Autoweek Drives the 2015 Lexus NX

Blake Z. Rong of Autoweek has driven the 2015 Lexus NX, and preferred the hybrid to the new turbo: Despite all the fanfare of the 2.0-liter, direct-injection, 235-hp, 258-lb-ft torque, 17-psi of boost, 0-60 in seven seconds dead (in AWD form: 7.2 with the FWD drivetrain), twin-scroll-turbocharged engine in the NX200t…we’d go for the hybrid …

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Kevin · July 8th, 2014

Extensive Video Review of the 2015 Lexus NX

Just finished watching the extensive 23-minute Lexus NX video review from Alex on Autos and really enjoyed it — if you’re interested in the new Lexus compact crossover, I recommend you sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a whole heap of detail:
Kevin · July 7th, 2014

Motor Trend Drives the 2015 Lexus NX

Jonny Lieberman of Motor Trend was one of the auto journalists that drove the 2015 Lexus NX last month: Color me a convert. The NX’s ride is first-class, a strong engineering feat for a vehicle with such a small wheelbase. This is particularly true of the non-F Sport model. The steering is properly weighted and …

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Kevin · July 7th, 2014

2015 Lexus NX & NX F SPORT Preview

Two weeks ago, Lexus invited me to Whistler, British Columbia, where I was able to test drive the all-new NX compact crossover in all its various forms. The following is a technical overview of the new model — my personal impressions will posted on Wednesday. As the vehicle that established the luxury crossover market, the …

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Kevin · July 7th, 2014

Massive Photo Gallery of the Lexus NX & NX F SPORT

Before the first reviews of the Lexus NX compact crossover start showing up on the Internet tomorrow, here are a new set of official photos presented without comment. (Big shoutout to David Dewhurst Photography for an amazing job with these images!) NX 200t Exterior NX 200t Interior NX 300h Exterior NX 300h Interior NX F …

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Kevin · July 6th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Ultra White Lexus RC F in California

An Ultra White Lexus RC F has been delivered to Lexus HQ in California, and my friend Ryan from Kaizen Factor managed to get a nice collection of exterior and interior photos: The interior looks great in Roja Red, the exterior looks great in Ultra White — I actually like the RC F more without …

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Kevin · July 4th, 2014

STROBE: The New Commercial from Lexus International

Lexus International has released the third film in their ongoing Amazing in Motion global branding project — the new video is called STROBE, and it’s quite something: The major themes of the first two films (see STEPS & SWARM) are carried into this third installment — all the action takes place in real life, with …

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Kevin · July 2nd, 2014

Video: Focus on the Lexus RC F Design

Designer Yasuo Kajino is the subject in the latest installment of the Lexus RC F Key Person Interview video series: (The RC F has really benefited from being developed hand-in-hand with the standard RC coupe — the trademark F cues like the side fender vents and the quad stacked exhausts are well integrated into the …

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Kevin · July 2nd, 2014

Lexus June 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 23,518 total sales for June 2014, a 19.3% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,521 1,513 8.9 8,337 7,552 11.1 HS 0 1 ‐100.0 0 3 ‐100.0 IS 3,932 1,919 122.0 23,573 10,786 …

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Kevin · July 1st, 2014

Orange Lexus RC F Spotted in California

A Lexus RC F in Solar Flare (aka orange) is now at the Lexus USA headquarters in California — here are some photos, including two from Instagram user Integress: Lexus really went all out with this shade of orange, it’s much brighter than I was expecting. Too wild for me, what do you think? [Source: …

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Kevin · June 30th, 2014

2015 Lexus IS 250 & IS 350 Information

The US-spec 2015 Lexus IS has been announced, and there’s been some minor updates to the second-year sedan: LED fog lamps Siri Eyes Free technology from Apple; compatible with iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 models AWD models gets heated steering wheel Heated/ventilated front seats added to F SPORT Revised interior trim, including piano black on …

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Kevin · June 30th, 2014

Video: The Lexus RC F at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Lexus RC F made its driving debut this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed — here’s video from the initial test run: RC chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi was there for the real run up the hill, and filmed this quick video: Former World Rally Champion driver Didier Auriol was the one behind the …

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Kevin · June 29th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F & LFA Together Again

In advance of the Lexus runs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lexus UK has released some photos of the LFA & RC F together: Later today, the Lexus RC F will make its first-ever public driving appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the annual world-famous hill climb in England. [Source: Lexus UK Blog]
Kevin · June 27th, 2014

More Photos of the Supercharged Lexus LX 570 in the Middle East

Motoring Middle East has posted photos of the Supercharged Lexus LX 570 now available in the Middle East: The supercharger bumps up the standard LX 570 from 362 hp to 450 hp, increasing the torque to 520 lb. ft in the process. There’s also some minor exterior modifications, including a new set of wheels and …

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Kevin · June 26th, 2014

Video: Spotlight on the Lexus RC

There’s a new Lexus RC video from Lexus International, and it’s pretty heavy with style — definitely a must-watch:
Kevin · June 25th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Slammed Lexus GS F SPORT in Japan

Speedhunters wraps up their coverage of Japanese tuner LEXON with a feature on this slammed Lexus GS F SPORT in Matador Red Mica: The major update to the GS is the Airrunner air suspension, which makes the slammed stance a little more practical. There’s also a full LEXON carbon fiber aero package, including front spoiler …

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Kevin · June 24th, 2014

Lexus RC F to Participate in Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Lexus RC F will make its first-ever public driving appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this week in England. The event will run from June 26-29, and the RC F is expected to make the climb on Thursday. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual world-famous hill climb that features a rare …

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Kevin · June 24th, 2014

Lexus to Introduce Manual Transmission RC F & IS F?

Lexus may release a IS F and RC F with a manual transmission, according to recent Motoring Australia interview with Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) business operations director Rob Leupen: One project Leupen revealed was the development of what he called a manual-shift gearbox (presumably a dual clutch) for the new generation RC F/IS F drivetrain. …

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Kevin · June 23rd, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F in Liquid Platinum

A Lexus RC F in Liquid Platinum was on display at the Nürburgring this weekend — Lexus Europe posted some photos on their Facebook page: This is the first time we’ve seen the full carbon fiber RC F in a color other than Ultra White — looks good! [Source: Lexus Europe]
Kevin · June 23rd, 2014

Nürburgring 24h Race: Lexus LFA Updates

Toyota President Akio Toyoda will be one of the four drivers racing the Gazoo Racing #48Lexus LFA in the 41st annual Nürburgring 24 hour race this weekend in Germany, joining the team of Takayuki Kinoshita, Hiroaki Ishiura, & Kazuya Oshima. The LFA will be racing in the SP8 class. A second prototype #53 LFA Code …

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Kevin · June 21st, 2014

Two Lexus LFAs to Participate in This Weekend’s 24h of Nürburgring Race

This weekend, two Lexus LFA teams will be racing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. This marks the eighth consecutive year that an LFA has participated in the race. The Teams The first team is the #48 LFA driving in the SP8 class, here’s some information about the drivers: Takayuki Kinoshita: Mr. Kinoshita started his …

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Kevin · June 20th, 2014

Video: Lexus IS F CCS-R Race Car Added to Gran Turismo 6

The Lexus IS F CCS-R has been added to Gran Turismo 6 as part of a major game update — here are some videos featuring the Lexus race car: (Also joining the IS F CCS-R is the Toyota TS030 Hybrid race car — looks like it’s time to dust off the Playstation 3.)
Kevin · June 19th, 2014

Video: Interview with Lexus RC Designers

Here’s a new video interview with Lexus RC designer Yasuo Kajino and color designer Yoichiro Kitamura, the man responsible for the RC’s Infrared exterior color:
Kevin · June 19th, 2014

A Visit to Lexus of Royal Oak in Calgary, Alberta

On a recent trip through Western Canada, I stopped for a visit at Lexus of Royal Oak in Calgary, Alberta. One of the first dealerships in the world to be built to the new international design standards, the entire building is bright and airy — let’s take a tour. Lexus of Royal Oak is a …

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Kevin · June 18th, 2014

Lexus ES Wins Segment in 2014 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

The Lexus ES was named the top Compact Premium Car in this year’s J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. The LS was the second place Large Premium Car, and the GS tied for third in the Midsize Premium Car category. The study, which looks at problems experienced in the first 90 days of vehicle ownership, was …

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Kevin · June 18th, 2014

Video: Lexus LFA on 20″ Vossen VFS-2 Wheels

Vossen Wheels has released a new video featuring the customized Lexus LFA from Japanese tuner LEXON: The wheels here are the new Vossen VFS-2s, which are built using flow forming technology that allows for a greater range of widths. The LFA is running with 20×10.5 up front and a 20×12 rear for the maximum concave …

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Kevin · June 17th, 2014

Video: Developing the Lexus NX Turbo & Hybrid Engines

The Lexus NX will be offered with two powertrain options: a 2.5L hybrid system and a Lexus-first 2.0L turbo engine — here are project engineers Izumi Watanabe and Kenji Otsuka discussing the development of the two engines: Really enjoying this “Development Story” video series — be sure to check out the first two parts if …

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Kevin · June 16th, 2014

Lexus LX 450d Trademarked in Australia

Lexus has trademarked the LX 450d nameplate in Australia, opening the door to speculation that the brand is readying their very first diesel SUV. The 450d designation would suggest a 4.5L diesel engine, likely the same 1VD-FTV twin-turbo diesel engine currently offered on the Australian Toyota Land Cruiser. This engine produces 261 hp and 479 …

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Kevin · June 16th, 2014

Lexus NX Configurator Now on Lexus International Website

Lexus International has updated their website with a basic NX configurator, showing off four grades, ten colors, and five wheel options. Available Grades: NX 200t · NX 200t F SPORT · NX 300h · NX 300h F SPORT Colors: Sonic Quartz · Mercury Grey Metallic · Platinum Silver · Sonic Titanium · Black · Starlight …

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Kevin · June 13th, 2014

Video: Black Lexus NX 200t F SPORT in Japan

Earlier this week, we saw some photos of a black Lexus NX 200t F SPORT at the Lexus International Gallery in Aoyama, Tokyo, and now we have some (very strangely filmed) video — be warned, turn the sound way down: An NX in Sonic Quartz was also on display, and the video also features the …

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Kevin · June 12th, 2014

Video: Drifting with the Lexus RC F

Lexus International has released a new video with the RC F drifting all over the place, and it’s a pure dose of awesome:
Kevin · June 12th, 2014

Video: Lexus NX Music Video in Madrid

Lexus Europe has released a new two-minute music video featuring the NX F SPORT: Likely the first cut of the NX commercial filmed in Madrid, this video is very well put together — elegant, stylish, and very modern. Lexus Europe have captured the NX perfectly.
Kevin · June 11th, 2014

Lexus SC to Return in 2017?

According to Peter Lyon of Japanese magazine Holiday Auto, the Lexus SC nameplate will return with the production model based on the LF-LC concept car: The new Lexus SC seems to have it all: Styling to take on Europe’s best, two powerful engine choices, the world’s first 10-speed automatic, and a price tag hovering around …

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Kevin · June 11th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F SPORT in Red

A red Lexus RC 350 F SPORT has been spotted in California — here are photos from the Endles Automotive Instagram feed: This new color is called Infrared, and it uses a special painting technique: For the red exterior, the factory starts with a base coat of silver and then applies a clear coat. Then, …

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Kevin · June 10th, 2014

More Rumors on the Lexus/BMW Sports Car Collaboration

Georg Kacher from CAR Magazine has some new details on rumored sports car being developed by Lexus & BMW: Developed under the codename Silk Road 2, the proposed BMW Z7 and Lexus ZC/ZR are cutting-edge sports cars which will cost around €90,000, or £73,000. Slap bang in Porsche Carrera territory, then. This will be the …

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Kevin · June 10th, 2014

Lexus USA Launches New Website Design

This weekend, Lexus USA launched a fully redesigned website that reflects the brand’s new design direction — here’s an example vehicle page: The new site is modern, responsive to all screen sizes, and very easy to understand — excellent work by the development team, be sure to check it out. Visit the new Lexus USA …

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Kevin · June 9th, 2014

Lexus USA Gaining on Mercedes & BMW in 2014 Sales Volume

Lexus sales in the USA are heating up — the brand outsold Mercedes in March & May, putting them only 12,000 sales behind market leader BMW. BMW currently leads with 127,181 sales in 2014, Mercedes is close behind with 125,118 sales, and Lexus is third with 115,171 sales — there may not be enough time …

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Kevin · June 9th, 2014

Photos: Black Lexus NX F SPORT in Japan

A black NX 200t F SPORT is now on display at the Lexus Aoyama Gallery in Tokyo: (NX pre-orders have started in Japan, and different models & colors are being displayed around the country, including a NX F SPORT in Matador Red Mica.) [Source: Club Lexus] (Thanks AndyL & corradoMR2!)
Kevin · June 8th, 2014

Lexus Short Films 2014: The World Premiere in Tokyo

Last year, I attended the Lexus Short Films world premiere at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles. Produced by The Weinstein Company, it was a showcase of young and upcoming filmmakers asked to create a story around the theme “Life is Amazing”. Two of the five produced films were shown at the premiere, and while …

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Kevin · June 6th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F in South Korea

The Lexus RC F in Ultrasonic Blue made an appearance at the Busan Motor Show in South Korea: (Even after all the coverage of this car in this color, I can’t help but admire new photos. What a monster.) See more photos from the Busan Motor Show
Kevin · June 5th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus NX F SPORT in Matador Red Mica

A Lexus NX 200t F SPORT in Matador Red Mica is currently on display at Midland Square in Nagoya, Japan — here are some photos from Japanese blogger Renoba: (Japanese consumers will be able to pre-order NX models starting this weekend, and different colors are being displayed all over the country — more photos shortly!) …

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Kevin · June 5th, 2014

New Lexus Police Vehicles in Australia

Lexus Australia has provided the New South Wales police department with a GS 450h & RX 450h for new road safety campaigns — here are some photos: From the press release: Launched as part of the kick-off to the official ski-season, Lexus GS and RX 450h models will patrol the state’s Southern Region, stretching from …

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Kevin · June 4th, 2014

Lexus May 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 26,921 total sales for May 2014, a 16.6% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,762 1,623 4.5 6,816 6,039 12.0 IS 4,403 1,897 123.5 19,641 8,867 119.8 ES 6,523 5,890 6.6 27,662 27,813 …

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Kevin · June 3rd, 2014

Video: Listen to the Lexus RC F’s Revving Engine

A short video clip of the Lexus RC F revving its 5.0L V8 engine has been posted on Youtube: I can hear a similarity to the IS F, but there’s also some LFA to the sound — tighter, more focused. Makes sense, given that Yamaha helped tune the RC F exhaust note. Engineering amazing! [Via: …

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Kevin · June 3rd, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F SPORT in Atomic Silver

A Lexus RC F SPORT in Atomic Silver is in Colorado this week as part of a Lexus dealership meeting — Lexus of Lehigh Valley shared the photo above on their Facebook page, and here’s a full gallery from Lexus of Austin: The RC F SPORT exterior design hits all the right notes for me …

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Kevin · June 2nd, 2014

Photos: Lexus LFA on Vossen VFS-2 Wheels

Dino Dalle Carbonare from Speedhunters has an excellent photo feature on the Lexus LFA owned by Japanese tuner LEXON — here are just a couple images: Aftermarket wheels on an LFA is something of a rarity, but the Vossen VFS-2 wheels really work on the Lexus supercar — be sure to check out the rest …

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Kevin · June 2nd, 2014

Lexus Racing Teams Stumble in Super GT Round 3

Super GT Round 3 at Autopolis in Kyushu was not a good race for Lexus teams — ranking highest was the KeePer TOM’s RC F team of Daisuke Ito & Andrea Caldarelli with a fourth place finish. The Petronas TOM’s team of James Rossiter & Ryo Hirakawa finished close behind in fifth. Here are the …

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Kevin · June 2nd, 2014

The Lexus RC as a Four-Door Coupe

Photochopper Theophilus Chin has created a four-door Lexus RC GT similar in concept to the BMW 4-Series Grand Coupe: Have to say, this is a real stunner — however unlikely it is that Lexus would ever release such a vehicle, I think it should be considered after seeing this rendering. What do you think? [Source: …

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Kevin · May 30th, 2014

Video: The Lexus RC F Development Story

Here’s an extensive video interview with Lexus RC F vehicle dynamics engineer Akihiro Osaka, who details the efforts made in developing the vehicle’s handling and performance: This is the second video that Lexus has released that profiles the key personalities behind the RC F development — if you missed it, be sure to watch the …

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Kevin · May 29th, 2014

Drive a Lexus Home from the Montréal-Trudeau Airport

Montreal-area Lexus dealerships are now offering vehicle test-drives from the Montréal-Trudeau airport, driving you home after returning from a trip: In setting up their test drive at the Lexus lounge prior to departure, guests will choose from a variety of Lexus vehicles, including the CT 200h, ES 300h, IS, and RX.  When their return flight …

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Kevin · May 29th, 2014

360 Degree Tour of the Lexus RC & RC F SPORT

The Lexus International RC product page has a nice 360 degree rotation of both the RC & RC F SPORT, showing off the coupe from all angles. (The RC F may be the star of the show, but the RC F SPORT is a real looker — can’t wait to see this car on the …

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Kevin · May 29th, 2014

New Lexus NX Photos from Europe

Lexus Europe has released three new NX images, including this shot of the all four NX variants (click for a larger image): Lexus Europe also released some nice behind-the-scenes from their upcoming NX brochure: (With the NX expected to bring in 20,000 additional sales for Lexus Europe, it’s no surprise that they’re pulling out all …

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Kevin · May 28th, 2014

Lexus Expects NX Compact Crossover to be Big Seller in Europe

Lexus is expecting big things from the NX compact crossover in Europe — from Autocar: Asked to explain why customers would consider the NX over rival brands’ products, Alain Uyttenhoven, vice president of Lexus Europe, said: “The first reason people buy a car in this segment is because it is trendy in its design. We …

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Kevin · May 28th, 2014

Lexus IS 200t Trademarked in Australia & Europe

Lexus has trademarked the IS 200t nameplate in both Australia and Europe, making way for the new 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine to be introduced in the sports sedan. The turbo engine will debut this year with the NX compact crossover, where it generates 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The engine also features a …

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Kevin · May 27th, 2014

Slammed Lexus IS F SPORT from Japanese Tuner Lexon

Dino Dalle Carbonare from Speedhunters has a nice feature on Japanese tuner Lexon and their Lexus IS F SPORT show car: Before the Lexon company was set up, its owner, Takemi-san, was more into the performance side of things and was primarlily building and supplying parts for circuit and drift cars. But with changing trends …

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Kevin · May 27th, 2014

New Lexus NX Video Shows Off Panoramic Glass Roof

As part of the an NX preview event last week in London, Lexus Europe released a new video showing off the compact crossover in F SPORT trim: Have to say, that optional panoramic glass roof is a beauty: (I’ve said it before, the panoramic glass roof is probably my favorite single option on a vehicle …

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Kevin · May 27th, 2014

Dan Neil of the Wall Street Journal Pays Tribute to the Lexus IS F

Dan Neil of The Wall Street Journal has written a tribute to the 2014 Lexus IS F, arguing that the sedan will one day be a collector’s item: Among other things, the IS F curates a generation of dynamics software for which we will one day be nostalgic.This is the collectible quality the IS F …

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Kevin · May 26th, 2014

Lexus UK Releases NX 300h Pricing & Package Information

Lexus UK has announced pricing for the 2015 NX 300h and its various packages, with the entry-level NX 300h FWD starting at £29,495 and the fully loaded NX 300h Premier AWD topping out at £42,995. There are five packages in total, and all models will include the Pre-Crash Safety system, Adaptive Cruise Control, and the …

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Kevin · May 23rd, 2014

Lexus RC F GT3 Race Car Spotted in Japan

The first test of the Lexus RC F GT3 race car took place last week at the Okayama International Circuit in Japan: Developed over two years by Lexus International and subsidiary Techno Craft, the RC F GT3 concept is powered by a modified version of the RC F’s V8 engine that produces 540+ hp (397kw). …

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Kevin · May 21st, 2014

New Technology Could Boost Lexus Hybrid Fuel Efficiency by 10 Percent

Toyota has developed a new semiconductor that will improve the fuel efficiency of their hybrid technology by 10 percent — from Automotive News: The new semiconductors eat up only a tenth of the energy of today’s chips and enable the PCU to be 80 percent smaller, Toyota engineers said today at a briefing. The technology …

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Kevin · May 21st, 2014

New Lexus RC F Wheel Design Debuts in Madrid

A new Lexus RC F wheel design debuted today at the Madrid Auto Show — here are photos from Lexus Spain: A 20-spoke rim can be tough to keep clean, but it makes up for the extra work with pure style — my favorite RC F wheel yet. [Source: Lexus Spain]
Kevin · May 20th, 2014

Video: Full Lap of the Nürburgring in a Lexus LFA Race Car

The Lexus LFA teams didn’t race in this weekend’s VLN4 race at the Nürburgring, but Gazoo Racing did post a video showing a full lap of the track with driver Kazuya Oshima from an earlier race: This lap is from the VLN2 race in April, where Oshima-san & co-driver Kinoshita Takayuki won their class and …

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Kevin · May 19th, 2014