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Red Lexus LFA on the Nürburgring

I literally can not resist posting red Lexus LFA footage: The super-red headliner is the absolute best. Update: I’ve replaced the video with a higher resolution version.

Kevin · July 26th, 2010

The General Lee(xus)

I’m pretty sure no one ever expected to see a Lexus LS 400 painted up like this: This is the General Lee(xus), and it has quite an interesting story — turns out this old LS is an entry into Bangers4BEN, a charity event in the UK for “helping the automotive and related industries provide care and support for …

Kevin · July 22nd, 2010

Lexus LFA Goodwood Circuit Laps

During the Goodwood Festival a couple weeks back, Lexus let a series of journalists sample the LFA on the Goodwood Circuit. The car was set up to record the laps in full detail, and now three journalists have published their videos online: And the longest one by far, a full 15 minutes of LFA racing …

Kevin · July 19th, 2010

My.IS TO2kX Meet in Toronto

Members of My.IS & Club Lexus gathered last weekend in Toronto, Ontario for some time at the track and a highway cruise: There’s plenty of photos to look through in the My.IS thread — this one caught my eye with the red: Looks like a fun event, I’m hoping to attend myself next year. (Thanks …

Kevin · July 14th, 2010

Lexus SC 430 Drift

Although it ends production this month, the Lexus SC 430 is the platform for a new Lexus-sponsored drifting program: Built by A’PEXi USA & VIP Auto Salon and driven by Ryuji Miki, the Lexus SC430 Drift debuted last month at a Formula D event in Wall, NJ, and will be competing throughout this racing season. …

Kevin · July 12th, 2010

Red Lexus LFA at Goodwood

The folks over at Autoblog.nl had a chance to drive the red Lexus LFA at Goodwood and put together a fantastic review: There’s a real enthusiasm to the review, and at the end of the video, the presenter shows off his observed fuel economy: 5.4MPG (43.4l/100km), which isn’t all that surprising given the type of …

Kevin · July 11th, 2010

Lexus Facebook Fan Takes a Ride in the LFA

Lexus Europe brought one of their Facebook fans along for a ride as racing driver Takayuki Kinoshita took an LFA up the hillclimb at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed — here’s the footage of winner Olivia’s experience: You have to give Olivia credit for keeping it together — gotta love the smiles on both …

Kevin · July 8th, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial: Octave Harmony

There’s a new Lexus LFA commercial to watch: Although it’s strictly a remix of the previous commercial and the LFA launch video, it does a great job at explaining a key element of the LFA’s appeal — the wonderful sound of that engine.

Kevin · July 5th, 2010

Lexus LFAs at 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Lexus LFA made an appearance at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in England this weekend, were it took part in the event’s famous hillclimb (driven by James Baggott from Car Dealer Magazine): The #50 LFA from the Nürburgring 24h race was also there, and both sported black armbands in honor of deceased test …

Kevin · July 4th, 2010

Drifting the Lexus ES 350

In what is only the latest automotive craziness to come out of the Middle East, I bring you the drifting Lexus ES 350: I don’t even know if you could call that drifting — more like absolute utter madness. (Totally off-topic, but Starfire Pearl with panoramic glass roof is probably my favorite ever color/option combo.)

Kevin · July 2nd, 2010

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition Photos

After scoping out the same rendered versions of the Lexus LFA Nürburgring edition for a while now, there’s finally some real photos of the track-optimized version of the supercar courtesy of Autoblog (click for larger versions): Conveniently, Lexus has highlighted all the Nürburgring edition’s aero-parts in black, making it easy to see the larger front …

Kevin · June 22nd, 2010

Akio Toyoda Profile

Admittedly, this is the third time in a row that I’ve linked to The Automotive News, but today’s profile on Toyota President Akio Toyoda is not to be missed — some choice quotes: […]Toyoda embarked on a quest to become one of the company’s top certified test drivers and its top car critic. That challenge …

Kevin · May 31st, 2010

Automotive News Talks with German Lexus LFA Owners

Automotive News has some details on Lexus LFA sales in Europe: […]a third of the orders from Europe were placed in Germany. Lexus brought eight of those buyers to this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany to wine and dine them as two LFAs competed at the legendary circuit. Each buyer already had plunked …

Kevin · May 31st, 2010

Behind-the-Scenes with Lexus @ 24h Nürburgring Race

It’s been a couple weeks since the Lexus LFAs competed in the Nürburgring 24h race, but I wanted to mention this great article from Hans Greimel of Automotive News, who spent the entire weekend with the Toyota crew. The entire piece tells an interesting story, but I really enjoyed reading about Toyota President Akio Toyoda’s …

Kevin · May 28th, 2010

Interview with Hiromu Naruse, Chief Test Driver for Lexus

Lexus Magazine has a brilliant interview with Hiromu Naruse, chief test driver for Lexus, about his experience in helping develop the LFA: Lexus: What was it like to drive the Lexus LFA prototype the first time out? Naruse: I have to say, when I drove the LFA for the first time, it was scary. It …

Kevin · May 26th, 2010

200 MPH in a Lexus LFA

As part of Motor Trend’s coverage of the Lexus LFA, the supercar was strapped onto a dynometer and pushed to its upper limits: 200.2 MPH is something else, even on a dyno — it’s amazing just how smoothly the LFA ramps up, and judging from the footage, it gets there with hardly any vibration at …

Kevin · May 25th, 2010

Lexus Performance Registry

Major news today! Next month, Lexus USA will be launching a worldwide Performance Registry on their website — but it’s been opened early for Lexus Enthusiast readers! The registry will be an online resource that will let enthusiasts share information on their Lexus vehicles and connect with other owners — making it easy to tap …

Kevin · May 24th, 2010

Driving the Lexus LFA

Picture the most intense, heart-pounding roller-coaster ride of your life, only instead of rails and a cart, you’re strapped into a prototype supercar driven by a race car driver. That was the scene two weeks ago at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, where I found myself in the passenger seat of Lexus USA’s (formerly matte …

Kevin · May 17th, 2010

Lexus LFA Wins SP8 Class in Nürburgring 24h Race

After a grueling and exhaustive 24 hours, the #50 Lexus LFA finished 18th overall and placed 1st in its SP8 (near production) class in the Nürburgring 24h race. The other LFA in the race, #51, didn’t do so well after an extended pitstop that lasted over 11 hours, but did manage to make it back …

Kevin · May 16th, 2010

Lexus 2010 Nürburgring 24h Race Open Thread

Two Lexus LFAs (#50 & #51) and one IS F will be competing in this weekend’s Nürburgring 24h race, so I thought we should have some place to discuss the race as it happens. In two rounds of qualifying, the #50 LFA finished p25 & the #51 LFA is p28, and sit first and second …

Kevin · May 15th, 2010

Nürburgring 24h Race Ready Lexus LFAs

Lexus has released photos of the fully liveried LFAs that will be taking part in this weekend’s 24h Nürburgring race: This image is just pure awesome, I had to crop it up for a wallpaper: Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 There doesn’t look to be a live feed of …

Kevin · May 12th, 2010

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Official U.S. Pricing

Lexus USA has announced the pricing of the limited-edition LFA Nürburgring package, along with the collection of perks that owners can expect: This limited edition LFA will be available in four exterior colors – whitest white, orange, black and matte black complemented by a choice of three interior colors – black, red, and violet. All …

Kevin · May 10th, 2010

Lexus Takes Top Three Spots in Super GT GT500 Class

Missed this story last week, but Lexus took the top three spots in Round 3 of the 2010 Super GT series — from Road & Track: The GT500 class winner was the pole-starting MJ Kraft SC430 driven by Hiroaki Ishiura and Kazuya Oshima, who never lost the lead throughout the race. Joining them on the podium …

Kevin · May 10th, 2010

Lexus Europe Nürburgring Reporter Contest!

Lexus Europe is holding a very special contest to find a reporter to cover the Nürburgring 24h race next weekend: We are looking for a racing enthusiast – a true Lexus supercar fan – to report on the event. Someone who will come along with us and who will keep the rest of the world …

Kevin · May 7th, 2010

Lexus IS F CCS Concept Video

At the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year, Lexus showcased the IS F Club Circuit Club Sports Concept (or CCS Concept for short), an IS F done up in all sorts of carbon fiber, including some very nice detail work on the rear wing: As mentioned last month, Lexus has hinted that the carbon fiber …

Kevin · May 3rd, 2010

Lexus LFA Participates in Nürburgring 52nd ADAC ACAS Race

As a final test leading up to the Nürburgring 24h race, Lexus participated in this weekend’s Nürburgring 52. ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup race. Only one LFA participated in the race, as Iceland’s volcanic ash prevented support personnel from getting to the track in time to run the second LFA—the IS F team also participated. Here are …

Kevin · April 26th, 2010

Blue Lexus LFA Spotted

A blue Lexus LFA has been filmed in Japan: This second video has some closeups, along with footage of the interior: Truth be told, I’m generally not a fan of blue, but on the LFA it looks super-fine—here’s the money shot: So we’ve seen white, black, matte-black, red & blue—what color’s next? (My guess: silver.) …

Kevin · April 21st, 2010

More Video of the Red Lexus LFA

The red Lexus LFA is so fantastic, I don’t even care how shaky this video footage is: Great to see the LFA in such a classic supercar color—can’t wait to see it in yellow for the first time.

Kevin · April 12th, 2010

Lexus IS F Nürburgring Race Team Update

Auto Express senior road tester Owen Mildenhall, who is part of this year’s Lexus IS F Nürburgring race team, has posted an update following the car’s second VLN event at the 35th DMV Nürburgring Race: Since the last race, Lexus’s engineers have been busy adding a revised rear wing, with new end plates, a racing …

Kevin · April 12th, 2010

Lexus LFA Wins SP8 Class in 35th DMV Nürburgring Race

Two Lexus LFAs and an IS F competed in this weekend’s 35th DMV 4 hours race at Nürburgring, here are the results: LFA #128 – 17th place (First in SP8 Class) IS F #137 – 71st place (Fourth in SP8 Class) LFA #127 – 105th place (Fifth in SP8 Class) Update: The full results can …

Kevin · April 11th, 2010

Lexus Nürburgring Racing This Weekend

The two race-modified Lexus LFAs and IS F scheduled to compete in the Nürburgring 24h race next month will be getting some additional racing experience in the 35th DMV 4 Hours Race this weekend. The Lexus Europe Twitter account promises updates during the race, and to mark the occasion, here are some wonderful photos of …

Kevin · April 8th, 2010

Gran Turismo Creator to Race Lexus IS F at Nürburgring 24h

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, along with Auto Express’ Owen Mildenhall and ex-Indy 500 star Hideshi Matsuda, will be racing a modified Lexus IS F in the Nürburgring 24 hour race this May. The Lexus-customized IS F—which includes modifications to the suspension, a roll cage, Yokohama tyres, and aero parts like a front splitter, flat …

Kevin · April 4th, 2010

Red Lexus LFA Spotted

At long last, the production Lexus LFA has been spotted in something other than black or white: Some screenshots, because I can’t resist:

Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Lexus LFA Real-World Performance Figures

Since the production Lexus LFA’s introduction last year, the only concrete performance figures we’ve had to go on were the official numbers from Lexus—but that’s all changed now that Car & Driver had a chance to perform some speed tests with the supercar at the Nissan Technical Center in Arizona: At the moment, there’s no …

Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Lexus LFA Takes SP8 Class in 57th ADAC Nürburgring Race

This weekend, the Gazoo Lexus LFA race car took part in the 57th ADAC Westfalenfahrt four-hour race at Nürburgring, where it took 28th place overall and first in the SP8 class. Some photos from the race: The racing team of Iida Akira, Wakisaka Juichi, & Ohshima Kazuya overcame a first lap pitstop and a resulting …

Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Official Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package Details

Lexus has official announced the Nürburgring package for the LFA, bringing an even deeper performance focus to the upcoming supercar. The package includes: A larger front spoiler, fin-type side spoilers and a fixed rear wing Maximum power is upgraded 9.8hp/10PS, which helps the LFA maintain its 3.7s 0-100km time and maximum speed of 325km/h even …

Kevin · March 26th, 2010

Lexus LFA Blasts Up Goodwood Hill

As part of the press preview for the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, Auto Express had a chance to make the historic hillclimb in Europe’s only Lexus LFA: The space-age styling has taken some criticism since the model was first revealed, but get up close and explore it in detail, and the low-slung, …

Kevin · March 25th, 2010

More Lexus LFA Nürburgring Race Photos

Turns out that the racing-spec Lexus LFA that I posted earlier wasn’t just taking practice runs around Nürburgring, but was competing in a 4 hour qualifying race—here are some more photos: These photos give a very clear view of the modifications that have been made to the LFA in preparation for its appearance in the …

Kevin · March 22nd, 2010

Racing Lexus LFA on Nürburgring Practice Run

With last week’s announcement that the two Lexus LFAs will be competing in the Nürburgring 24h race in May, the supercar is now getting in some practice on the famous German track—which leads me to posting this absolutely bonkers photo from RacingPix.net: Just fantastic—make sure to check out the photo page for a high-resolution version.

Kevin · March 21st, 2010

Lexus LX 570 Wins San Felipe 250 Race

Continuing his success at off-road race events, LX 570 owner Joe Bacal has scored another victory in Mexico this past weekend at the 24th Annual MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, where he won the Stock Full class. Here’s a description of how the LX 570 performed: As with all of the races Bacal …

Kevin · March 17th, 2010

Akio Toyoda Not Participating in Nürburgring 24h Race

In a break from the recent past, Toyota president Akio Toyoda will not be one of the Lexus LFA drivers during this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours race in May. Making the announcement himself on his personal blog, President Toyoda says that although he test-drove one of the race-prepped LFAs, “unfortunately, [I] won’t participate in this …

Kevin · March 16th, 2010

Lexus LFAs to Race in Nürburgring 24h Race

The production Lexus LFA will be entering its first professional race when it takes part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race this May. Gazoo Racing will be preparing and fielding two LFAs in the race, where the supercars will be receiving some minor aero-effects: This will mark the third time the LFA has participated in …

Kevin · March 15th, 2010

Lexus LFA to be offered in Nürburgring Track Edition

Japanese weblog レクサスとの道[LEXUS] is reporting that the Lexus LFA will be available in a track edition optimized for circuit driving: If Google’s translation serves, this Nürburgring edition looks to include a fixed rear wing, larger front spoiler, sports tuned suspension, high grip tires and a boost of 10 horsepower—and will only be available in four …

Kevin · March 14th, 2010

On the Road with the Lexus LFA

We saw the video portion of Chris Harris’ Lexus LFA review for EVO Magazine, and now we have the written instalment as shared by Edmunds: The only engine as free-revving and responsive as this that we’ve ever experienced has been the Porsche Carrera GT’s 612-hp 5.7-liter V10. The resemblance is uncanny, from the heavy, lash-free …

Kevin · February 18th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event @ Homestead-Miami Speedway

Wednesday’s Lexus F-Sport Event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway has come and gone, but some of those lucky enough to attend have published their photos & videos from the track, including some beautiful LFA shots from Eric Ho: Be sure to check out his full gallery on Flickr—some very nice 1SC & 2GS photos from the …

Kevin · January 29th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event in Miami This Week

Lexus is hosting an F-Sport event this Wednesday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida—if you’re in the area, get yourself some free tickets and take the the F-Sport IS, GS and the IS F around the track. Even better, one person from every session will be randomly selected to take a lap with Scott Pruett …

Kevin · January 24th, 2010

Lexus LFA on Top Gear

Earlier today, the Lexus LFA made its Top Gear appearance—first off, you can watch The Stig’s lap around the track (likely on Youtube for a limited time only): The LFA, in wet track conditions, made it around the track in 1:22.3, which beat the Lamborghini Gallardo as the fastest wet lap on the show so …

Kevin · January 3rd, 2010

Lexus LFA to Appear on Top Gear

It was inevitable—Lexus UK has announced that Top Gear driver The Stig has taken the LFA around the track for an upcoming episode of the British car show. The Lexus UK Twitter account posted earlier today that a Stig lap at the Top Gear test track had taken place, but didn’t mention just how well …

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Edmunds Track-Test: Lexus LS 460 Sport vs. BMW 750i Sport

Edmund’s Inside Line has pitted the new Lexus LS Sport package against the BMW 750i Sport in a performance track test, and in the process, somehow managed to add a full second to the LS 460’s official 0-60 time. According to the Edmunds numbers, the LS 460 Sport hits 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds compared …

Kevin · December 9th, 2009

Lexus IS F Lap with Gran Turismo’s Kazunori Yamauchi

Another day, another virtual lap—only this time it’s the esteemed Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, driving a race-modifed Lexus IS F in the 8th round of the VLN series at Nürburgring: Back in August, Mr. Yamauchi and a team of two others (Motor Journalist Peter Lyon and racing driver Hideshi Matsuda—all three judges for the …

Kevin · November 19th, 2009

Lexus F-Sport Event at the Auto Club Speedway

If you may recall, there was an F-Sport event in Fontana, California last Thursday, and videos and photos of the event are making their way online—for a start, there’s this video put together by Unlimited Illuminations that features great footage of an IS F lap around the Auto Club Speedway: Too bad that poor guy …

Kevin · November 16th, 2009

Racer Magazine Reviews the Lexus LX 570

Here’s a nice twist on the standard auto review—Racer magazine recently needed a hauler to transport their Mazda RX-8 race car from California to Nebraska, and they chose the Lexus LX 570: Having recently completed a project RX-8 build for SportsCar magazine, we were looking to transport the car from Southern California to the Sports …

Kevin · November 11th, 2009

Lexus F-Sport Event in California

Lexus USA is holding an F-Sport event November 12th at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California: One Day Only at Auto Club Speedway… An exclusive opportunity to experience the performance and appearance-enhancing F-Sport™ accessories on a custom autocross course at California’s premiere track- Auto Club Speedway.. Come out and experience racing inspired components that …

Kevin · November 4th, 2009

More Lexus LFA First Drives

When the Lexus LFA launched yesterday, a media embargo was lifted and the gates sure opened up! Here’s a couple more first drive articles: Auto Week Auto Week’s Mark Vaughn gives a detailed description of what it’s like to drive the supercar, along with a great quote from the LFA chief engineer: “In our religious …

Kevin · October 21st, 2009

C&D Drives the Lexus LFA

Car and Driver has posted up their early impressions of the Lexus LFA: Lexus claims multiple justifications for the LFA program. The car, it says, casts a halo over the Lexus F line of performance machines. It’s also a way for Toyota to explore new technologies, particularly carbon-fiber construction. And since Lexus says it will …

Kevin · October 21st, 2009

Official Lexus LFA Introduction Video

This official Lexus LFA video, which was shown right before the supercar’s introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show, is hands-down the best thing you will see today, I promise: The production value of both this video and the official press photos is absolutely fantastic—they really show the LFA in the best possible light. As a …

Kevin · October 21st, 2009

Official Lexus LFA Photos (& Specs) Leaked!

It’s a full-on torrent of Lexus LFA information—first there was the leaked press video and photos from the streets of Miami—now it’s the official press photos leaked early by Italian website Omni Auto: Along with the photos was a breakdown of all the important performance specifications: 4.8L 72-degree V10 pushing out 560hp at 8,700 RPM …

Kevin · October 20th, 2009

Lexus LFA: “The Best Car I’ve Ever Driven…”

In a quick interview during a Lexus LFA press event, Dutch motoring journalist and race-driving instructor Thomas Bangma had some very, very complimentary things to say about the upcoming supercar: The best car that I’ve ever driven in my life as a car journalist. It is an absolute gem, it is amazing…and I think it’s …

Kevin · October 12th, 2009

Lexus LFA Supercar Drift!

As part of this weekend’s Motor Sport 2009 in Odaiba, Japan, Lexus brought out one of their LFA racing prototypes this weekend for some supercar drifting, and was videotaped by numerous members of the crowd: And the best one of the bunch: Bringing out a supercar concept to do donuts for an enthusiast crowd in …

Kevin · October 12th, 2009

EVO Takes the Lexus IS-F to Germany

EVO has a 2008 Lexus IS-F as one of their long-term vehicles, and recently took the sedan on a trip to Germany to test out its upper limits: Our chosen section is bone dry, bright and mercifully light on traffic. Time to let the 5-litre V8 strut its stuff. What follows is the longest sustained …

Kevin · October 8th, 2009

Lexus Supercar Confirmed for Tokyo Motor Show

Lexus has announced that “a revolutionary two-seat supercar” will be unveiled later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show—the full brief: Two-seat supercar (world premier) This concept vehicle epitomizes the purest form of driving exhilaration and performance. (Details to be announced at the Lexus press briefing on October 21.) This “two-seat supercar” is, of course, …

Kevin · October 7th, 2009

Lexus LF-A in Matte Black

Autocar has published a bunch of new Lexus LF-A spy shots, this time painted in matte black: Judging by the Recaro front seats, this is likely the rumored track-ready version of the Lexus supercar—there’s a few more images in the Autocar gallery, be sure to check them out. Between this and the white LFA seen …

Kevin · September 22nd, 2009

White Lexus LF-A Spotted!

The news never stops when it comes to Lexus & Germany—it’s not enough that the LF-Ch and refreshed versions of the LS, GS, and IS debuted, but now a practically-production LF-A has been photographed at Nürburgring (click for larger versions): Although the expertly-applied white tape does hide the final details, this is the best look …

Kevin · September 17th, 2009

Car & Driver: Lexus LF-A Test Drive

Car & Driver sent a journalist out to test out the Lexus LF-A race car, and the resulting article is so positive that I had to double-check that it was really on the C&D website: …the engine feels stronger than 500 horsepower, more like 550. A Lexus spokesman provides a torque figure: 369 pound-feet. We …

Kevin · August 21st, 2009

Lexus IS-GTF Race Team for Sale

If you’ve ever wanted to have your own racing team, you will be interested to learn that the DRC Motorsports Lexus IS-GTF race cars are now for sale. This trio of super-modified IS 350s (one fully assembled, parts for two more), which you may remember from last year, originally belonged to Team Lexus, and can …

Kevin · August 19th, 2009

Info on the Lexus LF-A Driving Modes (plus a Name-Change Rumor)

Japanese auto magazine Holiday Auto has published some new information on the LF-A, including details on the four Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) modes: Auto, Normal, Sport and Wet. Normal & Wet modes are fairly self-explanatory, but here’s what’s mentioned about the other two: Sport mode will allow for 0.2 second gear shifting. Auto mode will …

Kevin · August 16th, 2009

Lexus LF-A vs. Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR: A Virtual Nürburgring Race

Similar to the virtual Lexus LF-A vs. Nissan GT-R race we saw a couple months ago, this split-screen racing footage has the LF-A (top) up against the 600bhp Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR on the Nürburgring: When you consider the traffic the LF-A has to deal with, there’s no telling how much faster it could have …

Kevin · August 14th, 2009

Akio Toyoda Confirms Production Lexus LF-A

While it’s been long-rumored that the Lexus LF-A supercar would be put into production, new Toyota President Akio Toyoda confirmed it last week during his speech at the Center For Automotive Research (CAR) Conference. From the transcript: You see…in a race…you have limited time and resources to work through countless challenges and problems that come …

Kevin · August 10th, 2009

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