Lexus UK launches IS 250 SR

Lexus UK is launching a special edition of the Lexus IS 250, dubbed the SR edition, and it features a full body kit, some very nice 10-spoke alloy rims and some sporty interior upgrades, including some aluminum pedals. The body kit’s very subtle, but it works, especially with the wheel combo.  Once again, I was …
Kevin · May 14th, 2008

Lexus ranked #2 Luxury Auto Brand in the USA

The Luxury Institute has released their annual report on the top prestige auto brands in the USA, and Lexus ranked #2, just behind Porsche and in front of Mercedes. Here’s some details about the survey: The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the prestige of leading brands among wealthy …
Kevin · May 13th, 2008

The Lexus LF-A Racing Prototype in Action

The just-revealed IS 250 race car wasn’t the only Lexus to be part of the festivities this weekend, as the LF-A racing prototype also made its debut in the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance series. Edmunds reports: The race was run on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, combined with a sprint portion of the famous Grand Prix circuit. …
Kevin · May 13th, 2008

Lexus UK tops JD Power Customer Satisfaction study for 8th straight year

Count this among the news I missed last week when my head was buried in code, Lexus UK has topped the annual JD Power Customer Satisfication Index for the eighth year in a row: In the nameplate rankings, luxury Japanese brand Lexus ranks highest for an eighth consecutive year, receiving a customer satisfaction score of …
Kevin · May 13th, 2008

Mystery Lexus IS Solved

The mystery Lexus IS making the rounds round Nürburgring last week turned out to be the most obvious: it was a race car, and it appeared in the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance race in Germany this weekend: The TME/Team Gazoo IS competed in the first of seven four-hour endurance races. One six-hour and a 24-hour …
Kevin · May 12th, 2008

Welcome to The Passionate Pursuit 2.0

After extensive development, the new version of The Passionate Pursuit is ready. First thing’s first, if you’ve visited the site any time recently, please be sure to hit the refresh button, otherwise things might look pretty strange. The most significant addition to the site is the Lexus database, which contains every model built by Lexus. …
Kevin · May 11th, 2008

TPP 2.0 This Week

Update: The new site design will be launching Sunday evening, and things will be quiet around here until then. The site will more than likely be down for a few hours on Sunday as we prepare for launch. Thanks for your patience! If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you may remember the mention …
Kevin · May 10th, 2008

Car Magazine Video: Lexus IS-F vs. BMW M3 vs. Mercedes C63

UK’s Car Magazine has put in their video vote in the Lexus IS-f/BMW M3/Mercedes C63 race, and it’s probably the least qualitative comparison yet: I’m all for a little character in car reviews, but not to this extent. The gimmicks and poor lap timing method detract from an otherwise enjoyable watch. Surely this isn’t how …
Kevin · May 9th, 2008