Is this the 2009 Lexus IS?

An Autospies reader recently posted up this scanned-in Japanese auto mag page depicting the facelifted 2009 Lexus IS: “Top Secret” banner aside, this is likely a photochop, though subtle enough to be believable. The differences are slight, there’s some GS design incorporated into the front end, and the side panels look to be tucked in. …
Kevin · November 12th, 2007

Comparison: Lexus LS 600hL/Jaguar Super V8/Mercedes-Benz S550/Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT

Motor Trend assembled some super saloons in their latest ultra-luxury sedan comparison test, pitting the Lexus LS 600hL against the Jaguar Super V8, Mercedes S550 & Maserati Quattroporte Sport. The LS 600hL didn’t have a great showing, at least in the driving department: The all-wheel-drive Lexus exhibited pigheaded understeer in most corners, often attended by …
Kevin · November 12th, 2007

Comparison: Lexus LS600h vs. Audi A8

Right out the gate, the Audi A8 had a very significant advantage over the Lexus LS 600h in Autoweek’s recent comparison test — After all, the A8 is £20,000 cheaper than the LS 600h, and £20,000 is a steep hill to climb: More crucially, while the low 219g/km emissions are very impressive, it’s hard to …
Kevin · November 11th, 2007

The Small Lexus Moves Forward

There’s been rumblings for some time that Lexus could release a super-small sedan to compete with the likes of BMW’s 1-series and Audi’s A3, and a recent article from GoAuto suggests it’s much further in development than previously thought: To be manufactured in sedan and/or hatch guises beyond 2010, the new entry-level model plan was …
Kevin · November 10th, 2007

Limited Toy Lexus GS 430 by Tomica

I don’t know what’s better, the fact that there’s a limited edition Lexus GS 430 die-cast car available from Tomica, or that I discovered it on a japanese miniature car weblog. I was huge into die-casts as a kid, and I swear, seeing this makes me want to dig out my collection.
Kevin · November 9th, 2007

Video Comparison of the Lexus IS-F, BMW M3 & Audi RS4

Coming from an automotive marketing company that counts Lexus as a client, this AMCI video comparing the IS-F with the BMW M3 and Audi RS4 does seem more than a little bias, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great watch: To be fair, test driver Dave Sherman doesn’t proclaim the IS-F the king, …
Kevin · November 9th, 2007

SEMA 2007: Lexus GS 430 by GReedy

I’ll admit it, I was sitting on posting this GReedy tuned Lexus GS 430 from SEMA in the hopes that it would disappear, but it’s time to admit defeat. Beyond the gaudy stickers and coffee-can exhaust tips, there’s a supercharger under the hood, though no horsepower figures were released. If there’s one thing about this …
Kevin · November 8th, 2007

Lexus LS 460 Commercial from The Middle East

While I’m certainly no expert about what it’s like to be wealthy in the Middle East, this Lexus commercial really captured my imagination — beautiful homes, giant yachts, private jets and LS 460s all round: As strange as it is to say, they picked a great actor for this ad, who carries it with his …
Kevin · November 8th, 2007