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Mine Magazine Launches

The New York Times has a good summary of the launch of Mine Magazine, the customized, print-on-demand venture put together by Time Warner & Lexus: Subscribers pick five of eight magazines, like Food & Wine or Sports Illustrated, and articles from those magazines appear in their custom magazines. Readers receive several issues with an article …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2009

Lexus Australia’s Unique RX Accessories

Just like the last generation, Lexus Australia is offering some unique accessories for the 2010 RX, including a bunch of roof racks, a nudge bar, side steps, mud flaps and some wild 19” wheels. Here are some closeups: Really, it’s almost comical to see an RX done up in this fashion, but some of these …

Kevin · April 22nd, 2009

New Lexus HS 250h Videos

Lexus has published some new HS 250h videos: These videos give a better insight into just how important the ecological aspect was in the design and production of the HS—I’d say it’s the very definition of the vehicle, right down to how it looks. Speaking of which, take a look at this new photo of …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Lexus LFA to Compete in Nürburgring 24h Race

For the second year in a row, the Lexus LFA will be taking part in the 24h Nürburgring Race, the full-day endurance race to take as many laps ‘round The Ring as possible: Based on a prototype of the LF-A being developed with an eye toward commercial release, the race vehicle, entering the Nürburg event …

Kevin · April 21st, 2009

Rumormill: The Lexus IS-F Evo Strikes Again

JDM blog 7tune has pushed out a rumor that the Lexus IS-F Evolution, the unconfirmed, carbon-fiber-covered editon of the IS-F, will be limited to 500 units and will cost a staggering $250,000USD. From the source: Focus has not changed much either with previous reports of the new body losing 140kg all round and dropping to …

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

New Lexus RX Commerical: We’ve Never Been Closer

This new RX 350 commercial from Lexus Australia is an absolutely literal interpretation of the slogan “The Pursuit of Perfection”: Just what is that Lexus RX going to do when it catches perfection?

Kevin · April 20th, 2009

A Deeper Look at Lexus USA’s 2009 Sales

Bloomberg has published a revealing look at the US Lexus auto sales and how it’s affecting Toyota’s bottom line: U.S. Lexus sales shrank 27 percent in Toyota’s fiscal year that ended March 31, versus a combined 23 percent drop for Toyota and Scion models. While the premium line accounts for 12 percent of Toyota’s overall …

Kevin · April 17th, 2009

Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior Now Available in North America!

In what could only be described as “my dreams come true”, Lexus USA and Canada have started offering the Passionate Black interior on select models of the GS! This unique blood red & black interior color combination was first seen in a Japan-only limited edition of 500 models—here are some more photos: In Canada, the …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Auto Guide Reviews the Lexus IS F-Sport Performance Parts

Auto Guide has put together a review of the F-Sport performance accessories available for the Lexus IS 350, and came away impressed with the results—here are some of their observations: We did note the sexy new timbre to the motor’s voice [due to the F-Sport intake & exhaust], however. Tipping the throttle produces an aggressive, …

Kevin · April 16th, 2009

Javier Quiros Racing the Lexus IS-F @ Nürburgring

This is just plain wild—here’s Javier Quiros, one of the drivers of the recent Lexus LFA race win and owner of a Lexus dealership in Costa Rica, piloting an IS-F around Nürburgring on a practice run: Crazy how you can almost feel the downshifts, especially with that rough audio blip. An interesting perspective, it also …

Kevin · April 15th, 2009

New Lexus LX 570 Print Ads from Australia

Took a second for me to figure out these new Australia print ads for the Lexus LX 570, be sure to click on the images for a larger version: These remind me of the previously featured LX 570 print ads from last year. [Source: Pixel Blog]

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Jeremy Clarkson Reviews the Lexus IS 250

In a comment on my last post, TLE reader Jay wanted to know if the current Lexus IS had ever made it onto the Top Gear show. The answer, it turns out, is “No” (though their magazine counterpart did name it the Best Executive/Luxury Car in 2005). Later on, I found something much more interesting—in …

Kevin · April 14th, 2009

Classic Top Gear: 1999 Lexus IS 200 Review

In keeping with the IS theme from yesterday, here’s a throwback Top Gear segment from 1999, with James May test-driving the first-generation Lexus IS 200: James May certainly looks quite young—but still exhibits that special “Captain Slow” driving style. It does sound like IS 200 suffered the same sort of low-band power deficiency that I …

Kevin · April 13th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Review

The Lexus IS has a special place in my heart. It was the first Lexus I ever drove, back in 2000. It was my birthday, and my future-wife surprised me with a lengthy test drive of a yellow first-generation IS 300, courtesy of Performance Lexus in St. Catharines. I had only just received my driver’s …

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Photo Gallery

In the time I spent with the Lexus IS 250, I only had a point-and-shoot Canon to take photos with—luckily my friend Billy Plante came out and took some picks as well. Here are the best shots: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1083”}

Kevin · April 12th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Named to Ward’s Top Interiors of 2009

Ward’s Auto has handed out their 2009 Interior of the Year awards, and the upcoming Lexus RX 450h took one of the special-achievement awards: Among the winners is the all-new Lexus RX 450h hybrid-electric cross/utility vehicle, which goes on sale in August. Pricing has yet to be announced, but the current RX 400h hybrid starts …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: LS Generations Part Two

To celebrate Lexus’ 20th anniversary, Club Lexus member Encore888 created a desktop wallpaper showcasing the four generations of the LS: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 For comparison, there was a similar wallpaper featured last year, though with this head-on angle, it’s much easier to see how each generation built on the …

Kevin · April 9th, 2009

More on the Lexus LFA Win @ Nürburgring

As mentioned, the Lexus LFA racing concept won its class (SP8: 4000cc ~ 6200cc) in the Nurburgring 4 hour race this weekend—and now sponsor Gazoo has posted some photos from the race: Here’s a photo of drift champion Iida Akira, soon-to-be Toyota President Akio Toyoda, and dealer owner/racer Javier Quiros with their trophies: I also …

Kevin · April 8th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Commercial from Canada

Last up is a Lexus RX 450h commercial from Canada, which also manages to feature a canine (however brief): Strange that it’s taken me so long to post this, considering that I’ve seen this commercial repeatedly over the last month or so. Filmed in Vancouver, the song is Clair de Lune by Debussy. I’m always …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 Commercial from the Middle East

Next up, here’s a Lexus RX 350 commercial that borders on the just-plain weird: From what I can gather, the central point seems to be that using the Remote Touch controller won’t distract away from driving, but why a coyote? (What’s funny is that this has actually happened to me, driving home late at night …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Video Promo

Three Lexus RX videos to post today, let’s start with the longest: This really is an almost pitch-perfect marketing promo, and goes a long way to infusing the RXh with some real personality. Also, I’m assuming that Welcome to Forward Living will be RXh’s tagline, and this video certainly captures the sentiment. [Via: iMotor] Update: …

Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus LX 570 Interior

As part of their recurring Inside Story feature, Canadian Driver took a look at the Lexus LX 570’s interior, and it’s a fully detailed breakdown of the SUV’s internals. While extremely positive for the most part, the article is bookended by some unfortunate badge engineering rants: Before you start shouting, “well-heeled Sequoia,” there are a …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Edmunds Lexus RX 450h Video Review

Here’s the companion video to Edmunds’ review of the Lexus RX 450h: As with the written review, Edmunds wasn’t all that impressed with the hybrid RX, though most of the complaints seem to be against hybrids in general. I’m interested to compare the new hybrid technology against the system in the RX400h, surely there has …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Lexus LFA Makes a Nürburgring Appearance

For the first time this year, the Lexus LFA racing concept car has been spotted at Nürburgring, likely due to its upcoming appearance in the upcoming 56. ADAC Westfalenfahrt being held this weekend at the Nordschleife—the same four-hour long distance race on the Nürburgring grand prix circuit that the LFA won last year. Here’s the …

Kevin · April 6th, 2009

Flickr Find: Soarer Rocket

Posting the Lexus SC 400 review from TTAC yesterday reminded me of a Flickr photo by Jon Sylvester (best viewed in original size): Love the panoramic feel and the lighting—great location as well. (This, of course, is the Japanese version of the SC 400, the Toyota Soarer, which uses a griffin as its logo.)

Kevin · April 3rd, 2009

TTAC Review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400

The Truth About Cars has posted a review of the 1992 Lexus SC 400, a car many consider Lexus’s most influential design and perhaps the greatest Lexus ever made—here’s an excerpt: Combined with the four-speed electronic automatic transmission, the engine is just plain unkillable. It can literally out-diesel a diesel when it comes to longevity, …

Kevin · April 2nd, 2009

Lexus Canada March 2009 Sales Report

The release of the 2010 RX 350 has been a huge success for Lexus Canada, helping them set an all-time March sales record of 1,363 units sold, 25.5% higher than last year. Most importantly, these positive numbers certainly a nice change in the face of the automotive meltdown in the USA. The new RX 350 …

Kevin · April 2nd, 2009

Lexus USA March 2009 Sales Report

The Lexus USA March 2009 sales figures have been released, and it’s more of the same: 2009 2008 % Change IS250/350/F 2,432 4,798 -47.3 ES350 3,225 6,019 -44.3 GS350/460/450h 625 1,668 -61.0 SC430 78 271 -70.1 LS460/600h L 852 2,125 -58.3 Total Cars 7,212 14,881 -49.6 RX350/400h 6,177 7,737 -17.0 GX470 561 1,679 -65.3 LX570 …

Kevin · April 1st, 2009

Car Magazine’s Long-Term Lexus IS-F

Car Magazine is issuing monthly website updates on their long-term Lexus IS-F, and this month the magazine editors had their first service stop: It took an hour to get there but when I arrived at Lexus Leicester I was greeted by a smart showroom, courteous staff and a decent cup of tea. I was even …

Kevin · March 31st, 2009

Spending Time with the 2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD

Early this morning, I made my way to Toyota Canada’s corporate HQ outside of Toronto and took possession of a Lexus IS 250 for review. It’s the AWD config, an automatic, with Truffle Mica exterior and Ecru leather interior, a very flattering combination. The rest of the day was spent powering through highway traffic and …

Kevin · March 30th, 2009

Lexus USA Adjusts 2009 Model Prices

Lexus has bumped up the prices for most of its 2009 models, increasing the following models by $150: IS 250/350 ES 350 GS 350/460/450h LS 460/460L/600hL LX 570 This increase comes into effect on Wednesday, but the amount’s only significant in that every model is seeing the same price hike. Maybe a shared part? [Source: …

Kevin · March 30th, 2009

China’s BYD Auto Releases Lexus RX Clone

While it’s true that all car companies have been guilty of design plagiarism at some point, Chinese automaker BYD has taken it too far with their shamelessly brazen copy of the second generation RX, the S6: These Chinese copycat designs are a rampant problem in automotive design, and what makes the situation worse is that …

Kevin · March 27th, 2009

Wald Body Kit for the 2010 Lexus RX 350

Wald International has released a Black Bison body kit for the new Lexus RX—first off, here’s the photo gallery: All the things that made the Black Bison design look so awkward on the IS-F end up adding some real character to the RX. There are minor complaints: the IS-F style grille looks great but clashes …

Kevin · March 26th, 2009

Flickr Find: Lexus GS Panning Practice

While working his panning skills, photographer Otis Blank snapped this great pic of a Lexus GS in transit: I’d say the practice is paying off!

Kevin · March 26th, 2009

Automobile Mag: Lexus IS-F Long-Term Test Update

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to post a photo of the Lexus IS-F in the snow, but Automobile Magazine’s Four-Seasons update is definitely worth the quick read as well: I hand the car off to Mr. Kitman, who makes several trips into and out of New York City. “I love the sound of the …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Lexus Enform Service to arrive with the Lexus HS 250h

Arriving late this summer, the Lexus HS 250h will be the first vehicle offered with the new Lexus Enform + Safety Connect telematics system. Safety Connect, a service that will be offered on both Toyota and Lexus vehicles, provides a support network in the event of an emergency—offering automatic collision detection, locating a stolen vehicle, …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Production Lexus LFA to debut at Tokyo Auto Show?

This year’s Toyko Motor Show could be the location for a major moment in Lexus history—according to an Edmunds insider, the production version of the Lexus LFA will debut at the October autoshow. Of course, at this point it’s still a rumor, but when you consider that Toyota’s new president, Akio Toyoda, has been the …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

New Beginnings

Hello, and welcome to The Lexus Enthusiast, otherwise known as the new and improved version of The Passionate Pursuit. As promised, the name change is the first step in some major improvements coming to the site, in fact, today’s changes also include a move to a new software platform. WordPress, which has powered the site …

Kevin · March 25th, 2009

Michael Bay’s Lexus ES 330 Commercial

Loud, blurry and preposterous, this Lexus ES 330 commercial by Michael Bay would fit neatly into any one of his movies (jump to 1:02 to see the Lexus commercial directly): Somehow I doubt an airbag is going to save you from being hit by a tractor trailer.

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Lexus Japan’s RX Museum Party Video

Should we need any proof that Lexus is being marketed differently in Japan as compared to North America, look no further than this video from the Japanese RX launch party, featuring DJ No+Chin in a “battle” with visual artist Saori Kanda: Feels more like Scion than Lexus, color me impressed by how uniquely Japanese this …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus ES 350

The Lexus ES 350 doesn’t get a lot of play, particularly with it in the third year of its design cycle, but this Canadian Driver review of the 2009 model is worth noting, as it manages to capture the ES’ appeal and includes a previously unheard (and likely untrue) rumor: The 2009 model retains the …

Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Lexus J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Results

J.D. Power has published the results of their latest Vehicle Dependability Study, and for the first time since its inclusion, Lexus did not place first, coming in third behind Buick and Jaguar. The study looks at the problems per vehicle for the 2006 model year and the problems encountered over the first three years of …

Kevin · March 19th, 2009

Frankenstein Lexus Spotted in Qatar

Car Capture, an exotic carspotting blog, managed to snap some photos of a freakish Frankenstein “Lexus” in Qatar: Let’s see—I’m guessing ES 300 body, BMW headlights and LX rear lights, though who can really tell with all that body work. My favorite touch? The Mercedes V12 badge on the trunk. Fantastic. For larger images, visit …

Kevin · March 18th, 2009

Lexus Sponsors Customized Mine Magazine

Lexus is sponsoring a unique print experiment by Time Inc.—a personalized magazine called “mine”. Published bi-weekly over 10 weeks, the magazine combines articles from an assortment of magazines customized to your tastes: Readers can select five titles from eight published by subsidiaries of Time Warner Inc. and American Express Co.: Time, Sports Illustrated, Food & …

Kevin · March 18th, 2009

Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: RX 450h in Motion

Right from its first reveal, I’ve been quite taken with the new Lexus RX, finding it a vast improvement over the outgoing model and a vehicle I fully expect to see parked in my driveway some time in the future. To that end, I’ve been searching for a great photo that would work as a …

Kevin · March 17th, 2009

Lexus Voiceover Actor Switch Permanent?

In the latest US RX commercials, longtime Lexus voiceover actor James Sloyan was noticeably absent, replaced instead with James Remar, most recently from Sex & The City and Dexter. And now, Ad Age is reporting that the change may be permanent after talking with a Lexus spokeswoman: A Lexus spokeswoman said the marketer wanted a …

Kevin · March 16th, 2009

Gearlog Reviews the 2010 Lexus RX

Considering its consumer gadget focus, it’s not all that surprising that Gearlog’s review of the Lexus RX centers on the technology in the newly redesigned SUV, with barely a mention of its driving performance. It’s an even-handed review, and includes some of the first criticisms of the new Remote Touch controller system: Remote Touch has …

Kevin · March 16th, 2009

Lexus Pre-Collision Technology Upgrade

Toyota has announced two new safety technology systems that are expected to appear in Lexus vehicles some time in the near future. The first, illustrated above, is an improvement on the current pre-collision radar system that detects probable collisions. The system, which uses millimeter-wave radar, can sense moving objects in the vehicle’s path, and now …

Kevin · March 12th, 2009

Edmunds Reviews the 2010 Lexus RX 450h

With the new Lexus RX 350 now available in North American dealerships, the auto reviewers have been turning their sights on the upcoming RX 450h. Edmunds, who had plenty of good things to say about the non-hybrid version, didn’t end up all that impressed with the hybrid: The 2010 Lexus RX 450h hits 60 mph …

Kevin · March 12th, 2009

Toyota and Lexus Hybrids Top One Million Sales in the U.S.

Toyota announced today that the company has now sold 1,000,000 hybrids in the USA since the Prius’ introduction in 2000. An extrodinary number to say the least, it’s certainly a clear indicator that hybrid technology is a strong selling point. From the press release: The sales milestone was achieved with an industry-leading six Toyota and …

Kevin · March 11th, 2009

Lexus RX Commercial Digital Effects Explained

Dexigner has posted an in-depth article detailing the production of the new 2010 Lexus RX commercials, including how some of the digital effects were created. This part was especially interesting: “City” opens on the RX sitting in traffic. But the vehicle has a secret weapon-XM real-time traffic monitoring that reveals driving conditions on the road …

Kevin · March 11th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Test Drive Videos

Today we have two unique 2010 Lexus RX 450h videos that are the equivalent of an Internet test drive — no dialogue, POV angles, long ambling drives down deserted highways — all to give an insight into potential ownership. The first video is from Lexus Japan, and is likely taken from a promo DVD — …

Kevin · March 11th, 2009

Lexus Power of H Commercial: Solar Tree

Power of H, Lexus’ hybrid marketing campaign, has put out three non-product infommercials featuring example of green engineering. First, we watched homes being built from shipping containers, then a bridge that uses the passing cars to generate electricity, and now the final installment about a Solar “Tree” built in Italy: These videos may have been …

Kevin · March 10th, 2009

Rumor of a Lexus IS-F Evolution

According to Japanese auto magazine Best Car, Lexus continues to work on a lightweight version of the IS-F, dubbed the IS-F Evolution. The main focus on the IS-F Evolution would be reducing weight, where up to 300lbs could be dropped by using carbon fiber anywhere possible. Possible body panels would include the front bumper, front …

Kevin · March 10th, 2009

Lexus Canada February 2009 Sales Report

After a year of setting sales records in 2008, Lexus Canada is feeling the pinch of the shaky economic climate with sales in February dropping 24.4% compared to last year to 1,303 units sold. That said, the RX 350 continues to be a strong seller, and with the introduction of the 2010 model mid-month, sales …

Kevin · March 9th, 2009

Consumer Reports Names Lexus LS 460 Best Overall Vehicle of 2009

Consumer Reports’ love affair with the Lexus LS 460 continues — first was their astonishing 99/100 score in 2007, followed by a win as 2008’s top luxury sedan — and now CR has named the LS 460 the best overall vehicle of 2009: With a road-test score of 99 out of 100, this is our …

Kevin · March 9th, 2009

Healthy Start

Regular readers may have noticed that the Lexus news hasn’t been all that frequent lately, and I’d like to explain just what’s been happening “behind-the-scenes” here at TPP. First of all, I’ve been extremely sick these last three weeks, having been hit by an extremely nasty cold that made it hard to do much of …

Kevin · March 9th, 2009

Lexus Japan releases Red-Edge Black Interior for the IS

The IS also received an interior treatment from Lexus Japan, with the Red-Edge Black Special Edition, very similar to the Meteor Black GS edition: Loving that red stitching — it’s a great accent color, a real eye-catcher. (Still partial to the red carpet in last year’s Passionate Black interior, though.) This special edition interior is …

Kevin · March 5th, 2009

Lexus Japan releases Meteor Black Interior for the GS

Lexus Japan has been known to release some incredibly nice limited edition interiors, and they’re back at it again with the Meteor Black interior for the GS: The interior starts off with the default black semi-aniline leather, and then all of the stitching is two-tone black & red with silver accents. Also, both interior wood …

Kevin · March 5th, 2009

Building the Lexus Enform 3D City

This is just amazing — take a look at this byHook video that documents their construction of the 3D city in Lexus’ Enform presentation video: Watching 3D being built never fails to astonish me, especially when it’s viewed in 10X speed.

Kevin · March 4th, 2009

Lexus HS 250h Back in Disguise

After revealing the HS 250h for all to see at the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus is back to camouflaging its new hybrid sedan in public, which Motor Trend managed to snag on camera. Here’s another photo: The reasoning might be that this is a pre-Detroit mule with some new mechanical tweaks, or it might signal …

Kevin · March 4th, 2009

Lexus USA February 2009 Sales Report

The Lexus USA sales numbers for February have been released, and it’s just plain depressing: 2009 2008 % Change IS250/350/F 2,147 3,906 -42.7 ES350 2,575 4,795 -44.1 GS350/460/450h 595 1,422 -56.4 SC430 76 189 -58.1 LS460/600h L 700 1,891 -61.4 Total Cars 6,093 12,203 -48.0 RX350/400h 6,218 6,956 -6.9 GX470 516 1,549 -65.3 LX570 281 …

Kevin · March 3rd, 2009

2010 Lexus RX 450h Gas Mileage Europe/USA Comparison

Lexus UK has revealed the gas mileage of the 2010 Lexus RX 450h press release for the Geneva Auto Show: With a total system output of 220kW/299 DIN HP, the improved Lexus Hybrid Drive gives the RX 450h a maximum speed of 200kph. Via continuously variable transmission it will accelerate seamlessly from 0-100kph in just …

Kevin · March 3rd, 2009

Video of the Lexus Heads Up Display

At long last, here’s some user video of the new Heads Up Display technology built into the 2010 Lexus RX: At first, I didn’t understand the arrow columns to the right of the speedometer, then I released it was actual lane directions! Amazing. This might not be available in North America, but I don’t think …

Kevin · March 2nd, 2009

Toyota Considering Ultra-Luxury Brand?

How’s this for a rumor trail — according to an Autospies poster, Japanese magazine Carview has reported that Toyota is looking at creating a new ultra-luxury automotive brand above Lexus, here’s the article: Here’s the article, supposedly paraphrased an Autospies poster: A Lexus spokesman explained that Lexus had thoroughly researched the market and feels that …

Kevin · February 27th, 2009

Flickr Find: Jordan Fok Photographs the Lexus IS 250

It’s been quite the week for awesome Lexus photography on Flickr, first was William Stern’s fantastic LS desktops, and now we have this absolutely top-notch photo from Jordan Fok: Love it.

Kevin · February 26th, 2009

Lexus Tops J.D. Power 2009 Customer Service Index

Lexus has placed first in J.D. Power’s 2009 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, which looks at satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a service department for maintenance or repair work over the first three years of ownership: Lexus ranks highest in customer satisfaction with dealer service in 2009—improving from fourth rank position in 2008. Lexus …

Kevin · February 26th, 2009

Detroit News reviews the 2010 Lexus RX

Scott Burgess from the Detroit News is jumping from one Lexus to two — after reviewing the LX 570, he’s doubled up with the 2010 RX 350 & RX 450h: Really, Lexus does an excellent job catering to the driver. There’s remote key access, a power liftgate, an automatic tonneau cover that covers the back …

Kevin · February 25th, 2009

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