The president of Lexus Manila, Raymond Rodriguez, created quite a stir earlier this month when he announced it was “only a matter of time” before Lexus released a luxury minivan.

The idea has experienced surprising traction, to the point that website Motor1 commissioned a rendering to illustrate what this luxury van might look like:

The rendering merges the LX front grille with the body of the Toyota Alphard, and the result manages to capture the otherworldy appeal of Japanese minivans. That said, can you imagine dealerships trying to sell this model in North America?

(While Lexus has yet to make a public comment on these rumors, a minivan could also explain the recent LM 300h & LM 350 trademarks.)

The 10th anniversary of the Lexus F brand was marked with the release of special editions for the RC F coupe & GS F sedan, with both featuring a special matte Mercury Grey paint finish.

The application of matte paint is similar to a traditional gloss finish, with one change — the final clear coat is mixed with a microscopic silica particles that diffuses reflected light and creates a rough finish. This makes cleaning and maintenance a real challenge.

The first issue comes with the general act of driving, where contaminants like bugs and tar can form a stronger bond due to the paint’s texture. A gloss finish can be coated with wax or sealant to protect the paint, but applying the same to a matte surface will flatten the surface and create uneven patchiness.

Here’s how Lexus recommends cleaning matte paint:

.1. Wash the wheels and chassis parts first to avoid the chance of recontaminating the bodywork. Then thoroughly soak the vehicle’s bodywork with plain water from the top to the bottom to remove any loose sand and dust.

.2. Gently wipe down the bodywork from top to bottom with a soaking wet chamois cloth that is frequently rinsed in plain water to clear it of contaminants.

If dirt or contaminants cannot be cleared with water alone, Lexus recommends using either a neutral detergent approved for car cleaning or the following organic cleaning solution: two teaspoons of citric acid to 200ml of distilled water. The chamois should be soaked in this solution and placed over the area for a while to allow the acid to dissolve the contaminants. Further gentle wiping should clean the affected area, though care should be taken not to rub the vehicle body.

Repeat steps one and two to clear away any remaining contaminants and residual acid solution.

.3. Dry the bodywork with a dry chamois cloth before the water has a chance to evaporate and leave unsightly stains. The chamois should be laid flat against the body and gently pulled across the paintwork. Care should be taken not to rub the vehicle body.

If this process wasn’t complex enough, pressure washers and touchless car washes can not be used. Lexus also recommends that the car is stored in a garage, or a fleece car cover is used to protect against ultraviolet deterioration.

Lexus Europe has published a series of videos detailing the craftsmanship found in the new UX crossover:

Lexus Japan celebrated the tenth anniversary of the F performance brand in grand fashion, loading up Fuji Speedway with IS F, RC F, and GS F vehicles.

The event took place despite an approaching typhoon and rainy conditions, with journalists and owners participating in driving workshops before taking to the track — from Web Car Top:

Fuji Speedway is the spiritual home of the Lexus F, with the F logo based on the shape of the track. In attendance was the man himself, Yukihiko Yaguchi, the chief engineer behind the skunkworks project that resulted in the IS F and the birth of the F brand:

Lexus has announced a partnership with freshly formed AIM Vasser Sullivan for the upcoming 2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship, with two RC F GT3 race cars taking the field.

The new team is a joint project between IndyCar winners Jimmy Vasser, James “Sulli” Sullivan, and Grand-Am champions AIM Autosport — from the Lexus press release:

Vasser and Sullivan were allied and partners from 2011-2016 with KVSH Racing in the IndyCar Series. During that time, they won the 2013 Indianapolis 500 and went on to win five more IndyCar races over a three-year period (2014-2016).

In 2018, they formed a partnership with Dale Coyne to establish Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan to compete in the IndyCar Series with driver Sebastien Bourdais. In its first year, the team earned multiple podiums including winning the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and finishing seventh in the 2018 championship standings.

AIM Autosport has won races and championships in every level of motorsports they have competed in with customer racing programs dating back to the 1990s, including the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GTD championship.

AIM Vasser Sullivan will operate from the current AIM facilities in Woodbridge, Ontario, and a newly established race facility located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team will announce its 2019 driver line-ups in the coming weeks.