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Lexus Global Design Manager Discusses the Lexus LF-Gh

Automobile Magazine has some great quotes about the LF-Gh from Simon Humphries, General Manager of Lexus (& Toyota) Global Design — here’s a sampling: On the general design theme: “The LF-Gh was designed in [our Lexus studio in Japan]. The current state of the auto market is that everything is becoming complex and overstyled. With …

Kevin · April 25th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Desktop Wallpaper: Set to Attack

Out of the few hundred photos I took of the Lexus LF-Gh last week, this photo closeup of the grille & headlight was one of my favorites — so I made it into a desktop to share: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Pretty mean looking — it …

Kevin · April 24th, 2011

NY Auto Show: Lexus LF-Gh Concept Photo Gallery

With so many Lexus LF-Gh photos already floating around, I thought it might be a good idea to focus on the smaller details of the latest Lexus concept, especially when they’re so visually interesting: The side profile was my favorite angle — by increasing rear headroom & available trunkspace, Lexus has moved to give the …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2011

Lexus CT 3D Projection in Hollywood Tonight

As a way to celebrate Earth Day & promote the CT 200h at the same time, Lexus will be holding a special 3D projection mapping display tonight (Friday April 22) at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. 3D projection mapping is created using multiple projectors that are able to display a three-dimensional video without needing special …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2011

NY Autoshow: Supercharged Lexus CT by Fox Marketing

From the candy-apple-gold-green color and the wild fender flares right down to the personality behind the build, the supercharged Lexus CT 200h by Fox Marketing featured at the New York Auto Show was packed with character — check out these photos: Brian Fox, the man behind Fox Marketing, is a straight-up wildman, and you can …

Kevin · April 21st, 2011

Lexus Photos from the New York Autoshow

The NY Auto Show started early this morning, and center stage at the Lexus display was the LF-Gh & Brian Fox’s CT design project — here’s a few photos from today: More to follow!

Kevin · April 20th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Official Reveal Video

While we may have seen photos of the Lexus LF-Gh last week, the concept car was officially revealed tonight at a gallery in New York City — here’s a video of the event along with reaction from some leading design minds: I was lucky enough to attend the reveal, and there’s no question that the …

Kevin · April 19th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Caravan Photos

As part of the build up to the official reveal of the LF-Gh concept tonight, Lexus brought out four wrapped vehicles that illustrate the process behind creating a new vehicle — here they are: This is a really cool idea — it goes from the pencil sketch of the initial designer to a more stylized …

Kevin · April 19th, 2011

Lexus NY Auto Show Coverage Starts Tomorrow

With the NY Auto Show and the introduction of the brand new LF-Gh concept, it’s going to be a busy week in New York City for Lexus, and I’m going to be here in the city to cover all the events. The fun starts tomorrow morning with a special caravan that’s going to be touring …

Kevin · April 18th, 2011

Lexus CT Race Challenge Videos

A couple weeks ago during the Australian Grand Prix festivities, there was a celebrity race using only Lexus CT 200hs — and now today we can watch the two fifteen minute races in full: Even with everyone driving the exact same car, I found the whole thing surprisingly entertaining — though I have to admit, …

Kevin · April 17th, 2011

Lexus LFA Official Pace Car of the Grand Prix Long Beach

The Lexus LFA will be the official pace car this weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and it’s been done up in a white & black wrap that looks straight from the Gazoo Racing Nürburgring LFAs. Scott Pruett will be the man behind the wheel — it’s bound to be a fun …

Kevin · April 15th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Equipped with Night Vision?

TLE reader Vogel spotted something interesting in one of the Lexus LF-Gh interior photos — it looks like the concept might just be equipped with Night Vision. Here’s the button in question, highlighted in red: Not much to look at, but here it is zoomed up: Compare it with this Night Vision button from a …

Kevin · April 15th, 2011

Lexus LFA Driver Development Program Video

Have to admit, it feels a little surreal linking to this Lexus-produced video of me attending the LFA Driver Development program — feels like I’ve broken the fourth wall: What a day this was — the first comment on the Youtube video page pretty much sums up how I feel. Have to thank everyone that …

Kevin · April 14th, 2011

A Lexus LFA Joy Ride with Inside Line

I was trying to wait until Inside Line concluded their Lexus LFA coverage this week before posting about their adventures, but there’s just been so many it’s been hard to keep track! The first thing I’ll link to is this video of their run up the Glendora Mountain Road in California — what a fantastic …

Kevin · April 14th, 2011

Lexus CT Remix Music Project (Plus USB Stick Giveaway!)

I thought this was pretty cool — Lexus has announced the CT Remix Project, which takes the songs from the four CT 200h launch commercials (link 1, link 2, link 3, link 4) and has them remixed by top DJs and producers. Here’s the artists involved (taken from the press release): At the foundation of …

Kevin · April 13th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Video

Also released yesterday was this seven minute B-roll video of the Lexus LF-Gh, which is just moving footage of the photos released today and meant for TV: One specific segment that starts at 3:47 shows the full front light display, including the vertical foglights — makes for a crazy nighttime impression: Looks straight out of …

Kevin · April 13th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Desktop Wallpapers

Although I promised a Lexus LFA desktop wallpaper today, I didn’t exactly expect to wake up to full photos of the LF-Gh — so instead of a supercar today, here’s three shots of Lexus’ newest concept car cropped for your consumption: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Select …

Kevin · April 12th, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Revealed!

With its official reveal now exactly a week away, Lexus has pulled the covers off their LF-Gh in advance of its New York Auto Show debut! There’s so much to go through right now, including a full photo gallery and all the various details, but let’s start with the full Lexus press release: LF-Gh concept …

Kevin · April 12th, 2011

Lexus LFA Desktop Wallpaper: After the Rain

Now that my Lexus LFA article has been published at Lexus Magazine, I can share some of the photos I took in handy desktop wallpaper format. I’m going to post up one a day this week, starting with this moody shot: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 The …

Kevin · April 11th, 2011

Edmunds Inside Line Spending a Week with the Lexus LFA

Starting today, the Edmunds Inside Line editors have the enviable task of driving the Lexus LFA for a full week road test, with plans to put the supercar through its paces on a California mountain road and make the trip to Las Vegas for a Wednesday night car meet. The IL editors will updating both …

Kevin · April 11th, 2011

2013 Lexus LS Photochop by Mag-X

Using elements of our sneak peek at next-generation GS LF-Gh Concept, Japanese magazine Mag-X has put together this rendering of the 2013 Lexus LS (click for a larger image): Not much to look at for the most part, but this rendering does a good job at turning the LF-Gh’s massive pinched grille into something that …

Kevin · April 11th, 2011

Stunning HD Video of Lexus LFA in VLN 1 Nürburgring Race

While the Lexus LFA appearances are sporadic at best, this seven minute video from last week’s VLN series opener at Nürburgring is great viewing on quality alone: Whenever I see the LFA out on the track, I always startled by how futuristic it looks compared to the competition, and how it really doesn’t remind me …

Kevin · April 10th, 2011

A Wicked Driver’s Ed: My Experience at the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program

It is with extreme excitement that I present my article about the Lexus LFA Driver Development program, which is now being featured on the Lexus Magazine website — here’s a quote: While no LFA owner myself, I did get the opportunity to attend this full-day driving school at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California — …

Kevin · April 7th, 2011

Lexus Named Top Luxury Brand in Edmunds Best Retained Value Awards

Lexus has been named the top luxury brand of the Edmunds inaugural Best Retained Value Awards. The awards, which recognize the brands and models with the highest projected residual value after five years — an important consideration when buying a car, as it means higher trade-in value and lower lease rates. Lexus also placed well …

Kevin · April 7th, 2011

TOM’s Planning Lexus CT 200h Body Kit & Exhaust System?

According to the CT 200h Club of Malaysia, long-time Japanese Lexus tuner TOM’s is looking into creating a CT 200h body kit — here’s some mockups: The kit follows the pattern set by the Modellista body kit with a fairly plain front and a rear diffuser, though the TOM’s rendition is more angular. TOM’s does …

Kevin · April 6th, 2011

Lexus Becomes Official Supplier to the Sovereign Prince of Monaco

It has been announced that Lexus has been awarded a royal warrant to become the Official Supplier to His Serene Highness, the Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco — a honored appointment that will could see a LS 600hL as the official wedding car of the Price’s marriage to Miss Charlene Wittstock on Saturday 2nd …

Kevin · April 6th, 2011

Lexus Releases Two LF-Gh Teaser Photos!

In advance of its full reveal at the New York Auto Show, Lexus has released a couple teaser images of the their next-gen GS concept, the LF-Gh — let’s tackle the front photo first: There are some LF-Ch design cues with the chrome accents on the front grille and the light housing design, but there …

Kevin · April 5th, 2011

Lexus CT 200h Commercial from Australia

Continuing with their massive CT 200h marketing push, Lexus Australia has released a new daredevil commercial: One thing that really stood out about this commercial was something in the dialogue — “the two-mode, two-mood hybrid”. It’s certainly not the first time we’ve seen the CT being marketed as having a split personality with its Eco …

Kevin · April 4th, 2011

More Photos of Lexus LFA in the VLN Season Opener

TLE Friend Thomas Biesenbach was kind enough to send over a few more photos of the white #111 Lexus LFA that took part in the VLN race season opener at the Nürburgring this past weekend (click any image for a larger image): I especially liked this one, here it is in some desktop dimensions: Select …

Kevin · April 4th, 2011

Lexus Partners with Six Top Chefs to Create Culinary Masters Team

Lexus is teaming up with six of the world’s most distinguished chefs to create the Lexus Culinary Masters team. Chefs Daniel Boulud, Michael Chiarello, Dean Fearing, Christopher Kostow, Masaharu Morimoto & Michael Symon will all help Lexus to engage their customers with programs, charitable outreach, and multimedia productions. For their first event together, the full …

Kevin · April 4th, 2011

Lexus LFA Races in VLN Nürburgring Season Opener

A Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA took part in this weekend’s 4-hour VLN 1 race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with disappointing results. After finishing the 20th overall in qualifying (the fastest non-German car in the race), a run-in with a Porsche 911 took the team of Iida Akira, Kinoshita Takayuki & Ishiura Hiroaki out of main …

Kevin · April 3rd, 2011

Lexus March 2011 Sales Report

USA Lexus USA has reported the brand’s March 2011 sales, which includes the CT 200h for the first time ever — here are the model-by-model stats: MONTH Year to Date (*DSR) 2011 2010 % CHG* 2011 2010 % CHG* ES 3,732 3,860 -6.9 8,545 9,132 -7.7 CT 2,199 0 N/A 2,199 0 N/A HS 230 …

Kevin · April 1st, 2011

Lexus USA to Raise 2011 Model Prices

Lexus USA has announced that several models will see minor sales increases starting in May — all models will see a percentage increase ranging from 0.8 to 2.1 percent, with the exception of the CT 200h & LFA. The new prices will become effective for vehicles with scheduled May arrivals for all Lexus vehicles except …

Kevin · April 1st, 2011

Lexus IS F Racing the Fuji Speedway

The Fuji Speedway is a an central part of Lexus‘ new sporting history, with the F-Sport performance brand named after Japan’s most famous racetrack — here’s a nicely done IS F video that shows every twist and turn of the course: Love the slide around the :55 mark — must have watched it five times …

Kevin · March 31st, 2011

Lexus LFA, Ferrari F430, Nissan GT-R & Porsche 911 Racing the Fuji Speedway

From the looks of this video, we can expect a Lexus LFA appearance on a future episode of Japan’s Best Motoring, where it will be competing against the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 GT3 & a Ferrari F430 on the Fuji Speedway — the very course that the LFA was named for. Watch the Video

Kevin · March 31st, 2011

Kazama Auto’s 2JZ Lexus IS

Speaking of matte black Lexus IS 350s, here’s a great Speedhunters feature on a two-tone IS built by Kazama Auto that’s out-of-this-world: It’s not just the exterior that’s been remade, but the entire car from top to bottom. Check out this engine setup: That’s a 2JZ-GTE Supra engine pumping out 620hp and mated to a …

Kevin · March 30th, 2011

Akio Toyoda Tours Japan Disaster Zone

Toyota President Akio Toyoda toured Japan’s earthquake disaster zone last week to survey the damage done to the company’s assembly plants, which have remained closed for the most part since the quake. I recommend this excellent recap of Toyoda-san’s visit at Autoweek, which talks in detail about the current challenges that Toyota is facing. (Toyota-san …

Kevin · March 30th, 2011

Matte Black Lexus IS 350

Club Lexus member DarkDuke has put together a stunning matte black Lexus IS 350 — take a look at this pro job: Those WedsSport SA-55M wheels are pure insane — love the blue accents. Brilliant piece of work, be sure to check out the rest of the photos over at Club Lexus. [Photographer: Brent Zheng]

Kevin · March 30th, 2011

Looking at Lexus Sales in China

There’s an interesting article in Businessweek about how Lexus is performing in China — here are some quotes: Lexus sold just a fifth of luxury leader Audi’s tally last year in the world’s biggest car market. It also trails BMW and Daimler’s Mercedes. Although Lexus sales in China grew 61 percent, to 49,000 cars, last …

Kevin · March 29th, 2011

A Look Underneath the Lexus LFA

For all the photos & video of the Lexus LFA, getting a glance at the underbody has been a rare event — that is, until McCall Lexus in Texas decided to raise up their first LFA delivery for a good look. Just like the rest of the exterior design, there’s a clear emphasis on aerodynamics …

Kevin · March 29th, 2011

Preview of Supercharged Lexus CT 200h by Fox Marketing

The New York Auto Show is only three weeks away, and Fox Marketing is starting to tease their supercharged CT 200h that will be part of the Lexus display — here’s a couple videos of the work-in-progress CTh: It looks like there’s something special planned for the interior as well: Best of all, there’s some …

Kevin · March 28th, 2011

Lexus CT 200h F-Sport Desktop Wallpaper

Speaking of the CT 200h & Australia, here’s a great photo of the CT F-Sport from Lexus Australia that I had to convert into a desktop wallpaper: Select Resolution: 2560×1600 | 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 I’m such a huge fan of the F-Sport edition, and it’s a great …

Kevin · March 28th, 2011

Lexus CT 200h @ Australian Grand Prix

The Lexus CT 200h Celebrity F1 challenge took place last night in Melbourne, Australia, and when the dust settled, the podium saw Australian celebrities Sav Rocca, Corbin Harris & Luke Ricketson finishing first, second & third respectively. Lexus was also big on advertising during the actual Australian Grand Prix — I took some photos on …

Kevin · March 27th, 2011

Lexus & Microsoft Present Fresh Perspectives

Lexus has teamed up with Microsoft for an interesting project called Fresh Perspectives, which takes six extremely talented artists, presents them with their choice of three concepts, and gives them 24 hours to create an all-new original work. Meant to promote the CT 200h, the series is set to start April 18th — check out …

Kevin · March 25th, 2011

2012 Lexus GS Spy Shot?

Don’t know if it really classifies as a spy shot, but today on Twitter, Lexus Europe posted a photo of two cars under tarps, and mentioned that vehicle and dynamic development engineers would be driving around the UK — wonder if we could be looking at examples of the next-generation GS: From the profile of …

Kevin · March 24th, 2011

Preview of the Lexus CT 200h Celebrity Challenge in Australia

This weekend is the Lexus CT 200h Celebrity Challenge in Australia, and the Sydney Morning Herald has put together a pretty funny sneak peek of what to expect from the celebrity race. (If one of the drivers gets his way, it will be a real-world version of bumper cars.) Watch the video @ SMH

Kevin · March 24th, 2011

Two More Lexus LFAs Arrive in the USA

Two more Lexus LFAs have arrived in the USA, and Flipside909 from Club Lexus was there to witness their arrival at the docks. Of special interest is the blue #047, which belongs to Club Lexus member, gengar, who has been one of the most active LFA owners in the Lexus community. Congratulations to both of …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2011

Lexus Magazine Interview with VIP Auto Salon’s Clark Ishihara

One of the people I had a chance to spend some time with during my trip to California was Clark Ishihara, president of VIP Auto Salon and the main force behind show cars like the Macadamia LS 600hL at last year’s SEMA — reminded me of this Lexus Magazine interview with Clark about his company’s …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2011

Old Lexus LX 470 Print Ads from Australia

In a random search, I stumbled across this set of Lexus Australia print ads for the Lexus LX 470 (click for larger versions): These M.C. Escher-style designs are wild to look at, but relating it back to the LX 470 is almost too subtle — my guess is that it was a combination of the …

Kevin · March 22nd, 2011

Lexus CT 200h Pre-Orders Double Sales in Netherlands

It’s entirely possible I’m reading this translated article wrong, but according to Dutch newspaper De Telgraaf, Lexus Netherlands received 1,000 pre-orders for the CT 200h — a remarkable number considering that last year, only 700 Lexus were sold in the country! The newspaper attributes the brisk sales to the hatchback’s exemption from road tax, but …

Kevin · March 22nd, 2011

Photos from Lexus LFA Driver Development Program

While the full story on my experience at the Lexus LFA Driver Development program is still a couple weeks away, Lexus Magazine has published some of my photos from the event — here’s a sample: It didn’t take long for me to start missing the LFA — I can definitely say with some certainty that …

Kevin · March 22nd, 2011

Lexus LF-Gh Concept to Debut at New York Auto Show

The rumors are true — Lexus will be unveiling a new concept at the New York Auto Show! Dubbed the LF-Gh, this concept will provide a stylized look at the next-generation GS. The current generation, which has just entered its sixth year of production, is expected to be replaced in 2012. While there’s nothing in …

Kevin · March 21st, 2011

New Lexus CT 200h Owner Shares First Impressions

The Kicking Tires blog has an extremely positive reader-submitted review of the Lexus CT 200h that takes exception to the Prius comparisons: “…some people say the CT 200h is an overpriced Prius. I beg to differ. Go drive a Prius, a Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid like I did and you’ll never want …

Kevin · March 21st, 2011

Lexus CT 200h Lightshows from France & Singapore

Similar to the introduction of the CT 200h in Dubai, Lexus France also did an exceptional 3D display projection on the side of the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye: How brilliant that Lexus has managed to “sync” its regional launch events with a global theme. Here’s two more videos of a lightshow from Lexus Singapore — first …

Kevin · March 20th, 2011

Racing with Joe Bacal & his Lexus LX 570

Joe Bacal and his Lexus LX 570 took part in the San Felipe 250 off-road race last weekend, and while the team was unable to place in the final results, they did post some rumbling in-car video from the start of the race — I’m amazed just how close the spectators are to the track. …

Kevin · March 20th, 2011

Lexus Recreates Original LS 400 Commercial with LS 460

Welcome to the power of the Internet — after seeing a Lexus owner’s unsuccessful attempt to recreate the original Balance LS 400 commercial with his LS 460, Lexus and their ad agency Team One decided to try out the experiment themselves: There we have it, proof that the LS 460 is a worthy ancestor of …

Kevin · March 19th, 2011

Lexus USA Places Second in J.D. Power’s 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study

The 2011 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study has been released, and Lexus placed second overall, behind only Lincoln. The study looks at problems experienced during the past year by original owners of three-year-old (2008 model year) vehicles, and includes 202 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. From that, dependability is determined by …

Kevin · March 18th, 2011

Lexus LS 460 Owner Recreates Original LS 400 Commercial

Here’s a video of a Lexus LS 460 owner who decided to recreate the original “stacked champagne glasses” LS 400 commercial in his driveway — let’s all watch in absolute horror: It might have been a good idea for him to review the original commercial before setting out with his experiment: Never mind that there’s …

Kevin · March 18th, 2011

Lexus USA Tops J.D. Power’s 2011 Customer Service Survey

Lexus placed first for customer satisfaction among U.S. automotive luxury brands in J.D. Power’s annual Customer Service Index — first, here’s an explanation of what the survey covers: The study examines satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a service department for maintenance or repair work. The CSI rankings are based on dealer performance during the …

Kevin · March 17th, 2011

Lexus LFA Super Carwash

Watching a car being hand-washed might seem like a boring proposition, but Dubai-based EcowashME makes it interesting by cleaning three Lexus LFAs without using any water: To satisfy my curiosity, I took a look at the EcowashME website to see how it’s possible can clean a car without water: How is it possible to wash …

Kevin · March 17th, 2011

Lexus LS 460 Promotional Video

A couple weeks ago, I featured a video released for the launch of the third-generation Lexus LS, and now here’s something similar for the current LS 460: I’ve seen more LS 460s & 600hLs travelling through California these last three days than the rest of my life combined, same thing with the LS 430 and …

Kevin · March 16th, 2011

Quick Impressions of the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program

Today I attended the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, and while I don’t want to give away too much in advance of my Lexus Magazine article on the event, I did want to share some brief impressions. I started off the day’s driving by hitting 118mph (190km/h) on …

Kevin · March 15th, 2011

Lexus LFA Driver Development Program Tomorrow

After weeks of anticipation, five hours in a plane, and two hours in a manual transmission IS 250, I arrived in Sonoma, California for the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program, the full day training program at the Infineon Raceway meant to bring LFA owners a better understanding of their new purchase. While I’m here to …

Kevin · March 14th, 2011

Regarding Japan’s Tragic Earthquake

As everyone should know by now, a terrible earthquake rocked Japan to the very core early this morning, bringing with it a tsunami that has caused immeasurable tragedy and heartbreak. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this devastation — I encourage everyone that visits this website to donate anything they can …

Kevin · March 11th, 2011

Next-Gen Lexus GS to Debut at New York Auto Show?

Autoblog is reporting that the next-generation Lexus GS will be coming to the New York Auto Show: Although it’s unclear whether the GS we’ll see in NYC is a concept or a production model, we do know that it will be underpinned by an all-new platform that will also be used on the next-generation IS, …

Kevin · March 10th, 2011

Custom Lexus IS F Wallpaper by Jason Collin

The minute that photographer Jason Collin shared his photos of a custom Lexus IS F with me, I knew we had to feature this images as a wallpaper — check this out: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 As for details on the IS F, here’s what Jason …

Kevin · March 10th, 2011

Lexus Global Vision

Early this morning, Toyota President Akio Toyoda unveiled the company’s new “Global Vision”, a strategic plan that sets the ground rules for the next five years. As expected, most of announcement centered around Toyota, but there was some Lexus-specific information, which I’ll quote in full: Lexus Strategy Position Lexus as a truly global premium brand. …

Kevin · March 9th, 2011

Lexus LFA Spotted in New Fast & Furious Movie Trailer

The new trailer for the latest Fast & Furious is out, and if you watch it closely enough, there’s a split-second appearance by a very special guest star around the 1:49 mark: Just in case you missed it, here’s some screenshots: Good to see there’s enough room in the LFA for a furious make-out session. …

Kevin · March 9th, 2011

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