The Lexus/Gran Turismo Exhibit @ The NY Auto Show

Jalopnik has posted up a report on the various video game exhibits at this year’s New York Auto Show, including a Lexus IS-F special edition of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: Lexus had three driving simulators set up running the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 Prologue that’s due out in mid-April. Since it was obviously a …

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Kevin · March 24th, 2008

Behind-the-Scenes Video of Lexus Car Manufacturing

This Lexus-produced video showing the manufacturing process of the IS is full-on fantastic: I’ll admit to a soft spot when it comes to this type of behind-the-scenes video footage, and no matter how many times I read about it, it’s mind-boggling just how quality-obsessed Lexus really is. I was particularly impressed by the electronic tools …

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Kevin · March 24th, 2008

Video: Lexus IS-F vs Last-Generation BMW M3 (among others)

If you remember the Lexus IS-F vs Audi RS4 video that was posted online last week, this new video is from the same people, and it’s similar in results and sketchiness: Watching the IS-F demolish a host of older cars doesn’t really do much for me, and I don’t think there was a single fair …

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Kevin · March 24th, 2008

Lexus ES Commercial: Touch

I noticed earlier this week that Lexus was featuring the ES 350 heavily on their US site, and it seems to have extended to TV as well:
Kevin · March 21st, 2008

Lexus Still Struggling in Japan

BusinessWeek has a story in this week’s magazine about the issues Lexus is having establishing the brand in Japan: Although Lexus hit American showrooms 19 years ago and has been the top-selling luxury nameplate in the U.S. since 2000, it didn’t arrive in Japan until 2005. By that time German brands dominated the high end, …

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Kevin · March 21st, 2008

Future Taste of Lexus Events Cancelled

Beginning this year, Lexus USA will be replacing their annual Taste of Lexus travelling test drive events with a series of three separate tours, as they try to bring the focus back on the vehicles and not the event itself: “People were coming because we were giving three to four hours of entertainment value.” As …

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Kevin · March 20th, 2008

New Job Design Lexus LS Body Kit

Job Design, a Japan tuning firm specializing in Lexus & Toyota modifications, has released a new body kit for the Lexus LS, consisting of front wheel vents, a super-dropped suspension and new front & rear bumpers. {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1133”} I think it’s only natural, in light of the LS’ rather somber and elegant design, that body …

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Kevin · March 18th, 2008

Hybrid is Lexus brand defining technology in Britain

There’s all sorts of interesting information in this BBC article about Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King trading in his Maserati Quattroporte for a Lexus LS 600hL, particularly when it comes to the state of Lexus in the UK: Lexus has gone from strength to strength with its hybrid-powered luxury. In the current atmosphere, its new …

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Kevin · March 17th, 2008

Timo Glock Driving the Lexus IS-F

Timo Glock, Toyota’s latest F1 driver, was filmed taking the Lexus IS-F out for a racetrack spin, and I’m not all that sure how comfortable he looks: Now that’s one serious driver, I would have liked to see him compete in the Best Motoring comparison. The result might have been quite different.
Kevin · March 17th, 2008

Lexus ES & RX Pebble Beach Commercial, plus Pricing

Two pieces of Lexus Pebble Beach news today, first off, the much searched-for Pebble Beach commercial has surfaced on Youtube: Not much to the commercial, it’s strictly an announcement-style advertisement, but the Pebble Beach edition color really catches my attention. It’s nice to see it on more than just the SC 430. The other news …

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Kevin · March 14th, 2008

Motor Trend Comparison: Lexus IS-F vs. BMW M3 vs. Mercedes C63

The Lexus IS-F comparison tests keep pouring in, this time from Motor Trend, who pits the new super-sedan against its primary competitors, the BMW M3 and the Mercedes C63. Here’s some selected highlights: Steering feedback and response are everything in a car like this…The C63’s turn-in is crisp, with plenty of honest feedback and a …

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Kevin · March 14th, 2008

More on Best Motoring’s Lexus IS-F/BMW M3 Comparison

Turns out there was more than one part to the Best Motoring comparison that I posted about a couple days ago. Get comfortable and and take a look at this 20 minute video (for quickness’ sake, the two main competitors as I see them, the BMW M3 and the IS-F, are at 1:25 and 13:36 …

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Kevin · March 13th, 2008

Autoweek’s Long-Term Report on the Lexus LS 460L

Autoweek has turned in their long term report on the Lexus LS 460L, and the result was just what you’d expect, they didn’t like the prospect of returning the keys whatsoever: …when it comes to extended, over-the-road, full-zoot, family-vacation luxury, our long-term Lexus LS 460 L can’t get enough. Or it couldn’t. We turned in …

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Kevin · March 13th, 2008

The Lexus IS-F: Coming to a theater near you

Rather than a national TV campaign, Lexus has decided to bring the IS-F to the big screen, using movie cinemas to advertise the new super-sedan: Brian Bolain, national interactive automotive events manager, says the F campaign will not use national TV ads at all. He says the cinema focus was appropriate because in no other …

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Kevin · March 12th, 2008

In Motion: Project IS-F by FiveAxis

It’s coming close to four months since the FiveAxis Lexus Project IS-F show car appeared at SEMA, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it in motion: Just looking at photos, it was hard to really get a sense of how wide this kitted-out IS-F really is, or how low it sat. Another …

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Kevin · March 11th, 2008

Lexus IS-F vs. Audi RS4 Race Video

I’m not sure about the validity of this racing video, in fact it seems downright sketchy, but pitting the Lexus IS-F against an Audi RS4 doesn’t seem like a fair fight at all: The reason for my doubt is in the second turn, it looks like the IS-F lets the Audi pass, only to absolutely …

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Kevin · March 9th, 2008

Video from the Lexus Display @ the 2008 Geneva Auto Show

There may not be anything new to see from the Lexus presence at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, but this video gives a nice and funky recap of the booth, including a very neat LS 600h information display: Really, this just makes me even more disappointed that the LF-A Roadster Concept didn’t make its way …

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Kevin · March 7th, 2008

Lexus Numbers Roundup

Three stories out today about Lexus sales, and rather than post them all separately, I thought to just combine them. First up, Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe still expects to see a slight increase in 2008 sales over 2007, despite the recent downturn in sales. This makes for a large uphill battle, though, as Lexus sales …

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Kevin · March 6th, 2008

Fifth Gear’s Tom Ford on the Lexus IS-F

From one Fifth Gear presenter to the next, this time we have Tom Ford raving about the Lexus IS-F, by way of Top Gear Magazine: The Merc C63 is properly mental. The RS4 (I know it’s out of production), is a brilliant, brilliant thing. The BMW M3 brings together so much tech and knowledge that …

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Kevin · March 5th, 2008

Tiff Needell Drives the Lexus IS-F

Tiff Needell from British car show Fifth Gear got his hands on a Lexus IS-F, and despite his rather strange presentation style, turns in an enjoyable review: It’s funny, Needell’s biggest complaint is something that I thought myself — there’s an awful lot of beeping going on while driving the IS-F in its direct shift …

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Kevin · March 4th, 2008

Lexus February 2008 Sales Report

It’s another month of reduced sales for Lexus — January saw a 8.2% drop, and February was a touch worse, with a decrease of 9.3% when compared to last year. Here’s a model by model breakdown: 2008 2007 % Change IS250/350/F 3,906 3,906 -4.8 ES350 4,795 5,286 -12.9 GS350 1,201 1,388 -16.9 GS460/450h 221 175 …

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Kevin · March 3rd, 2008

Hybrids Dominating Lexus Europe Sales

While Lexus may need a huge advertising campaign to bring awareness to their hybrid model range in the US, it couldn’t be any different in Europe, where hybrids are accounting for a major percentage of vehicles sold. In 2007, 38% of all Lexus sales in Eastern Europe were hybrids, up from 26% in 2006, and …

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Kevin · February 29th, 2008

Consumer Reports names the Lexus LS 460L the #1 Luxury Sedan of 2008

Consumer Reports has released its top picks for 2008, and among the ten winners, the Lexus LS 460L was chosen as the #1 luxury sedan: With a score of 99 out of 100 in CR’s road test, the LS 460L ($77,000) is CR’s highest-rated vehicle. It provides a no-compromise environment of comfort and roominess, coupled …

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Kevin · February 28th, 2008

Lexus UK updates RX Entertainment Package

Lexus UK has debuted an upgraded backseat entertainment package for the RX called ICE, which is short for In-Car Entertainment. It consists of two eight-inch LCD screens with an integrated DVD player, USB and SD card readers, plus more: Two pairs of infrared headphones are provided, which are about 20 per cent smaller than before, …

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Kevin · February 28th, 2008

Lexus to increase production capacity by 35%

In order to stay on top of demand in Russia, China, and other emerging markets, Lexus will be ramping up their production capacity by a staggering 35%, from 600,000 to 850,000. The Nikkei Business Daily reports: Toyota now makes Lexuses at its Tahara plant, in Aichi Prefecture, and at Toyota Motor Kyushu Inc.‘s Miyata facility, …

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Kevin · February 27th, 2008

Flagship Lexus Dealership opens in Oman

A new Lexus dealership has opened in Oman (the country just south of the United Arab Emirates), and it was quite an event, attended not only by Toyota executive vice-president Akio Toyoda but practically the entire Oman ruling class. Starting off with a performance by juggler Michael Moschen, the grand opening quickly escalated into a …

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Kevin · February 26th, 2008

Lexus IS Convertible Spotted

A Lexus IS convertible coupe has been spotted out in the wild, and was photographed by an unnamed German magazine. Here’s a blown-up image, for a better look: As for the accompanying text, there’s some horsepower number ranging from 177 to 423, which translates right across the entire IS lineup, from the 220d to the …

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Kevin · February 25th, 2008

Flickr Find: The Lexus IS-F @ The Toronto Auto Show

I’m having a devil of a time finding my digital camera cable to pull the photos off from my visit to the Toronto Auto Show, but I know for a fact that none of my photos are half as good as this one from Flickr user Rocky413: All in all, I was very impressed by …

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Kevin · February 25th, 2008

Will the new Lexus dedicated hybrid be a Prius?

Not to post it up only to shoot it down, but there’s a small blurb on Motor Trend today claiming that the dedicated hybrid Lexus plans to launch at next year’s Detroit Auto Show will be a rebadged Prius: Toyota will present two dedicated hybrid models at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in …

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Kevin · February 25th, 2008

The Toronto Auto Show & Some Site News

It’s a bit last minute, but I’ll be heading to the Canadian International Auto Show tomorrow in Toronto, where I’m finally going to get chance to see the Lexus IS-F (among other assorted vehicles). It’s my first auto show in years, and I’m really looking forward to it. As expected, I’ll be taking a ton …

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Kevin · February 22nd, 2008

Lexus ≠ Porn Pt.3

Another month, another porn star cease-and-desist notice sent out by Lexus. This time around, European model Lea Lexus was served papers (NSW link) to change her name, which she did almost immediately. This is the third legal action sent to a porn star in less than a year. It started with Detroit-based Lexus Cash, then …

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Kevin · February 22nd, 2008

It’s Alive: A Lexus GS Commercial from Down Under

Here’s an absolutely brilliant commercial from Lexus Australia introducing the 2006 GS redesign: I wasn’t all that sure what was going on in the first ten seconds, but once the car started bleeding and sweating, it all came together. The thing that impressed me the most, though, was that although it’s a fantastic concept, the …

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Kevin · February 21st, 2008

LA Times reviews the Lexus IS-F

Dan Neil’s review of the Lexus IS-F for the Los Angeles Times is entertaining from start to finish, particularly this passage about making the IS-F sing: The engine’s most vulgar feature, however, is the dual-inlet intake manifold, found somewhere inside the maze of engine plumbing. If you mash the gas in this car hard enough, …

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Kevin · February 20th, 2008

Lexus & Team One are looking for your Lexus photos

Team One, the company behind Lexus’ advertising in the US, recently contacted me about a great opportunity for Lexus owners to show off their cars. Right now, they’re looking for photos of you and your Lexus for an upcoming project, here are the details: The photo has to be of you with your Lexus, not …

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Kevin · February 18th, 2008

Arthur St. Antoine on the Lexus LS 600hL

Perhaps as a way to counterbalance his incredibly glowing editorial of the Lexus LS 460 last year, Arthur St. Antoine took some time in this month’s Motor Trend to badmouth the LS 600hL: For many buyers, a hybrid car is nothing more than the four-wheeled equivalent of a yellow LiveStrong wristband-a conspicuous, self-satisfying, effort-free membership …

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Kevin · February 18th, 2008

Details on Lexus Exhibit for 2008 Milan Design Week

As a way of extending their L-Finesse design language, Lexus has been taking part in the Milan Design Week since 2005. Always a collaboration with a unique comtemporary artist, the 2008 exhibit features work by Japanese design company nendo, and will be titled “Elastic Diamond”. Here’s some details: The 2008 Lexus exhibit, which has been …

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Kevin · February 17th, 2008

Stretch Lexus LX 470 Limo

I always get a kick out of limousine conversions, and this 2004 Lexus LX 470 is no exception, if only because of its entirely mammoth size. Currently for sale on Ebay, this mega-limo is a full 200″ long, with room for eighteen people. I’d just like to know what they did to the inside roof, …

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Kevin · February 15th, 2008

2009 Lexus RX now on Lexus USA Website

The 2009 Lexus RX is now on the Lexus USA website, which should put all the rumors of an impending redesign to rest. The only difference from 2008, it seems, is the addition of the Pebble Beach edition, which brings with it the Truffle Mica exterior color, a limited edition 18″ wheel design, chrome grille …

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Kevin · February 14th, 2008

Lexus LX 570 Video Feature from The Driver’s Seat

Not content to present information on the Lexus LX 570 in a normal sort of way, The Driver’s Seat decided to spice up their video with an overwhelming amount of text and strobe effects: I actually had to turn away while watching, though I stuck it out just to hear what Charles Hubbard had to …

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Kevin · February 13th, 2008

Car Magazine Reviews the Lexus IS-F

Car Magazine has posted their review of the IS-F, and it turns out to be a remarkably positive affair, with a very small dose of complaints and a full course of compliments: The F also rides with a fluency and poise that will leave most M3 and C63 drivers green with envy. There are no …

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Kevin · February 12th, 2008

A Set of Long & Quiet Lexus IS-F Videos

I’ve yet to find out the source of these Lexus IS-F videos, or even to really grasp their purpose, but a Youtube user has posted up a set of the long and quiet clips, which almost simulates what the car would be like to drive: City Driving Mountain Driving
Kevin · February 12th, 2008

Automotive News Interviews Lexus Dealer Advisory Council Chairman

Automotive News has a great interview with Stefan Smith, chairman of the Lexus National Dealer Advisory Council, which gives a very open view at how the dealerships feel about the recent increase in recalls and what kind of vehicles they’d like to see next: What challenges do Lexus dealers face in the next year? We …

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Kevin · February 11th, 2008

The Passionate Pursuit Version 2.0 Coming

Before launching this site in June 2007, I made up a list of rules that I wanted to follow, and the very first thing I wrote down was “Leave the site design alone for six months.” As a professional web designer, I have a tendency to tweak sites obsessively, but in this case I wanted …

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Kevin · February 9th, 2008

New Lexus Power of H Commercial

The new Lexus Power of H commercial debuted yesterday, and today has surfaced on Youtube: After reading the synopsis released a couple days ago, I wasn’t sure how the commercial was going to pan out, but the idea is fairly strong and well executed. Most important is that Lexus has moved away from touting the …

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Kevin · February 8th, 2008

Lexus January 2008 Sales Report

I was hoping to debut a cool graphing feature for Lexus sales data this month, but frustration and timing has finally gotten the best of me, so here’s the data in a plain old chart: 2008 2007 % Change IS250/350 3,262 3,395 -3.9 ES350 4,346 5,320 -18.3 GS350 1,270 1,368 -7.2 GS460/450h 210 183 14.8 …

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Kevin · February 7th, 2008

Pebble Beach Editions for the Lexus ES, RX and LS Models

Once solely reserved for the SC 430, Lexus announced today at the Chicago Auto Show that three more models will be available in the Pebble Beach Edition. It starts with the release of a PBE RX 350 in mid-February, followed by an ES 350 in March and a LS 600hL sometime in the fall. Here’s …

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Kevin · February 6th, 2008

New Lexus The Power of H Marketing Campaign

Focusing on the importance of the letter H, the new Lexus hybrid marketing campaign starts today. Here’s the synopsis, from Lexus’ press release: The multi-platform campaign, which debuts today, communicates Lexus’ hybrid leadership and highlights the significance of h on a Lexus vehicle—which distinguishes hybrid from non-hybrid vehicles and symbolizes Lexus’ commitment to alternative power …

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Kevin · February 5th, 2008

Lexus RAV4 on the way?

According to the Automotive News, Lexus’ on-again/off-again infatuation with a RAV4-based X3 competitor has swung to the positive side, this time with some actual verification from Jim Lentz: Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president, says a small Lexus SUV could be a response to the “urbanization” of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers. Toyota’s …

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Kevin · February 4th, 2008

Lexus IS-F Video Review by MyRideTV

This video review of the Lexus IS-F by MyRideTV has to have the highest video quality I’ve seen online yet, it’s just full of great footage. The opening sequence from the driver’s perspective is especially nice: I don’t know why all video reviews can’t look this good.
Kevin · February 3rd, 2008

Japanese Special Edition Lexus GS with “Passionate Black” Interior

Sure, the Japanese Elegant White Interior edition of the Lexus IS was nice, but this new special edition of the GS with its “Passionate Black Interior” almost rocked my socks right off: This interior is a limited run of 500, and there’s a choice of any GS, including the 450h. THe upgrade costs ¥780,000 ($7,300 …

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Kevin · February 1st, 2008

Top Gear Magazine Reviews the Lexus IS-F

Top Gear Magazine has posted up their review of the Lexus IS-F, and it’s just as sharply written and clever as you would expect. Most of their praise is a double-edged sword, as every compliment is balanced with a swipe at the rest of Lexus’ lineup: Where my keep-it-simple plan falls apart, is when a …

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Kevin · February 1st, 2008

Longo Lexus gets larger

Longo Lexus, the largest Lexus dealership in the western US, will be growing even larger with the help of some substantial grants from El Monte, California (the dealership’s home) and the federal government.  Along with the adjoining Toyota dealership, this grant of $3,000,000 will be used to construct a 50,000-square-foot service facility, additional parking, a …

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Kevin · January 31st, 2008

Video of the Lexus LS 460L in Test Drive Unlimited

I have yet to play the Test Drive Unlimited video game, but my interest just went up ten-fold after discovering that the Lexus LS 460L is an available car. This video clip from the game is pretty funny, it even includes a fully-virtual Lexus dealership showroom: I don’t understand the inclusion of a flagship full-size …

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Kevin · January 30th, 2008

Flickr Find: Lexus IS-F in Brussels

Reaffirming my belief that the Lexus IS-F should never have been marketed in electric blue, take a look at these photos by Flickr user PierterA from the 2008 Brussels motor show: The car really does have a fantastically muscular front 3/4 view, doesn’t it?
Kevin · January 30th, 2008

1996 Lexus LX 450 Commercial with a Surprise Twist

It turns out the IS-F isn’t the first time Lexus has marketed a vehicle as the opposite of what you’d expect from the company, take a listen to the tagline of this 1996 LX 450 commercial: “It’s everything a Lexus is, and everything a Lexus isn’t.” sounds pretty close to the IS-F’s “Everything you thought …

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Kevin · January 29th, 2008

Lexus & the Chip Ganassi team win third consecutive Daytona 24

The No.1 Lexus Riley Prototype has won the Daytona 24 race for the third year in a row, marking the first time this has ever been accomplished in the race’s history. Piloted by Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti and Memo Rojas, the Chip Ganassi team powered through the 24 hour race with none …

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Kevin · January 29th, 2008

Lexus to discontinue L-Finesse styling?

According to Winding Road, the new issue of Autocar is reporting that Lexus will be moving away from the L-Finesse design language used to style their cars over the last two years. L-Finesse, which was created by Leonardo Fioravanti, first appeared in production form with the introduction of the 2006 GS model, and was meant …

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Kevin · January 28th, 2008

Another Glimpse into the Future Direction of US Lexus Dealerships

Building off his presentation at the Automotive News World Congress, Lexus general manager Mark Templin outlined the future direction of Lexus dealerships in the US in an interview with Ward’s. There’s a lot of information hidden in the details, but the primary point made is that Lexus will start to take on some characteristics of …

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Kevin · January 25th, 2008

Flickr Find: The Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept

After a while, auto show photos of a specific model tend to blend in to one another, but Flickr user Luc Bernard managed to bring something new to the table with his photo of the Lexus LF-A Roadster, all stark contrast and saturated color: There’s been a lot of disappointment that a production model of …

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Kevin · January 24th, 2008

Video of the Lexus IS-F Racing Concept @ The Tokyo Auto Salon

Putting aside the hoopla surrounding the Lexus IS-F Racing Concept for a minute, here’s some jumpy video footage of the car from the Toyko Auto Salon show: I think I would have liked this vehicle a whole lot better if it had been done up like an actual race car, with the decals and flashy …

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Kevin · January 24th, 2008

Short Lexus LX 570 Video Profile

Save for the short appearance by Charles Hubbard of Lexus College, this Bumper2Bumper TV video profile of the Lexus LX 570 doesn’t really have much to it, except for one thing — it shows that this vehicle looks absolutely spectacular in movement (around 45 seconds in, to be precise): I think my devotion to the …

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Kevin · January 23rd, 2008

Mark Templin on Improving US Lexus Dealerships

In a presentation at the Automotive News World Congress, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin outlined the automaker’s plans to enhance their US dealerships even further: ” We’re trying to create a feeling in our car dealerships more of a luxury hotel than a car dealership,” Templin said after his presentation. The dealerships also want to …

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Kevin · January 22nd, 2008

The Lexus IS-F Racing Concept gets even more confusing

The confusion surrounding the Lexus IS-F Racing Concept has taken a turn for the absurd, with German auto magazine AutoBild now asserting that it’s not a Lexus at all, but a reworked Opel Opel Vectra DTM racer: From the article, it’s not exactly clear how they came to this conclusion, but it clearly goes against …

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Kevin · January 22nd, 2008

Lexus IS 350 V6 Engine Named as one of 2008’s Best

The 3.5L DOHC V-6 engine found in the Lexus IS 350 has been named as one of 2008’s top engines by Wards: As it earns its third consecutive 10 Best Engines award, Associate Editor Byron Pope sums up the Lexus-exclusive engine’s execution: “Good luck beating this in any category.” …where the IS 350 application really …

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Kevin · January 21st, 2008

The Truth About Cars Reviews the Lexus IS-F

I have to appreciate The Truth about Cars review of the Lexus IS-F. Sure, it’s critical, but the writing is superb and full of character: Given a long, empty ribbon of road, the IS-F again reveals a sharply split personality. Flexing your right foot rips away the layers of Lexus fluff. At WOT, acceleration is …

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Kevin · January 21st, 2008

Flickr Find: The Project Lexus IS-F Revisited

The 5Axis Project IS-F for last year’s SEMA was a real eye-catcher, with many preferring the look to the production IS-F. Yet, there didn’t seem to be any real quality shots of the car, and certainly nothing like this photo from Scott Dukes: Just stunning, the photo really shows off the bulging bodywork, and makes …

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Kevin · January 20th, 2008