread

Two Lexus LFAs (#50 & #51) and one IS F will be competing in this weekend’s Nürburgring 24h race, so I thought we should have some place to discuss the race as it happens. In two rounds of qualifying, the #50 LFA finished p25 & the #51 LFA is p28, and sit first and second …

Kevin · May 15th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride Interactive Movie

The Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride interactive movie has launched today, and it’s super fun — before I give too much away, make sure to go and experience it for yourself: Here’s the trailer, just to jog your memory: You never know with this sort of thing, but the Dark Ride is total quality, with …

Kevin · May 14th, 2010

Nürburgring 24h Race Ready Lexus LFAs

Lexus has released photos of the fully liveried LFAs that will be taking part in this weekend’s 24h Nürburgring race: This image is just pure awesome, I had to crop it up for a wallpaper: Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 There doesn’t look to be a live feed of …

Kevin · May 12th, 2010

Motor Trend Comparison: Lexus LFA vs. Nissan GT-R

Motor Trend has unleashed an absolutely epic comparison test pitting the Lexus LFA against the Nissan GT-R — some choice quotes: Subsequent testing proves the LFA to be dynamically superior to the GT-R in nearly every category. Any doubts that the Lexus is anything but a legitimate supercar are absolutely gutted on the test tarmac. …

Kevin · May 10th, 2010

Consumer Reports Removes Lexus GX 460 Safety Warning

Consumer Reports has lifted its Don’t Buy: Safety Risk rating on the Lexus GX 460 after testing the stability control software update — from the press release: CR contacted the Lexus dealership from which they had anonymously bought the vehicle and made an appointment to have the recall work performed. The work took about an …

Kevin · May 7th, 2010

The Lexus Enthusiast 6.0

Welcome to The Lexus Enthusiast 6.0! Now running on the WordPress platform, this new edition of TLE was made necessary due to reasons too numerous and technical to mention, but rest assured, the switchover will be well worth it. The most obvious change is the content slider at the top of the homepage, which should …

Kevin · May 5th, 2010

Lexus April 2010 Sales Report

USA The April sales numbers for Lexus USA are in: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2010 2009 % CHG* 2010 2009 % CHG* ES 4,396 3,549 23.9 13,528 12,320 10.9 HS 1,076 0 N/A 4,529 0 N/A LS 1,182 765 54.5 3,967 3,221 24.4 SC 32 83 -61.4 113 310 -63.2 GS 514 468 9.8 …

Kevin · May 3rd, 2010

Mystery Lexus LFA Prototype Video

New video footage has surfaced of the mysterious Lexus LFA prototype which was captured by spy photographers last week: Upon viewing the vehicle in motion on the streets of Southern California, more questions arise: is the quiet sound indicative of the media speculation that this is a plug-in hybrid prototype? Are the aft-mounted radiators from …

Kevin · May 1st, 2010

Lexus RX 450h Review

My three month winter road test of the 2010 Lexus RX 450h wrapped up last month, and it’s safe to say that the experience has changed my opinion of Lexus’ most popular vehicle. It’s not that I didn’t understand the success of the RXh — from a purely practical point, it’s easy to see how …

Kevin · April 11th, 2010

TLE Exclusive Interview with Lexus CT 200h Chief Designer

Yesterday, I posted an interview-by-email with the Chief Engineer of the new Lexus CT 200h that was arranged by Lexus Europe during the Geneva Auto Show—and now today I bring you a Q&A with the Lexus CT 200h’s Chief Designer, Takeshi Tanabe, about the challenges of translating the LF-Ch concept into a production model: TLE: …

Kevin · April 6th, 2010

Exclusive Interview with Lexus CT 200h Chief Engineer

Although I wasn’t able to attend the Geneva auto show and see the Lexus CT 200h debut in person, I did get a very special chance to virtually interview the two men central to the creation of Lexus’ new hatchback model. By way of the good folks at Lexus Europe, I sent questions by email …

Kevin · April 6th, 2010

Lexus RX 450h Service Appointment

Last week, right before my long-term Lexus RX 450h loaner was set to be returned to Lexus Canada, I had the opportunity to bring it to my local Lexus dealership, Performance Lexus in St. Catharines, Ontario, for its 8,000km oil change.

Kevin · March 17th, 2010

2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Review: Week 8

Even with the winter weather, one of the real pleasures during my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h has been driving at night. It all starts with the on-demand all-wheel drive system—there hasn’t been a single slip, really nothing more than a flash of the yellow traction light, and that brings a lot of …

Kevin · February 7th, 2010

Inside Lexus Hybrid Drive

Note: The following interview with Lexus Hybrid Drive chief Shinichi Abe was written by Doug Knox for Lexus Magazine, and is reprinted with permission. WHEN THE LEXUS Hybrid Drive project first received the green light in the early 2000s, Shinichi Abe, the man about to inherit the biggest thing at Lexus at the time, admits …

Kevin · January 31st, 2010

Lexus RX 450h Long Term Review: Week 5

I’m now halfway through my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h— after six weeks, the interior controls and options has become second nature, and that familiarity has increased my appreciation of the design decisions throughout the cabin, particularly with the steering wheel layout.

Kevin · January 26th, 2010

Detroit Auto Show: 2010 Lexus LS 600hL & LS 460 Photos

The 2010 editions of both the Lexus LS 600hL & LS 460 were at the Detroit Auto Show—the LS 460 was optioned with the Appearance package option that adds the LS Sport grille and ground effects: Really liked the Sport grille, it looks 100x better up close than in photos. The body kit didn’t look …

Kevin · January 14th, 2010

NAIAS Live Coverage

This morning, the North American International Auto Show has opened its doors to the worldwide automotive press, including myself, and I will be bringing you a Lexus perspective to America’s autoshow. I will be updating throughout the day as I go over every square inch of the Lexus exhibit, including the LFA supercar & the …

Kevin · January 11th, 2010

Lexus @ NAIAS Detroit Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit opens its doors on Monday, and while Lexus won’t be debuting any new vehicles or concepts this year, they will be trying something new with their exhibit—from the press release: Gone is the previous two-story structure with sweeping staircase. This year, the exhibit has a “landscape” …

Kevin · January 8th, 2010

2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Weeks 2 & 3

Travelled: 1077km (669 miles) Gas Mileage: 8.8l/100kms (26.7 mpg) The second and third week of my 2010 Lexus RX 450h road test blended in together as I powered through day after day of holiday visiting, a pile of snow and ice, and a lengthy head cold. It was in this blur of activity that I …

Kevin · January 4th, 2010

2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Week 1

Last week, I took the delivery of my first long-term road test vehicle from Lexus Canada—a 2010 Smoky Granite Mica RX 450h: This is the full deal—an RX 450h with the Ultra Luxury package that includes Heads-Up Display, rear entertainment system, LED headlights, and fifteen-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. As far as I can tell, …

Kevin · December 21st, 2009

Lexus GX 460 First Impressions

I wanted to wait a little while after the Lexus GX 460’s introduction before weighing in with my own impressions of the SUV, which I had a chance to see for myself at a Lexus Canada sneak peek dinner a couple weeks ago. Much like the RX redesign, the new GX is a more masculine …

Kevin · December 3rd, 2009

Lexus Enthusiast 5.0

Welcome to the latest edition of The Lexus Enthusiast! Developed over a two-month period, this is the fifth redesign of the site since its debut in May 2007. First off, some key points: The entire site navigation has been simplified and reworked—gone is the needlessly complicated model database, and in its place is a simple …

Kevin · November 21st, 2009

Lexus HS250h Photos from Winnipeg

Given the short time frame, I wasn’t able to take too many photos during the Lexus HS 250h event in Winnipeg, but what I lacked in quantity I made up for in quality: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1389”} I found the HS 250h in Matador Red very easy to photograph—unlike the Aurora White Pearl that absorbed all light. …

Kevin · October 19th, 2009

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