Lexus LC: First Generation

2021 Lexus LC Coupe Gets Performance Update

Posted by krew on April 8th, 2020

Lexus LC 2021 Update

The Lexus LC coupe has been updated for the 2021 model year with a host of performance upgrades and some new colorways.

Performance

First off, weight has been reduced by 22 pounds as a result of aluminum lower suspension arms, lighter suspension stabilizers, new high-strength coil spring material, and lighter 21-inch rear wheels.

Next, the suspension was retuned for a smoother ride — the length of the front suspension was lengthened, the bound stopper rigidity was optimized, and the rear stabilizers were tweaked for more linear steering input during turn-in.

Lexus LC 2021 Grey

Finally, Active Cornering Assist (ACA) was added to the LC’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). This system helps control cornering by adding brake control to the inner wheels when G-force demands are greater during spirited driving.

Lexus White LC

Color Updates

The LC will now be available in two new exterior colors: Cadmium Orange and Nori Green Pearl. The 20-inch forged aluminum wheel design have also been refreshed.

Inside, Flare Red leather will replace Rioja Red, and the Bespoke White Leather option has been discontinued. Android Auto has also been added.

Lexus LC Group Shot

JapanLexus UX: First GenerationSpecial Editions

Lexus UX Brown Special Edition Now Available in Japan

Posted by krew on April 6th, 2020

Lexus UX Brown Edition

Lexus Japan has released a special UX 250h Brown edition with a unique interior color combination:

Lexus UX Brown Edition Ocher

Lexus UX Brown Edition Black

The Noble Brown & Ocher or Noble Brown & Black interiors are available with five exterior colors, including Amber Crystal Shine (which would complete the overall brown look).

The Lexus UX 250h Brown Edition is now available at Japanese dealerships, with a starting price of ¥4,685,000 ($43,000 USD).

Lexus IS F: First GenerationLexus RC F: First Generation

Lexus IS F Chief Engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi Retires

Posted by krew on April 5th, 2020

Lexus Engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi

Lexus engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi, the man behind the F performance brand, has officially retired from the company.

Yaguchi worked on the first-generation SC coupe and the Toyota Supra, but he’s best known for the skunkworks project that became the original IS F. Yaguchi also served as chief engineer of the RC F and contributed to the GS F.

(I have met Yaguchi-san multiple times over the past, interviewing and talking with him extensively. All the best to him in this new chapter.)

Uncategorized

Lexus March 2020 Sales Report

Posted by krew on April 2nd, 2020

Lexus RX March 2020

USA

Lexus USA has reported 15,585 total sales for March 2020, a 42.5% decrease over last year — here’s the model-by-model breakdown:

MONTH Year to Date (*DSR)
2020 2019 % CHG* 2020 2019 % CHG*
IS 913 1,694 ‐41.8 2,712 3,884 ‐30.2
RC 169 422 ‐56.7 757 963 ‐21.4
ES 2,854 4,922 ‐37.4 9,247 11,390 ‐18.8
GS 173 394 ‐52.6 624 955 ‐34.7
LS 162 457 ‐61.7 801 1,404 ‐42.9
LC 56 141 ‐57.1 240 320 ‐25.0
LFA 0 0 0 2 3 ‐25
Total Cars 4,327 8,030 ‐41.8 14,383 18,919 ‐24.0
UX 984 1,776 ‐40.2 3,838 3,925 ‐2.2
NX 3,175 5,633 ‐39.1 11,309 13,775 ‐17.9
RX 5,534 10,967 ‐45.5 20,847 23,529 ‐11.4
GX 1,350 2,291 ‐36.4 5,122 5,429 ‐5.7
LX 215 552 ‐57.9 846 1,214 ‐30.3
Total Trucks 11,258 21,219 ‐42.7 41,962 47,872 ‐12.3
Total Sales 15,585 29,249 ‐42.5 56,345 66,791 ‐15.6

Please note, all percentages are calculated by the Daily Sales Rate (DSR), which takes into account the number of days in the month that dealerships could sell cars. March 2020 had 25 selling days, March 2019 had 27 selling days.

EuropeSales Reports

Lexus Europe Hybrid Crossover Sales Exceed 250,000 Mark

Posted by Joaquin Ruhi on April 1st, 2020

Lexus Hybrids Europe

In 2005, Lexus unveiled the world’s first hybrid luxury vehicle, the RX 400h. Nearly 15 years later, the marque’s hybrid crossover sales in Europe surpassed the 250,000 unit mark at the end of February.

The lion’s share, naturally, corresponds to the RX line. With 127,203 units sold in Europe, it comprises over half of the quarter-million-plus tally. The mid-sized NX, launched in 2014, has seen 101,137 units sold there, while the UX compact crossover has seen a strong start since its arrival in 2019 with 22,171 units sold, while establishing itself as Lexus’ current best-selling model in Europe.

Over 25% of that tally was sold in the United Kingdom, the marque’s most popular European market, with 63,054 total RX, NX and UX units sold there.

BrandingUSA

Lexus Product Timeline “is an Issue”

Posted by krew on March 30th, 2020

Lexus UX Future

New Toyota USA CEO Ted Ogawa had some thoughts on the Lexus brand in a new Automotive News interview:

Ogawa was working in the Lexus division when the 2010 unintended-acceleration crisis struck the company. He still has a fondness for Toyota’s luxury brand and wants to see it improve.

“I have no worries about the Toyota lineup, but in the case of Lexus, the [product] cadence is an issue,” Ogawa said. “So, for this year, the LC convertible is new. Profitwise, [dealers] may be OK, but in this sense, the Lexus dealer body wants to see more product sooner.”

Product launches have been far and few between for Lexus in the last couple years, and vehicle lineups are essentially frozen for the foreseeable future with COVID-19.

How are vehicle launches going to change in this new environment? Apple recently debuted a new iPad Pro with a press release instead of a big media event, but will the same technique work with a vehicle? Lexus may not have a choice.

In the NewsManufacturing

Lexus Shuts Down Most Manufacturing Around the World

Posted by Joaquin Ruhi on March 26th, 2020

Lexus Manufacturing Shutdown

Few events have been so disruptive worldwide on so many levels as the current Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Lexus vehicle manufacturing is certainly no exception, as a number of factors ranging from concerns over employee health and social distancing requirements to quarantine directives to potential parts shortages have brought most production around the world to a halt. Here are further details on the duration of Lexus work stoppages by facility:

JAPAN

Kyushu plant builds CT, IS, ES, UX, NX and RX models and will stop production April 3-15

Tahara Plant #1 builds GX and LX models and will stop production April 3-10

Tahara Plant #3 builds IS, RC, LS and NX models and will stop production April 3-14

No stoppages are anticipated at the Motomachi facility that currently builds GS and LC models.

UNITED STATES

Georgetown, Kentucky builds ES models and will stop production March 23-April 19

CANADA

Cambridge, Ontario builds RX models and will stop production March 23-April 19

INDIA

Bidadi, Karnataka started building ES models in late January 2020 but will stop production starting March 23 “until further notice”.

On a human and personal level, we hope and pray that our entire Lexus Enthusiast family remains safe and healthy through these trying and disruptive times. These hardships too will pass.

FutureLexus GS: Fourth GenerationRumors

Next-Generation Lexus GS to be Based on Toyota Mirai?

Posted by krew on March 24th, 2020

Lexus GS Sedan

The Lexus GS may survive to live another day, as a rumour floating around the Internet suggests a next-generation model may be based on the upcoming Toyota Mirai sedan. A release date of 2022 is mentioned.

There’s a certain logic to the idea, in that the new Mirai, with its rear-wheel drive platform and advanced powertrain, should have always been a Lexus first and a Toyota second. Should this rumor prove true, it would go a long way to bringing some balance to the Lexus lineup.

(This information has apparently leaked from a recent Lexus dealer meeting, with many of the details collaborating recent rumors. This doesn’t necessarily validate the news, but it does add some credibility.)