First Lexus Assembly Line in USA Now Under Construction

Let’s take a break from the RC F news for another important story — Lexus announced today that construction has started on the ES 350 assembly line in Georgetown, Kentucky. Announced in April of last year, the ES 350 will be the first Lexus to be produced in the USA. Production is set to begin …

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Kevin · January 9th, 2014

Video: Autoguide Tour of the Lexus RC F

Autoguide also had an advance look at the Lexus RC F, and have released a video with some nice footage: (While expected, I’m very impressed with how Lexus has used the IS F as a template for the RC F — the design elements like the giant hood, the side vents, and quad exhausts come …

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Kevin · January 9th, 2014

Video: Lexus RC F in Detail

Along with the official photos, Lexus also released some footage of the new RC F — the video is a completely silent affair, and shows the coupe in great detail: There’s a few choice moments in the video, including the speed-sensitive active rear spoiler in action at the 2:14 mark of the video — here’s …

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Kevin · January 8th, 2014

More Details on the Lexus RC F

Exciting information ahead — Automobile Magazine has published an in-depth feature on the Lexus RC F, with a gallery of exclusive photos — let’s start off with a selection of images: Automobile Magazine confirms that the RC F will have the same 5.0L V8 engine as the IS F, though it’s been deeply revised and …

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Kevin · January 8th, 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 …

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Kevin · January 8th, 2014

Camouflaged Lexus RC F Prototype Shown in Official Video

One week before the debut of the RC F coupe at the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus International has released two videos with Yukihiko Yaguchi, chief engineer of the IS F and likely a key figure in the development of the new high-performance coupe: In the second video, a camouflaged RC F can been seen on …

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Kevin · January 7th, 2014

Toyota & BMW Finalize Agreement to Develop Sportscar Platform

BMW & Toyota have finalized an agreement to develop a joint platform for sportscars, according to Reuters: “We have agreed on a joint architecture for a sports car. What is important is that there will be two different vehicles that are authentic to the two brands,” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung today quoted [BMW’s development chief Herbert] …

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Kevin · January 6th, 2014

Video: Quick Tour of the Lexus LFA Works Factory

The Lexus LFA supercar factory may be a well-covered topic, but this short video from Motor Trend videographer Jim Gleason is definitely worth a watch: (Most of the video looks like outtakes from the Motor Trend feature on the LFA Works, an amazing in-depth look at the now-closed Lexus factory.)
Kevin · January 6th, 2014

Lexus Racing Announcement at Tokyo Auto Salon This Week?

Lexus has released a rendering of their Lexus Racing display for the Tokyo Auto Salon, a massive aftermarket event held in Japan — here’s the image in full (click for a larger version): While the press release mentions the Super GT racing series, the image shows a vehicle that looks more like an LFA than …

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Kevin · January 6th, 2014

Lexus December 2013 Sales Report (Including Year-End Sales Totals)

USA Lexus USA has reported 34,757 sales in December, a 18.1% improvement over last year and its best monthly sales total since December 2006– here’s the final model-by-model breakdown of 2013: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2013 2012 % CHG* 2013 2012 % CHG* CT 1,787 1,598 16.3 15,071 17,673 -14.7 HS 0 2 -100.0 …

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Kevin · January 5th, 2014

Lexus Launches in Vietnam

Lexus officially launched in Vietnam on December 26th, opening their first dealership in Ho Chi Minh City. The Lexus Central Saigon dealership is massive, with a similar design to Lexus Japan’s Takanawa showroom: The Lexus lineup in Vietnam consists of the ES, GS, LS, RX & LX — no hybrid or F SPORT models are …

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Kevin · January 3rd, 2014

Photos: Lexus RC Super GT500 Race Car in Matte Black

The Japanese Super GT ZENT CERUMO team have begun testing their new GT500 Lexus RC, which has been all decked out in a matte black paint job: According to Autosport Web, the ZENT RC hit 280km/h and lapped the Fuji Speedway in 1:30.906 — as a point of reference, the pole position lap during last …

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Kevin · January 2nd, 2014

Video: The 2014 Lexus CT 200h Inside & Out

Here’s Ming-Jou Chen from Lexus USA with an in-depth overview of the 2014 CT 200h refresh: This is the best look we’ve had of the updated CT 200h so far, with an excellent explanation of the changes and how the model has been improved. Very well done. (The front-end looks very complex, with lots of …

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Kevin · January 2nd, 2014

Happy New Year!

A fresh new year is here, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my readers for all their support in 2013. 2014 is going to be a year of big changes — there’s plans already in place to bring a new level of community to Lexus enthusiasts worldwide, and I can’t wait …

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Kevin · January 1st, 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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Kevin · December 30th, 2013

Happy Holidays!

As we enter the festive season, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a safe and happy holidays! It’s been an extremely busy year, and I’m looking forward to spending this week with family and friends — look for normal posting to resume December 30th. Until then, all …

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Kevin · December 24th, 2013

Details on the Lexus RC’s New Red Exterior Paint

The Lexus RC 350 will make its North American debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and today Lexus released information on the new paint process used to create the coupe’s red exterior color: The luminous red paint is achieved through a meticulous paint process using four base coats of paint which are then …

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Kevin · December 24th, 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 — …

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Kevin · December 23rd, 2013

Video: Lexus GX 460 Tows a MIG-31 Fighter Jet

It might not be the space shuttle, but here’s a Lexus GX 460 towing a 24-ton MIG-31 fighter jet (be sure to turn down the sound): Have a great pre-Holiday weekend, everyone!
Kevin · December 20th, 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 …

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Kevin · December 19th, 2013

Lexus ES 300h Named Best Luxury Value by Consumer Reports

The Lexus ES 300h has been named the top luxury car value in the Consumer Reports annual Best & Worst New Cars. Consumer Reports judges vehicles on a combination of reliability, resale value, fuel economy and driving performance — the ES 350, RX 450h, & RX 350 also ranked high in the list. Read more …

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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, …

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Kevin · December 18th, 2013

Lexus Places First in J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 China Initial Quality Study

Lexus has tied Mercedes Benz in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 China Initial Quality Study, with each brand recording only 52 problems per 100 vehicles sold. The industry in China averages 119 problems per 100 vehicles. The study looks at problems experienced by new vehicle owners in the six months of ownership, dividing those …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2013

Lexus IS in Atomic Silver Wins Japanese Color Award

The Atomic Silver/Sonic Titanium exterior color & Topaz Brown interior color offered on the Lexus IS has won the 2014 Auto Color award from the Japan Fashion Color Association, which may be the strangest award the sedan will win this year. (In all seriousness, the Atomic Silver/Sonic Titanium exterior color is a great addition to …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus IS F in Matte Gray

The folks at Spinelli Lexus in Quebec sent in some photos of a matte gray IS F — they must know I’m a sucker for this color: The signature IS F elements (like the giant fender vents and massive hood) have aged well over the years — going to be interesting to see how the …

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Kevin · December 16th, 2013

The Telegraph Reviews the Lexus GS 300h

Andrew English of The Telegraph has reviewed the Lexus GS 300h, and believes the 2.5L hybrid sedan compares favorably with its competition: This latest GS might not be as sporty or exciting as Lexus suggests, but it’s not bad and is at least on a par with its occasionally quite raucous 2.0-litre diesel German rivals. …

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Kevin · December 15th, 2013

Lexus RC F, Illustrated

Building off the teaser photo released this week, Leftlane News has created an illustration of what the new Lexus RC F might look like — here it is in higher resolution: It’s certainly a valiant attempt, though I have to think the RC F will retain the standard RC’s 3-L headlights and separated daytime running …

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Kevin · December 13th, 2013

Photo Gallery: Lexus RC in Detail

The Lexus International Facebook page posted a nice photo gallery showing the details of the RC coupe: This is nicely put together — there’s so many great individual elements to the RC design, and this gallery showcases them all. [Source: Lexus International FB Page]
Kevin · December 13th, 2013

Interview with Lexus International President Kiyotaka Ise

While at the Tokyo Motor Show last month, I had a chance to interview Kiyotaka Ise, the president of Lexus International. The following is a transcript of our conversation, by way of a Japanese translator. Lexus Enthusiast: It must have been daunting to transform the Lexus brand over such a short period of time, how …

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Kevin · December 12th, 2013

Imagining a Lexus RC Convertible, Part Two

We’ve already seen one attempt at rendering the possible Lexus RC convertible, and now photochopper X-Tomi has given it a shot with the above image. (Will the next Lexus convertible be a hard or soft top? Have to think it would be a hard top — the IS-C roof was expertly done, and I believe …

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Kevin · December 12th, 2013

Video: Lexus GS F SPORT vs. the Queen’s Guard

To demonstrate the capabilities of the GS 350 F SPORT, Lexus Puerto Rico imported two Queen’s Guards from England and put them into the sedan with a race car driver: While very similar to the fantastic video from Lexus Italia last year, it’s still a very effective (and hilarious) campaign.
Kevin · December 11th, 2013

Video: Justin Bell Drives the Lexus LFA

In the latest episode of The One, Motor Trend presenter Justin Bell hits the track in a Lexus LFA borrowed from the Toyota Museum in Torrance, California: Haven’t been a fan of this show in the past, but I love seeing that red LFA out on the track — worth it for the visuals.
Kevin · December 11th, 2013

Lexus: No Plans to Release Sub-$30k Models

Lexus will not be heading downmarket to compete with its German competitors, says Lexus USA general manager Jeff Bracken in an interview with Automotive News: “We will not head down below $30,000,” said Bracken in an interview here. “We have Toyota and Scion to handle that price level for us.” Bracken acknowledges the CLA and …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2013

Camouflaged Lexus NX Prototype Spotted in Japan

A Lexus NX prototype has been spotted by Japanese magazine Mag-X in some pretty wild camouflage — here are the two photos: The vehicle has been expertly disguised, with only the front spindle grille giving away that fact the model is a Lexus at all — makes me wonder, wouldn’t this amount of camouflage affect …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2013

Autocar Reviews the 2014 Lexus GS 300h

The European press have started driving the all-new Lexus GS 300h, and finding it a compelling alternative to its German competitors — here’s the first review from Autocar: Until now, Lexus’s E-segment saloon had been without a [Benefit in Kind]-friendly car capable of competing with the ultra efficient diesel-engined offerings of the Big Three at …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2013

Interview with Lexus RC Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama

While at the Tokyo Motor Show last month, I had a chance to interview Junichi Furuyama, the chief engineer of the new Lexus RC coupe. The following is a transcript of our conversation, by way of a Japanese translator. Kevin: First question — were the Lexus IS & RC in development at the same time? …

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Kevin · December 9th, 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 …

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Kevin · December 9th, 2013

Lexus IS F Racing Team Finishes Fourth Overall in 25 Hours of Thunderhill

Earlier today, the Lexus IS F CCS-R team of Jeff Westphal, Tom Dyer & Ken Dobson finished 4th overall in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race. Only a late-night axle replacement kept them off the podium — the team completed 659 laps, finishing just 3 laps behind the third place GMG Motorsports Audi R8. …

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Kevin · December 8th, 2013

Live: Lexus IS F CCS-R Racing in 25 Hours of Thunderhill

The Lexus IS F CCS-R will be racing in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this weekend in California — drivers Jeff Westphal, Ken Dobson & Tom Dyer are competing in the ES class of the longest endurance race in North America, which runs Saturday morning to Sunday morning. With the help of my friend Paul …

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Kevin · December 7th, 2013

Two Lexus LFA Convertibles Spotted in Japan

At the Odaiba Motor Festival celebrating the Tokyo Motor Show last month, Toyota President Akio Toyoda brought out two Lexus LFA Spyders — here they are, briefly: (The white LFA Spyder I can only assume is the same one Jay Leno drove earlier this year, but the yellow Spyder is completely new to me.)
Kevin · December 6th, 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 …

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Kevin · December 5th, 2013

Photo Gallery: 2014 Lexus CT F SPORT with Redline Exterior

On display at the San Francisco Auto Show was this 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT in the brand new Redline exterior color — here are some photos from Kaizen Factor: This new Redline color looks much brighter than Matador Red Mica, it almost looks like the same tone as the red offered on the …

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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 …

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Kevin · December 4th, 2013

Lexus November 2013 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported 25,611 total sales for November 2013, a 8.4% improvement over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2013 2012 % CHG* 2013 2012 % CHG* CT 1,002 1,264 -23.8 13,284 16,075 -17.7 HS 0 3 -100.0 5 647 -99.2 IS 3,973 1,988 92.2 29,603 25,211 …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 2013

Lexus NXB Mountain Bike Concept Displayed at Tokyo Motor Show

Debuting alongside the Lexus LF-NX Turbo concept at the Tokyo Motor Show was the Neo eXtreme Bike Concept, a mountain bike produced using the same carbon fiber loom that weaved the LFA — here are some photos: Beyond the frame, the NXB concept features XeNTiS Kappa2 CC carbon fiber aero wheels with a custom Spindle …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 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 …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2013

Lexus December to Remember 2013 Commercials

As we enter the holiday season, Lexus USA has launched their annual December to Remember Sales Event, along with the inevitable “Red Bow” commercials — here’s the full collection: All in all, it’s a fairly harmless round of commercials — the only thing I really noticed is how great the updated GX looks in white. …

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Kevin · December 2nd, 2013

Lexus RC Convertible in the Works?

According to a Motoring Australia interview with Lexus RC chief engineer Junichi Furyama, the new coupe has a potential future as a convertible: However, while willing to reveal the rear-wheel drive two-door coupe boasted underbody bracing that would aid development of a replacement for the outdated IS 250C, Furyama was not prepared to confirm that …

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Kevin · November 29th, 2013

Videos: Up Close with the Lexus RC & LF-NX

During the Tokyo Motor Show last week, Lexus asked their Twitter followers to submit ideas for videos from the show floor — 20 videos were created over the course of a single day, including my request for a detailed look at the RC’s headlights: The full collection of videos can be seen on the Lexus …

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Kevin · November 28th, 2013

Photo: Lexus LFA, Toyota 2000GT & Toyota Supra All Together

Here’s something you don’t see every day — the Lexus LFA, Toyota Supra & Toyota 2000GT all together all in red. These three Toyota performance icons belong to Javier Quirós, the president of Purdy Motor (the Toyota distributor in Costa Rica) and a previous Gazoo Racing LFA team driver — here’s the photo in desktop …

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Kevin · November 27th, 2013

Video Collection: The Lexus RC at the Tokyo Motor Show

There are plenty of Lexus RC videos floating around on Youtube — let’s start with this 360° view of the new coupe: This Autoguide video of the RC is worth watching for the visuals, but the presenter’s over-the-top descriptors are a little much (he also makes a factual error, the RC is not a production …

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Kevin · November 26th, 2013

Video: Introducing the Lexus RTI Touchpad Controller

The next-generation Lexus infotainment controller, the Remote Touch Interface touchpad, debuted last week in the RC coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show — while there’s little detail on how the system works, Lexus did release a quick video demonstration: Perhaps the most interesting thing about this new touchpad is the haptic feedback, which should make …

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Kevin · November 26th, 2013

Lexus to Introduce Full Range of Turbocharged Engines?

Motoring Australia has some details on the future of turbo engines in the Lexus lineup: Little technical information was released in Tokyo and no outputs confirmed, however Lexus group manger engine product design Teru Ogawa told motoring.com.au that a family of engines was being developed. Asked what capacities would be offered, he said “both larger …

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Kevin · November 25th, 2013

Lexus IS F CCS-R to Participate in 25 Hours of Thunderhill Endurance Race

Lexus USA has announced an official IS F CCS-R team will be participating in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, an annual endurance race at the Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Lexus released details on the three-driver team: Jeff Westphal: Leader of the Lexus team at Thunderhill.  Jeff is well-known for setting nearly a dozen …

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Kevin · November 25th, 2013

Live Photos of the Updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Kicking Tires has a photo gallery of the updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h F SPORT from the LA Auto Show — here’s a selection: The update to the front grille brings the hatchback in line with the rest of model lineup, and seems to work well — that said, I do wonder if the F …

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Kevin · November 24th, 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 …

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Kevin · November 22nd, 2013

Video: Introducing the 2014 Lexus CT 200h

Fresh from its debut in China, there’s a video with the newly updated 2014 Lexus CT 200h: (A quick note to anyone in the Los Angeles area — the 2014 CT will be on display at the LA Auto Show starting today.)
Kevin · November 21st, 2013

Lexus RC Official Photo Gallery

Along with the launch video, Lexus has released a new set of RC coupe photos — let’s divide it up into a couple different groups. Lexus RC in Silver Lexus RC in Red Lexus RC Interior Lexus RC Technical Images Looking through these photos, the car looks much better in person — more sculpted, much …

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Kevin · November 20th, 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 …

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Kevin · November 20th, 2013

2014 Lexus RC Information

There’s going to be a lot of new information on the Lexus RC over the next few days — I’ll have a full live photo gallery and an interview with RC chief engineer Junichi Furuyama shortly — but let’s start with the press release and a collection of official photos.
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 …

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Kevin · November 19th, 2013