Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition Laps Nordschleife in 7:22.85

Right before we jump into coverage of this weekend's Nürburgring 24h race, a new video has surfaced showing Team Manager Akira Iida taking a Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition around the Nordschleife in 7:22.85 (be warned, the video is not of the highest quality).
Kevin · June 24th, 2011

Lexus Tops 2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

The results for the J.D. Power's 2011 Initial Quality Study are in, and Lexus has ranked highest among all brands with 73 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), marking the thirteenth time Lexus has been at the top of the list since 1990
Kevin · June 23rd, 2011

CNET Reviews the Lexus CT 200h’s Tech

Brian Cooley from CNET has put together a thorough overview of the tech found in the Lexus CT 200h, even detailing the all the different interior controls and their functions.
Kevin · June 22nd, 2011

The First Australian Lexus LFA

The first Lexus LFA has arrived in Australia, and Car Advice had the chance to get a first look, including a full photo gallery & video.
Kevin · June 21st, 2011

Crave Online Reviews the 2011 Lexus IS F

Crave Online has published a sparkling review of the 2011 Lexus IS F, declaring that it could be "the most important model for Lexus since the original models of 1989".
Kevin · June 20th, 2011

Slammed 2004 Lexus GS 300

Owned by Club Lexus member Anthony, this GS is sporting Varrstoen ES 1.1.2 wheels, with the crazy low drop provided by Megan LP Coilovers with custom front RCA’s. The final touch is the Toyota TTE Front Lip -- a subtle touch that brings the whole thing together. Great build.
Kevin · June 20th, 2011

Last Man Sitting Wins 1996 Lexus ES 300 in Crazy Endurance Contest

As proof that people will do anything to get a Lexus, an Akron, Ohio baseball team let five folks into a 1996 LS 400 for an endurance contest -- the last remaining person will win the car. At last count, this has been going on for 36 hours with two men remaining.
Kevin · June 17th, 2011

Lexus LS 460 Touring Edition Announced

Lexus USA has announced a Touring Edition of the LS 460 that borrows heavily from the LS Sport, taking all of its cosmetic appearance but none of its mechanical improvements (i.e. the Brembo brakes, revised suspension, paddle shifters).
Kevin · June 17th, 2011

Driving the 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD

Last week, I picked up a 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD from Lexus Canada HQ for a road test, and so far, I've found it a very easy car to drive fast. I don't know if it's the AWD system or the memory of the LFA driving school, but there's some serious confidence happening in this car.
Kevin · June 17th, 2011

Lexus Commercial: The Perfect Putt

With Lexus as a partner to the USGA and sponsor of this weekend's U.S. Open, it was only a matter of time before we saw a golf-related commercial
Kevin · June 16th, 2011

Twitter Chat with Lexus VP of Marketing Dave Nordstrom

If you've ever had a question about Lexus marketing, here's your change -- Lexus USA vice president of Marketing Dave Nordstrom will be taking questions on Twitter today (June 16th) from 11:30am-12:30pm PDT. During this hour, all questions sent to the Lexus Twitter account have a chance to be answered.
Kevin · June 16th, 2011

Comparison: Lexus CT 200h vs. Nissan Leaf vs. VW Golf GTD

This Auto Express video showdown between the Lexus CT 200h, Nissan Leaf & VW Golf GTD had all the potential for a very interesting comparison, but ultimately fizzles with its focus on superficial testing criteria rather than examining the differences between the three models.
Kevin · June 15th, 2011

Custom Lexus LS 460L by JM Lexus

Mega dealership JM Lexus in Florida has just started JM Custom Creations, a Lexus-certified mod-shop capable of some heavy duty upgrades, and they sent over some photos of their first project: a 2011 LS 460L with the full TOM's LS46 body kit, alligator skin trim and a 2000 watt Rockford speaker upgrade.
Kevin · June 14th, 2011

Two Short Lexus CT 200h Commercials from Japan

Here's two 15 second CT 200h commercials from Lexus Japan -- these spots do a great job of cutting to the quick by highlighting the CT's handling capabilities, easily one of the hatchback's strongest selling points. Short and sweet.
Kevin · June 13th, 2011

Lexus LFA Places 5th Overall in VLN5 Nürburgring Race

It was quite an eventful weekend for racing -- not only did both the Le Mans 24h Race and the Canadian Grand Prix turn in spectacular results, but the #111 Lexus LFA (and drivers Iida Akira, Oshima Kazuya & Ishiura Hiroaki) won the SP8 class on their way to placing 5th overall in the latest edition of the VLN Nürburgring series. This is the best overall result for the Gazoo team since they started racing LFAs in 2008.
Kevin · June 13th, 2011

What should be the next Lexus F Model?

We already have the IS-F, and it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see a GS-F, but which Lexus model should come next? The LS-F? The CT-F? The ES-F? Vote for your choice.
Kevin · June 9th, 2011

Looking at Lexus Sales in Japan

While there's no question that the Tōhoku earthquake has affected Lexus production, Bloomberg has used some sleight-of-hand reporting in their recent article about the brand's Japanese sales, making it appear much worse than it really is.
Kevin · June 8th, 2011

The Latest Lexus UK Events

Lexus UK is kicking off summer with a display at the 2011 London Motorexpo held at Canary Wharf from June 6-12. Their Pearl Blue LFA will be in attendance, as will the CT 200h. Sadly, only the CT is available for test drives.
Kevin · June 7th, 2011

Is the Lexus LFA Really a Sales Failure?

Every once and a while, I'll read a review or article about Lexus and notice an inaccuracy -- usually a minor technical point or some obscure historical fact. Mistakes happen, no problem. What's unusual is to see an article built on nothing but mistakes, where even elementary facts are ignored -- but that's what I found with Nelson Ireson's Motor Authority editorial on how the Lexus LFA is a failure.
Kevin · June 2nd, 2011

Rumor: Lexus Working on LFA II

According to Japanese magazine Best Car (by way of leblogauto), Lexus is now working on a new LFA special edition meant to be even more performance-oriented than the Nürburgring Edition package.
Kevin · June 1st, 2011

Car & Driver Reviews the Lexus CT 200h

The Car & Driver review of the Lexus CT 200h has been posted to their website, and for the most part, it's an unflattering look at the new hybrid hatchback.
Kevin · June 1st, 2011

Lexus LFA Wins SP8 Class in Nürburgring VLN4 Race

The #119 Lexus LFA finished first in the SP8 class and 17th overall at this weekend's VLN 4 race at Nürburgring. Two LFAs started the race, but #111 LFA ended up with a busted suspension after a collision in the first corner.
Kevin · May 31st, 2011

Lexus IS-F Towing a Giant Cow

I received this photo in my email with absolutely no explanation, but I'd say the image speaks for itself.
Kevin · May 27th, 2011

TTAC Reviews the 2011 Lexus IS-F

I've really been enjoying the Lexus reviews over at The Truth About Cars, and the latest review of the 2011 IS-F by Jack Baruth is no different.
Kevin · May 26th, 2011

Kyle Busch Caught Doing 128 mph in Lexus LFA

Apparently caught up in a perfect moment, Nascar driver Kyle Busch was clocked doing 128 mph in 4 5mph zone while driving a Lexus LFA in Troutman, North Carolina.
Kevin · May 24th, 2011

Brilliant Lexus LFA & IS-F Desktop Wallpaper

While going through Lexus UK's Flickr photos from their recent LFA/IS-F track meet, I came across this super-fantastic image that just had to be made into a desktop wallpaper.
Kevin · May 24th, 2011

Lexus CT Challenge Contest at Northwest Lexus

Longtime TLE reader Jarrett Henshaw just sent me an email about a fun contest that's happening at Northwest Lexus in Brampton, Ontario -- if you can correctly guess how many kilometres their CT 200h can travel on one tank of gas, you can win your own weekend with the hybrid hatchback. Very cool idea. (The contest is only open to people in the Toronto Area.)
Kevin · May 24th, 2011