Lexus China Sales Up 14% in 2013

Lexus China sales increased 14% in 2013, for a total of 73,000 vehicles sold — here’s more information from Chinese website Gasgoo: According to Lexus China statistics, the brand has sold 73 thousand in Chinese market, which has increased 14%. Hybrid cars take more than 20 thousand, and grow up to 43%. Hybrid car sales …
Kevin · February 24th, 2014

Video: Glowing Lexus LFA Art Installation in Japan

Video of the Lexus LFA Media Ambition art exhibit has surfaced: The earlier photos made the lightshow appear much more intense, but the installation by Rhizomatiks still has its moments — really liked the glowing tri-exhaust tips.
Kevin · February 23rd, 2014

Lexus GS Named Top Luxury Car in 2014 Canadian Black Book Retained Value Awards

For the third consecutive year, the Lexus GS was named the best value in the Luxury Car category of the 2014 Canadian Black Book Retained Value awards. For this year’s awards, Canadian Black Book analyzed 2010 model year cars and trucks and determined the vehicles that retained the highest percentage of their original MSRP after …
Kevin · February 20th, 2014

New Lexus IS Receives European 5-Star Safety Recommendation

The Lexus IS 300h has been given a five-star safety ranking from Euro NCAP, making it the safest new car in the Large Family category and one of the top performing cars of 2013. Here’s a video of the crash tests: The IS scored the maximum points in the side barrier test for adult occupants …
Kevin · February 19th, 2014

Video: Lexus RC F Engine installed in the IS F CCS-R

As previously mentioned, the Lexus IS F CCS-R race car that participated in both the Pikes Peak Hill Climb & 25 Hours of Thunderhill was powered by the 450+ horsepower 5.0L V8 engine from the upcoming RC F — here’s a video of Lexus mechanics swapping the engine: No two ways about it, the sound …
Kevin · February 18th, 2014

Lexus Sets Middle East Sales Record in 2013

Lexus was the #1 luxury automotive brand in the Middle East for 2013, with sales growing 19% for a total of 37,284 vehicles sold. New IS sales jumped 63% to 1,864 vehicles in 2013, yet Lexus’ entry-level sedan was still outsold by the LS, which increased 55% to 2,171 units sold. (Although it goes unmentioned …
Kevin · February 18th, 2014

Lexus Sponsors Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Once again, Lexus will be one of the sponsors of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue — here’s a video with the RC F and Brazilian supermodel Lisalla Montenegro: This is the fourth year in a row that Lexus has been involved in the annual magazine — here’s the details on this year’s sponsorship: Sponsorship of …
Kevin · February 17th, 2014

A Visit to the World’s Most Northernly Lexus Dealership

Martyn Collins from the Lexus UK blog recently visited the city of Tromsø in Norway, home to the world’s most northernly Lexus dealership: The sales manager at Lexus Tromsø is a colourful character named Trond Johansen, a man who has enjoyed previous careers as a professional footballer before becoming coach for Norwegian Premiere League team Tromsø IL. Trond …
Kevin · February 17th, 2014

BEYOND Magazine: Roadtrip with the Lexus IS 300h

Official Lexus publication BEYOND Magazine has a featured road trip across the Shikoku island in Japan with architect Hironaka Ogawa and a Ultrasonic Blue IS 300h F SPORT: The journey that Ogawa is embarking on across the island of Shikoku begins here, and a metallic blue Lexus IS is peacefully parked outside. The vehicle’s bright …
Kevin · February 16th, 2014

Unique Yellow Lexus LFA Spyder on Display in Japan

The yellow Lexus LFA Spyder will be displayed alongside a 1967 Toyota 2000GT as part of a unique event at the Toyota Kaikan museum in Nagoya, Japan. First spotted during a Tokyo Motor Show event, this yellow LFA Spyder will be in the museum until the end of April. [Source: Toyota Japan Facebook]
Kevin · February 14th, 2014

INTERSECT BY LEXUS New York to Open in 2015

The Villager reports that the New York INTERSECT BY LEXUS gallery space will be located at 411 W. 14th St. in the Meatpacking district. Like the first INTERSECT in Tokyo, the space will be designed by Masamichi Katayama and his company Wonderwall, and is expected to share much of the same look & feel. INTERSECT …
Kevin · February 13th, 2014

2012-2013 Lexus RX 350 Recalled for Potential Braking Software Issue

Lexus USA has issued a voluntary safety recall for certain 2012-2013 RX 350 models due to a potential issue with its braking software. Lexus will update the skid control ECU software in order to address an electronic circuit condition that can cause the Vehicle Stability Control, Anti-lock Brake, and Traction Control functions to intermittently turn …
Kevin · February 13th, 2014

Lexus RC F SPORT & RC F GT3 Concept to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

The Lexus RC F SPORT will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, according to a new press release — here are the details: Based on the striking Lexus RC coupe, the F SPORT model features exclusive, even more sporting and aggressive exterior and interior design features, and enhanced driving dynamics. This announcement comes …
Kevin · February 13th, 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 Named Top Brand in 2014 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study

For the third year in a row, Lexus has been named the top brand in the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study. Lexus absolutely dominated the study, which examines problems experienced during the past year by owners of 2011 model-year vehicles. Each brand’s overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per …
Kevin · February 12th, 2014

Four New Lexus CT 200h Commercials

With the release of the updated Lexus CT 200h, there are new commercials springing up around the world — let’s start with three from the USA: Here’s the CTh commercial for European markets, like the music in this one: (Any other regional Lexus CT commercials out there that I’ve missed? Leave a link in the …
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

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Featured in Japanese Art Installation

The Media Ambition Tokyo 2014 event features eighteen artworks by 16 of Japan’s most cutting-edge technological artists, and as a sponsor, Lexus is featured in an installation by Rhizomatiks The placement of long light tubes gives the LFA Nürburgring the appearance of movement, and makes for quite a spectacle — would be something to see …
Kevin · February 11th, 2014

2014 Lexus IS Wins Russia’s Golden Klaxon Award

The Lexus IS has won the 2014 Golden Klaxon award as the best midsize luxury car in Russia. (This marks the eighth win by a Lexus since the Golden Klaxon awards were established in 2000 — the ES was last year’s winner in the Business Class category.) See the other 2014 Golden Klaxon winners
Kevin · February 11th, 2014

New Information on the Lexus NX Compact Crossover

Auto Express has some new information on the Lexus NX, including the new rendering seen above: Lexus has revealed that its new NX crossover will arrive in the UK in October, and prices are expected to start at around £30,000 – putting it in close contention with its Audi Q5 and BMW X3 rivals. A …
Kevin · February 10th, 2014

CAR Magazine Reviews the 2014 Lexus GS 300h

CAR Magazine has reviewed the Lexus GS 300h, and found it to be “a lot of car for the money”: …its sharp nose with LEDs and North American market-looking rear lights are connected by flat, slabby sides – the complete opposite of the overdesigned Mercedes flanks. It’s not a work of art, but it’s understated …
Kevin · February 10th, 2014

A Closer Look at the CRAFTED BY LEXUS Collection

The Japan Times has an in-depth look at the CRAFTED FOR LEXUS accessory line currently available at INTERSECT in Japan: Intersect By Lexus nevertheless aims to likewise attract a new group of customers through their exhibition space, restaurant and store. Nakayama explains that the shop is a space where Japanese artisans, who have been commissioned …
Kevin · February 9th, 2014

Lexus Takes New Approach in Global Expansion

Automotive News has an update on how Lexus is approaching new markets around the world: The brand is slowly rolling out in Central and South America, with one store each in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Panama. A Lexus store just opened in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Lexus is expanding in the sprawling Chinese …
Kevin · February 7th, 2014

Lexus NX Prototypes Spotted!

Japanese magazine Mag-X has released two spy photos of the upcoming Lexus NX compact crossover — the masked version above, and this camouflaged prototype: These two images don’t show nearly as much detail as the recently leaked production NX photo, but they do give a better indication of the compact crossover’s overall shape — really, …
Kevin · February 6th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Blacked Out Lexus RX 450h F SPORT

My friends from Lexus of Perth in Australia sent me these photos of a custom RX 450h F SPORT: The RX F SPORT looks pretty good with a blacked out bumper — reminds me of the special edition RX that was released in Europe late last year. What do you think of the custom work? …
Kevin · February 6th, 2014

Lexus Named Top Luxury Brand in KBB 2014 5-Year Cost to Own Awards

For the second year in a row, Lexus was named the top luxury brand in the Kelley Blue Book 5-Year Cost to Own Awards. The awards are based on analysis of the 5-year ownership costs of 2014 model-year vehicles, and looks at the purchase price, financing costs, insurance costs and state fees along with the …
Kevin · February 5th, 2014

Autoblog Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS 350

Jeffrey Ross of Autoblog has reviewed the 2014 Lexus IS 350: For now, the BMW 3 Series is probably still the top contender in its class, but in a short time, the new IS – along with the ATS – has proven that small, fun luxury cars exist outside of German showrooms. Love or hate …
Kevin · February 5th, 2014

Lexus LX 470 Named Best Used Car Value in New Reliability Study

The 1998-2007 Lexus LX 470 has been named the best used car value in a new long-term reliability study from automotive journalist Steven Lang & statistician Nick Larivere. The study is based on nearly 300,000 vehicles from across the entire United States, in an attempt to provide objective, quantifiable, information about the used car market. …
Kevin · February 4th, 2014

Rendered: Lexus RC F on Vossen Precision Series Forged Wheels

Using some Photoshop magic and a dose of creativity, Vossen Wheels has managed to create the first modified Lexus RC F months before its official release date: Rendered by Hugo Silva, this RC F has been done up with forged wheels from Vossen’s upcoming Precision Series. Makes for quite a bold look, and shows off …
Kevin · February 4th, 2014

Amazing Trick Photography with the Lexus CT 200h

In a continuation of their excellent CT commercial, Lexus Japan has sent a team of creatives on a road trip to take more trick photography — here are some examples: This is some seriously amazing work — there’s currently 19 trick photos (and accompanying videos), with 11 more still to come. So good. Visit the …
Kevin · February 3rd, 2014

Lexus January 2014 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 17,637 total sales for January 2014, an 8.8% improvement over the start of last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2014 2013 % CHG* 2014 2013 % CHG* CT 1,290 1,001 28.9 1,290 1,001 28.9 HS 0 0 N/A 0 N/A IS 3,048 1,386 119.9 …
Kevin · February 3rd, 2014

TTAC Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS 250 AWD

Winston Braithwaite of The Truth About Cars has written a glowing review of the 2014 Lexus IS 250 AWD: After spending a week with the 2014 Lexus IS250 AWD it took me another couple weeks to shut up about it. That rarely happens, and when it does, it means that the car is simply fantastic. …
Kevin · February 3rd, 2014

Jeremy Clarkson “Quite Likes” the Lexus RC F

The new season of Top Gear starts tonight, so it’s only fitting to share what presenter Jeremy Clarkson said about the Lexus RC F on Facebook: Hate to admit I quite like it. If Clarkson’s transformation from Lexus-basher to reluctant Lexus enthusiast shows anything, it’s that the brand’s new focus on performance & design can …
Kevin · February 2nd, 2014

Video: Rainy Donuts with the Lexus LFA

It’s been a pretty long week and I’m sick as a dog, so let’s watch this red Lexus LFA do some donuts on wet pavement: Have a good weekend everyone!
Kevin · January 31st, 2014

Lexus 2014 SuperGT Teams Announced

At a press conference in Japan, Lexus announced the six SuperGT teams that will be racing the new RC F GT500 — here they are, along with the drivers: #1 Team ZENT CERUMO (Drivers Yuji Tachikawa & Hirate) #6 Team LEMANS ENEOS (Drivers Kazuya Oshima & Yuji Kunimoto) #19 Team WEDSPORTS BANDOH (Drivers to be …
Kevin · January 30th, 2014

Lexus Design Award 2014 Winners Announced

Lexus has announced the twelve winners of the 2014 Lexus Design Awards, the brand’s second annual international design competition. The designers of two winning entries will create prototypes of their designs in close collaboration with an assigned mentor — the first winner is Sebastian Scherer of Germany, who created Iris, a “handblown glass lamp with …
Kevin · January 30th, 2014

Photo Gallery: Black & White Lexus GS 300h in London

Lexus UK has published a nice black & white Facebook photo gallery with the GS 300h in London: I really wish Lexus would reconsider bringing the GS 300h to North America — I just did a rough calculation using GS 450h prices as a baseline, and a GS 300h could cost as little as $41,000 …
Kevin · January 29th, 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

Lexus USA Dealerships Excited about 2014

Automotive News recently spoke with John Iacono, owner of three Lexus dealerships in New York and chairman of the Lexus USA National Dealer Advisory Council — much of the interview is geared towards industry insiders, but there are some interesting moments: Mercedes and BMW are dropping below the $30,000 sticker price. Should Lexus follow? The …
Kevin · January 28th, 2014

Imagining the Lexus ES Shooting Brake

Here’s a funny mashup — photochopper Theophilus Chin took the Lexus ES and merged it with the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake, creating the ES Sportcross wagon. (Considering the ES is not offered in Europe and the CLS Shooting Brake is unavailable in North America, it’s a strange combination — I have a hard time imagining …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Lexus Manufacturing Plant in Japan Displays Custom CT 200h at Local Auto Show

The Lexus manufacturing plant in Fukuoka, Japan, has built a custom Lexus CT200h for display at the 2014 Fukuoka Motor Show in last week. Inspired by traditional handicrafts, the interior of this special edition CT 200h incorporates local fabrics, ceramics, tortoiseshell and mat rush — here’s the only photo I’ve been able to find: This …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Lexus IS 300h Finishes First in Real-World Gas Mileage Test

UK magazine What Car? has compared the real-world gas mileage of five luxury sports sedans and found the Lexus IS 300h to deliver the best results. The IS 300h, which is officially rated at 64.2 mpg in Britain, returned 59.6 mpg in the What Car? test. The Mercedes C220 CDI, despite having an official rating …
Kevin · January 27th, 2014

Photo Gallery: 2014 Lexus CT 200h in Hong Kong

For the Hong Kong launch of the 2014 Lexus CT 200h, Lexus worked with photographer Chester Ng — here are the results: [Source: Chester Ng Via: Lexus Europe]
Kevin · January 24th, 2014

Next-Generation Lexus IS F Planned?

Despite rumors of its cancelation, Japanese magazine Mag-X reports that Lexus plans to release a next-generation Lexus IS F after all. The first mention that the high-performance sports sedan would be discontinued came last year in an article from USA Today — the debut of the RC F coupe and spy shots of a GS …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus IS F CCS-R Used as Secret Development Car for RC F V8 Engine

It’s been widely reported that the Lexus IS F CCS-R racecar was essential to the development of the new RC F high performance coupe, and now we’ve found out just how far this influence runs. Lexus USA marketer Jim Lee announced on Instagram today that the IS F CCS-R that raced at Pikes Peak and …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus RC F in Black, Gray, Red & Yellow

How will the Lexus RC F look in colors other than Ultrasonic Blue? Lexus Enthusiast Facebook fan Alaa Tarawneh sent in these photoshopped samples: While I’m not sure yellow is necessary no matter what the competition is doing, the RC F in black is going to be hard to beat — just plain mean looking. (Thanks …
Kevin · January 23rd, 2014

Lexus Wins Three Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards

Owners of the Lexus RX, LS, & CT were recognized for customer loyalty at the annual Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards. The Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards measures loyalty as a household that owns a new vehicle choosing another new vehicle of the same model or make. This year’s awards are based on more than 7.4 million …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014

2014 Lexus GX 460 in Short Supply at US Dealerships

The updated 2014 Lexus GX 460 has been a huge success, and dealerships are having a hard time keeping up with the demand — from Edmunds: Through the middle of this month, Lexus had only a nine-day supply of GX models in stock, up from four days at the end of December. Automakers and dealers …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC F GT500 Racecar in Detail

At this point, we’ve all seen the Lexus RC F GT500 display from the Tokyo Auto Salon, but Lexus International has just posted up some great photos of the racecar and its super-stylish mannequin pit crew: Can’t wait to see how the Lexus Super GT teams customize their RC Fs, it’s going to be quite …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2014

More Photos of the Lexus LFA Code X Racecar

The Lexus LFA Code X was introduced at the Tokyo Auto Salon by Toyota president Akio Toyoda last week, here are some photos from Response.jp: The news of the LFA Code X was buried somewhat with the introduction of the new RC F, but it’s a significant new development in Lexus racing — the bigger …
Kevin · January 21st, 2014

Imagining a Lexus RC F Convertible

One week after its release, two photochoppers have cut the roof off the Lexus RC F and imagined it as a convertible — first off is this design from X-Tomi: There’s also this photochop by Garrett Bradford: A convertible RC model is likely to be a safe bet, but will Lexus make an RC F …
Kevin · January 21st, 2014

Videos: The Lexus RC F at the Detroit Auto Show

It’s been a week since the Lexus RC F revealed at the Detroit Auto Show, and that makes it a great time to revisit the coupe’s debut — let’s start with Kelly Blue Book, who have some nice footage from the show floor: Here are three short, high-quality videos of the new coupe: This last …
Kevin · January 20th, 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

More Information on the Lexus RC F Carbon Fiber Package

Outside of North America, the Lexus RC F carbon fiber package will also include the lightweight hood — here are some photos showing off the package with an Ultrawhite RC F: By utilizing the knowledge gained in creating the LFA, Lexus is able to augment their high-performance models with straight-from-the-factory carbon fiber — this is …
Kevin · January 19th, 2014

Three New Lexus CT 200h Videos from Japan

Along with their new CT 200h commercial, Lexus Japan has also released three additional videos with the updated hatchback: Lexus Japan has pulled out all the stops for the updated CT 200h — each video is super high quality, and any one of them could have been a commercial on its own.
Kevin · January 17th, 2014

New Lexus CT 200h Commercial from Japan

Lexus Japan has released a new commercial for the CT 200h, and it’s brilliant: It’s important to point out that commercial wasn’t made digitally, all the trick photography was real — here’s how it was made: (Really loving the commercials coming out of Japan — right now is a great time to revisit the black …
Kevin · January 16th, 2014

TRD Japan Announces Lexus CT 200h F SPORT Accessories

TRD Japan has announced their F SPORT package for the updated Lexus CT 200h — here’s photos of every option: The full kit includes a front spoiler, side skirts, a quarter-panel spoiler that sits above the taillights, plus a sports muffler and rear diffuser — these aero enhancements help control airflow and improve downforce: The …
Kevin · January 16th, 2014

Videos: Lexus RC F Virtual Driving Experience

Right beside the Lexus RC F display at the Detroit Auto Show was a demo of the high-performance coupe in action on the track — here’s my attempt to film the experience: There’s also this video from Kaizen Factor that focuses strictly on the gauges: The sound coming from the demo sounded real to me, …
Kevin · January 15th, 2014

Lexus Europe 2013 Sales Report

Lexus Europe has reported 43,281 sales for 2013 — here’s a model-by-model breakdown for all Western, Central and Eastern European countries, including Turkey and Russia: 2013 Sales Hybrid Percentage CT 9,406 100% IS 7,562 79.1% ES 2,673 6.3% GS 3,714 38.0% LS 952 47.8% RX 13,501 48.8% Other Models 5,473 N/A Total Sales 43,281 53.3% …
Kevin · January 15th, 2014

Video: Introducing the New Lexus RC F

Here’s the video shown right before the Lexus RC F’s live reveal at yesterday’s press conference: It’s not as wild as the videos from the IS & RC launches, but listen closely and you can hear the snarl and roar of that V8 engine — that’s the best way to introduce “The Next F”.
Kevin · January 15th, 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

Latest Information on the Lexus RC F

The Lexus RC F was revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show, and there’s plenty of new information out there — let’s start at the beginning with the full press release and a selection of new photos. Want power, precision and passion? Lexus revealed its most powerful V8 engine in the all-new 2015 RC F …
Kevin · January 14th, 2014

Live Video: The Debut of the Lexus RC F

Lexus will broadcasting the debut of the RC F coupe from the Detroit auto show, here’s the full live stream: (Don’t forget to follow the Lexus Enthusiast liveblog both before and after the RC F’s debut.)
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

Car & Driver Preview of the Lexus RC F

Information on the Lexus RC F just keeps on coming, with some interesting new details in Car & Driver’s coverage of the new high-performance coupe: [Chief Engineer Yukihiko] Yaguchi tells us that rather than Lexus developing the standard model first and then modifying it to meet performance targets, that the RC and the RC F …
Kevin · January 13th, 2014

More Photos of the Lexus RC F GT500 Race Car

Carview Japan has more photos of the Lexus RC F GT500 racecar on display this weekend at the Tokyo Auto Salon — here’s a selection: (There’s even more photos over at Autoguide & Response.) There’s also a video of the Lexus Racing booth, starring the two-tone Umbrella girl: (Booming music, tuxedo race suits & top …
Kevin · January 12th, 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