Lexus USA April 2009 Sales Report

April 2009 sales have been released by Lexus USA, here’s the model-by-model breakdown (plus the year-to-date): April Year to Date 2009 2008 % CHG 2009 2008 % CHG IS 2,324 4,550 -48.9 9,303 16,516 -43.1 ES 3,549 5,439 -34.7 12,320 20,599 -39.6 GS 468 1,568 -70.2 2,586 6,138 -57.5 SC 83 217 -61.8 310 860 …

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Kevin · May 1st, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 2: Blue Grille

Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Keeping with the theme of my first GS 450h wallpaper, this image features a blue badge—this time from the front of the car. This was one of the last photos I took, and one of my absolute favorites. Enjoy!
Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Manufacturing Details

In preparation of the release of the RX 450h, Lexus GB has published an amazingly thorough document that details the new manufacturing processes behind the upcoming hybrid SUV. Some highlights: The Kokura plant, where the RX is built, has installed a 3 meter-high mesh “waterfall” that has reduced airborne dust by 90%. The chain conveyor …

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Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Music from Lexus Japan’s Aoyama Gallery

Last year, Lexus Japan opened the Lexus International Gallery Aoyama in Tokyo’s Aoyama area as a display space for introducing residents to the Lexus brand. This space has a unique feature—an immersive sound environment by Yamaha created especially to block out the surrounding city. To better illustrate this, here’s a video created by composer Masato …

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Kevin · April 30th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Wallpaper 1: Blue Badging

One of the first things I did after completing my review of the Lexus IS 250 was buy myself a nice camera, a Canon Rebel XS to be exact, so that I could take better photos. As a result, I took over 1,100 photos of the GS 450h for my review, and ended up with …

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Kevin · April 29th, 2009

2009 Lexus GS 450h Review

The first time I saw the third-generation Lexus GS, I didn’t like it one bit. Compared to the previous generation’s sharp, aggressive lines, the current GS seemed to lack any real visual punch. In particular, I really disliked the rear third of the car, and constantly referred to it as “frumpy” at any opportunity. At …

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Kevin · April 28th, 2009

More Details on the Lexus GS Passionate Black Interior

After the discovery of the Lexus GS Passionate Black interior in North America, I was possessed to find out more details, so I arranged a quick email interview with Greg Thome, Lexus USA’s Communications Supervisor: TLE: Lexus Japan released the Passionate Black interior as a special edition last year, and now Lexus USA has started …

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Kevin · April 28th, 2009

Car Middle East: Lexus LS 600hL vs. Mercedes S400 Hybrid

Car Middle East has published a quasi-comparison of the Lexus LS 600hL and the upcoming Mercedes S400 Hybrid, though it reads more like a hybrid primer: Whereas Mercedes’ mantra has been to make the S-class hybrid as green as possible, Lexus has taken a different approach with the LS600h. Here, performance is the number one …

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Kevin · April 27th, 2009