Disappointment for Lexus Racing Teams in Super GT Round 6

It was a rough race for the Lexus teams in Super GT Round 6 — the ENEOS SUSTINA RC F team of Kazuya Oshima & Yuji Kunimoto finished fourth in the GT 500 class, followed by the WedsSport ADVAN RC F team of Juichi Wakisaka & Yuhi Sekiguchi in fifth.
Kevin · September 21st, 2015

Possible Production Version of the Lexus RC F CCS-R Race Car?

Peter Lyon from Motoring Australia had a chance to drive the Lexus RC F CCS-R race car on Fuji Speedway: The Lexus RC F CCS-R is a pre-production version of the RC F GT Concept that has campaigned at Pikes Peak and the Nurburgring. Weighing 400kg less than the production RC F, the CCS-R runs …

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Kevin · July 15th, 2015

Video: The 2016 Lexus RX in Traffic

While this wouldn't be news on any other site, here's a quick video of red 2016 Lexus RX moving through traffic in Japan.
Kevin · June 23rd, 2015

Lexus NX Customization Options Available in Japan

As a followup to yesterday’s post, it turns out Lexus Japan offers color-coded wheel arches for the NX: It’s a ¥151,200 ($1,275 USD) option, and just one of the many customizations Lexus Japan offers. There’s also a door garnish, door handle garnish, plated side door molding, and a chrome trunk lip: I was also pointed …

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Kevin · January 22nd, 2015

Custom Color-Coded Lexus NX Spotted in Japan

An eagle-eyed reader in Japan spotted this Lexus NX with color-coded wheel arches: No information on if this was a custom job or an aftermarket accessory — hopefully someone out there has more details. I’ve always wondered how the NX would look without its dark grey wheel arches, and to be honest, I don’t know …

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Kevin · January 21st, 2015

Details on the Lexus RC F CCS Concept from Tokyo Auto Salon

Let’s circle back to the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this month and take a closer look at the Lexus show booth. On display was the RC F GT3 car and something else entirely: the RC F CCS Parts Concept. Here are some photos from Japanese website Response: Most important is this graphic behind the RC …

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Kevin · January 19th, 2015

Tomica Releases Lexus RC F Diecast Cars

Tomica released two Lexus RC F diecast cars in Japan this weekend, and in amazing Internet fashion, there are already unboxing videos on Youtube: The RC F diecast cars are available in Ultra White and Molten Pearl, both with the full carbon fiber package. Available only in Japan for the time being, they retail for …

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Kevin · January 19th, 2015

Lexus Increases NX Production to 10,000 Units Per Month

Lexus has increased production of the NX compact crossover to 10,000 units per month in order to capitalize on the vehicle’s impressive launch. The initial expectation was for 80,000 NXs to be sold worldwide in 2015, but the forecast has now been raised to more than 100,000 units. The NX is produced at Toyota Motor …

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Kevin · January 18th, 2015

Drift-Modified Lexus LFA on Display at Tokyo Auto Salon

The Tokyo Auto Salon wrapped up yesterday, and one of the Lexus vehicles on display was a drifting-build LFA — here are photos from Auto Culture Japan: Details are far and few between, but judging from the booth display, the D1-spec LFA was built by Lexus dealership group Osaka Toyopet in partnership with Falken Tires. …

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Kevin · January 12th, 2015

Lexus Japan Releases F SPORT X LINE Special Editions

To celebrate 10 years in Japan, Lexus has released a special edition X LINE trim level for the LS, GS, IS, & CT. Here are photos of all four models (nameplates added for easy identification): Similar to Lexus USA’s CRAFTED LINE, the X LINE features a heavy-contrast black/white exterior and a red/black leather interior — …

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Kevin · January 8th, 2015

New Lexus RC F Commercial from Japan

Lexus Japan have released a new commercial for the RC F that draws on their recent success in the Super GT racing series: Not to be outdone, there’s also this RC commercial featuring a female minotaur (?!?):
Kevin · December 11th, 2014

Next Generation Lexus LS to be a Fuel Cell Vehicle?

According to Japanese magazine Best Car, the next-generation Lexus LS will be a Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) powered at least in part by hydrogen. Not being able to read Japanese, I can only go by the pictures on the page — here’s the key illustration: Let’s compare it to the Toyota Fuel Cell System found …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2014

Interview with Lexus International President Tokuo Fukuichi

The Lexus UK blog has an insightful interview with Tokuo Fukuichi, the president of Lexus International — here he is talking about the brand’s current design direction: Within the premium brands, there are the German three: Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. We have to consider how Lexus should position itself against the German three. So I …

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Kevin · December 5th, 2014

Lexus Japan Offers RC F with Orange & Black Leather Interior

Lexus Japan is offering a unique orange & black leather interior colorway with the RC F — here’s some photos from Japanese website Response.jp: There’s also some official photos on the Lexus Japan website: For the moment it appears only Japan will be getting this interior color option, which is a real shame — pairing …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2014

The Truth About the Cancelled Lexus RC Press Event in Japan

Last week, Hans Greimel from Automotive News reported that a Lexus RC press event in Japan was cancelled due to lack of interest: Toyota notified journalists last week that a long-scheduled new-car test-drive event was scrubbed — for lack of interest. The drive, which was to be held Friday in Yokohama just south of Tokyo, …

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Kevin · November 10th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus LFA at Fuji Speedway

German magazine Sport Auto travelled to the Fuji Speedway in Japan for one last lap with the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition. The full German language article can be read here — I really liked the accompanying photos: See the full Sport Auto article (Thanks Jimbo!)
Kevin · October 26th, 2014

New Lexus RC F Video from Japan

The RC F has also officially launched in Japan — the Lexus Japan website has been updated, and there’s a new track video well worth watching:
Kevin · October 24th, 2014

TRD Japan Releases Lexus RC F SPORT Aero Kit

Official Lexus tuner TRD Japan has released images of the world’s first RC F SPORT aero kit: The kit starts off with a front underspoiler and side skirts: There’s a carbon fiber rear spoiler and a rear diffuser with a quad-exhaust muffler setup: A set of 19-inch forged aluminum wheels complete the options: The front …

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Kevin · October 23rd, 2014

New Lexus RC F SPORT Video from Japan

The RC & RC F SPORT have officially launched in Japan — the Lexus Japan website has been updated, and a new (and unusual) video has been released:
Kevin · October 23rd, 2014

What Should the Next-Generation Lexus SC Look Like?

For the cover of their latest issue, Best Car has taken a guess at what the rumored next-generation Lexus SC might look like. The Japanese magazines have standardized on a look for this new Lexus super-coupe — compare the image above with this rendering from Holiday Auto: Before the RC F was released, I would …

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Kevin · October 13th, 2014

Create Virtual Lexus RC F with New Augmented Reality App

Lexus Japan has released a very cool augmented reality app featuring the RC F GT500 — here’s how it works: The required app for your smartphone is called DAUB, and it’s available for both iOS & Android devices — you also need to download & print this PDF. I tried it out with my daughter, …

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Kevin · October 9th, 2014

PETRONAS TOM’S Lexus RC F Wins Super GT Round 7

The PETRONAS TOM’S racing team of Kazuki Nakajima & James Rossiter have won the Super GT Round 6 GT500 class in the #36 Lexus RC F. The race took place at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. This is the second round in a row that the PETRONAS TOM’S racing team have won. Here are …

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Kevin · October 6th, 2014

Initial Lexus NX Orders in Japan Surpass Yearly Sales Goal

The Lexus NX is set to make a big sales impact in Japan — in just over a month, 9,500 orders have been made at dealerships. This is 1,357% of the expected sales goal of 700 units per month, meaning a full year’s inventory has already been sold. It’s important to note that the final …

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Kevin · September 23rd, 2014

New Lexus HS 250 Special Edition Now Available in Japan

The Japan-only Lexus HS 250h will receive its second special edition of the year with this new Harmonious Leather Interior in Spindle Red: Any exterior color can be chosen (including Atomic Silver), and an exclusive Starlight Black option is available with the package. The HS 250h Harmonious Leather Interior II will launch in November and …

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Kevin · September 19th, 2014

Giant Foam Obstacle Course at Lexus NX Launch Event in Japan

Lexus had a giant foam party at the Tokyo Tower last week to launch their new Japanese NX commercial — here’s some video from the event: My friend Danny was also in attendance, and sent over these photos: Automotive News writer Hans Greimel attended the event: While now a cringe-worthy memory for most hipsters in …

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Kevin · September 1st, 2014