Lexus IS F Daily Driver Dominates NASA Time Trials

This weekend, Dave Schotz raced his daily driver Lexus IS F in National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Time Trials at the Auto Club Speedway in California and proceed to dominate against dedicated racecars — Jalopnik has the full story: NASA Time Trials allow for almost any car to compete for the fastest lap time on …
Kevin · August 10th, 2010

Lexus UK IS Celebration Edition

Lexus UK is offering a Celebration Edition of the IS to mark the brand’s 20 years in Britain. This special edition receives a F-Sport upgrade along with three full years of no-charge servicing, which adds up to some significant savings. The F-Sport package includes the following: 18-inch alloy wheels Leather and Alcantara sports front seats …
Kevin · August 9th, 2010

RHD Lexus LFA Spotted

Here’s something new — a right-hand-drive edition of the Lexus LFA showed up at a Japanese event last week to perform some donuts: It’s getting difficult to keep track of all the LFAs out there, time for a list: White LFA from Tokyo Auto Show introduction now in Europe Matte Black (now white) LFA from …
Kevin · August 3rd, 2010

Black Lexus LFA, Take Two

We saw a quick glimpse of the glossy black Lexus LFA a couple weeks back, and now here’s another brief look at the latest edition of the supercar: Is this the best looking LFA so far or is it just me?
Kevin · August 2nd, 2010

New Black Lexus LFA Spotted!

A shiny black Lexus LFA has been spotted in Japan: I’m thunderstruck — that’s one sinister supercar.
Kevin · July 21st, 2010

2011 Lexus IS F Details

After adding a limited slip differential last year, Lexus continues to improve the IS F in the 2011 model year by refining the power steering and improving the suspension: To improve responsiveness and ride comfort, in addition to providing the driver with more control, engineers revised the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system and suspension.  With …
Kevin · July 20th, 2010

2011 Lexus IS F-Sport Package

Lexus USA will be offering an F-Sport option package on all RWD IS 250/IS 350s that borrows from the IS F — here’s what’s included: An all-new suspension with tuned steering New 18″ alloy wheels with a dark super-chrome finish A front lip spoiler and a rear deck spoiler Dark super-chrome front grille F Sport …
Kevin · July 16th, 2010

My.IS TO2kX Meet in Toronto

Members of My.IS & Club Lexus gathered last weekend in Toronto, Ontario for some time at the track and a highway cruise: There’s plenty of photos to look through in the My.IS thread — this one caught my eye with the red: Looks like a fun event, I’m hoping to attend myself next year. (Thanks …
Kevin · July 14th, 2010

Lexus SC 430 Drift

Although it ends production this month, the Lexus SC 430 is the platform for a new Lexus-sponsored drifting program: Built by A’PEXi USA & VIP Auto Salon and driven by Ryuji Miki, the Lexus SC430 Drift debuted last month at a Formula D event in Wall, NJ, and will be competing throughout this racing season. …
Kevin · July 12th, 2010

Fifth Gear Drives the Lexus LFA

Fifth Gear host Tiff Needell spent some time in the Lexus LFA driver seat for this week’s show (watch it quick as it’s likely to disappear shortly): Now that has to be one of the most earnest and enjoyable LFA reviews we’ve seen yet — “This is mental fun,” he says while powersliding all over …
Kevin · July 9th, 2010

Lexus Facebook Fan Takes a Ride in the LFA

Lexus Europe brought one of their Facebook fans along for a ride as racing driver Takayuki Kinoshita took an LFA up the hillclimb at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed — here’s the footage of winner Olivia’s experience: You have to give Olivia credit for keeping it together — gotta love the smiles on both …
Kevin · July 8th, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial: Octave Harmony

There’s a new Lexus LFA commercial to watch: Although it’s strictly a remix of the previous commercial and the LFA launch video, it does a great job at explaining a key element of the LFA’s appeal — the wonderful sound of that engine.
Kevin · July 5th, 2010

Blue Lexus LFA Photos

We saw a video of this Pearl Blue Lexus LFA a couple months back, now here are some new photos: Best of all, this black & blue interior is a knockout: Absolute madness — what a color combination. [Via: Club Lexus]
Kevin · June 28th, 2010

The 2011 Lexus IS

Earlier this month, we saw some leaked photos of the possible 2011 Lexus IS, and now Japanese weblog レクサスとの道 has published proof (click images for larger images): For the most part, the changes are minor — LED daytime running lights, revised bumpers, some small interior updates — however, let’s take a closer look at this …
Kevin · June 21st, 2010

Reader Review: Lexus LS 460 Sport

TLE reader Heimdall222 has put 1,800 miles on his brand new 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport — here are his impressions of the sport-infused flagship sedan. The 2010 LS 460 Sport is my second Lexus, following a GS 350, and I’ve also owned several Infinitis. The basic Sport Package is, of course, what converts a …
Kevin · June 10th, 2010

Car Magazine: Lexus LFA vs. Mercedes SLS

Car Magazine has a supercar comparison we’ve all been waiting for as they pit the Lexus LFA against the Mercedes SLS — some choice quotes: The LFA in particular is infamous for its insane intonations of raw power. Redlined at 9000rpm where the rev counter changes colour from snow white to devil´s red, the V10 …
Kevin · June 8th, 2010

Behind-the-Scenes of the Lexus LFA Commercial

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the recent Lexus LFA commercial: A pretty amazing setup, all round — bringing in a renowned physicist to help determine the necessary frequency, having Scott Pruett there to pilot the LFA, it’s all very sophisticated. There have been some questions about the meaning behind the commercial — …
Kevin · June 6th, 2010

Lexus Performance Registry Now on Lexus USA Website

After our week and a half preview here at The Lexus Enthusiast, Lexus has launched the Performance Registry on their website as part of a larger Inside F performance section. Inside F, as you would imagine, is dedicated to the Lexus’ growing performance lineup, with information on the LFA, IS F, LS Sport, and all …
Kevin · June 4th, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial

Lexus USA has just put out a commercial for the Lexus LFA: It’s a nice play on the one of the inaugural LS 400 commercials (and was revisited during the LS 460 launch), and will be part of a wider campaign promoting the halo supercar. The NY Times has more details: The online elements, scheduled …
Kevin · June 1st, 2010

Automotive News Talks with German Lexus LFA Owners

Automotive News has some details on Lexus LFA sales in Europe: […]a third of the orders from Europe were placed in Germany. Lexus brought eight of those buyers to this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race in Germany to wine and dine them as two LFAs competed at the legendary circuit. Each buyer already had plunked …
Kevin · May 31st, 2010

Behind-the-Scenes with Lexus @ 24h Nürburgring Race

It’s been a couple weeks since the Lexus LFAs competed in the Nürburgring 24h race, but I wanted to mention this great article from Hans Greimel of Automotive News, who spent the entire weekend with the Toyota crew. The entire piece tells an interesting story, but I really enjoyed reading about Toyota President Akio Toyoda’s …
Kevin · May 28th, 2010

Sleek New IS Website from Lexus Canada

Last month, we saw behind-the-scenes footage for a new Lexus commercial featuring all versions of the IS — now here’s the finished product as part of a new IS section on the Lexus Canada website: Lots of energy to the site, and definitely worth clicking through — the video quality is just fantastic. Very sleek, …
Kevin · May 28th, 2010

Interview with Hiromu Naruse, Chief Test Driver for Lexus

Lexus Magazine has a brilliant interview with Hiromu Naruse, chief test driver for Lexus, about his experience in helping develop the LFA: Lexus: What was it like to drive the Lexus LFA prototype the first time out? Naruse: I have to say, when I drove the LFA for the first time, it was scary. It …
Kevin · May 26th, 2010

Lexus Performance Registry

Major news today! Next month, Lexus USA will be launching a worldwide Performance Registry on their website — but it’s been opened early for Lexus Enthusiast readers! The registry will be an online resource that will let enthusiasts share information on their Lexus vehicles and connect with other owners — making it easy to tap …
Kevin · May 24th, 2010

Road & Track Lexus LFA Video

Seems like a day can’t go by without posting a Lexus LFA video — today, it’s a feature from Road & Track: The LFA was a laserbeam through that slalom course!
Kevin · May 21st, 2010

Lexus LFA Desktop Wallpapers

During my trip to the Lexus F-Sport event in New Jersey, I took over 600 photos — including 350 of the LFA alone — so I thought I would share my favorite three images as desktop wallpapers: Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 …
Kevin · May 20th, 2010

GT Spirit Reviews the Lexus LFA

GTSpirit had a chance to drive the Lexus LFA in Monaco, and they created this fantastic video: Along with the video, there’s an exhaustive review on the GT Spirit website: The Monaco area gave the opportunity to experience the twisting roads in the hills surrounding the small country, but also the Formula 1 race track, …
Kevin · May 20th, 2010

Video Interview with Scott Pruett

One of the best things about attending the Lexus F-Sport event in New Jersey was the chance to meet Scott Pruett, the very successful race car driver that also happens to handle the LFA hot-laps. Scott is such a well spoken and knowledgeable guy, and his insight into the LFA was really something to hear …
Kevin · May 18th, 2010

Driving the Lexus LFA

Picture the most intense, heart-pounding roller-coaster ride of your life, only instead of rails and a cart, you’re strapped into a prototype supercar driven by a race car driver. That was the scene two weeks ago at the New Jersey Motorsports Park, where I found myself in the passenger seat of Lexus USA’s (formerly matte …
Kevin · May 17th, 2010

Lexus LFA Wins SP8 Class in Nürburgring 24h Race

After a grueling and exhaustive 24 hours, the #50 Lexus LFA finished 18th overall and placed 1st in its SP8 (near production) class in the Nürburgring 24h race. The other LFA in the race, #51, didn’t do so well after an extended pitstop that lasted over 11 hours, but did manage to make it back …
Kevin · May 16th, 2010

Nürburgring 24h Race Ready Lexus LFAs

Lexus has released photos of the fully liveried LFAs that will be taking part in this weekend’s 24h Nürburgring race: This image is just pure awesome, I had to crop it up for a wallpaper: Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 There doesn’t look to be a live feed of …
Kevin · May 12th, 2010

Lexus USA F-Sport Promotion in June

Lexus USA has announced there will be a special F-Sport promotion during the month of June — three new option levels have been made available on the IS, IS-C, & GS 350(RWD only): The F-Sport suspension kit will be offered for $1,450, a savings of $549, and will include lowering springs and rear chassis member …
Kevin · May 10th, 2010

Lexus LFA Nürburgring Official U.S. Pricing

Lexus USA has announced the pricing of the limited-edition LFA Nürburgring package, along with the collection of perks that owners can expect: This limited edition LFA will be available in four exterior colors – whitest white, orange, black and matte black complemented by a choice of three interior colors – black, red, and violet.  All …
Kevin · May 10th, 2010

James Martin Reviews the Lexus LFA

Celebrity chef/auto reviewer James Martin recently spent some time with the Lexus LFA: I drove this Lexus LFA up London’s Regent Street and had a procession of kids following me all along the pavement as I slowly made my way. By the time I reached Oxford Circus there were about 40 of them, all glassy-eyed …
Kevin · May 10th, 2010

Lexus Europe Nürburgring Reporter Contest!

Lexus Europe is holding a very special contest to find a reporter to cover the Nürburgring 24h race next weekend: We are looking for a racing enthusiast – a true Lexus supercar fan – to report on the event. Someone who will come along with us and who will keep the rest of the world …
Kevin · May 7th, 2010

Lexus LFA Desktop by Christian Thomas

I’m putting the final polish on the writeup of my Lexus LFA driving experience last week, but in the meantime I wanted to share one of the photos from Christian Thomas, who was the resident photographer at the event — check out this beautiful LFA photo: Select Resolution: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 …
Kevin · May 7th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event Today in New Jersey

Just a reminder that the Lexus F-Sport event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park is happening today—there’s still time to book a spot, but not for much longer. As mentioned last week, I will be at the event all day—in fact, I was at the track today as part of a early preview, where I …
Kevin · April 28th, 2010

Lexus New Jersey F-Sport Event Next Week

A couple weeks back, Lexus USA announced an April 29th F-Sport event at the New Jersey Motor Park, and today, I’m happy to say I will be attending. I didn’t want to miss my chance at a hot-lap in the LFA with Scott Pruett, so I’ll be making the eight-hour drive down to New Jersey …
Kevin · April 21st, 2010

Blue Lexus LFA Spotted

A blue Lexus LFA has been filmed in Japan: This second video has some closeups, along with footage of the interior: Truth be told, I’m generally not a fan of blue, but on the LFA it looks super-fine—here’s the money shot: So we’ve seen white, black, matte-black, red & blue—what color’s next? (My guess: silver.) …
Kevin · April 21st, 2010

Lexus LFA Video from Car & Driver

You may remember last month when Car & Driver took the Lexus LFA out on the track to compile some real-world performance figures on the supercar—well, here’s the video to go along with the stats: (I think the C&D video editor might have spent too much time watching Top Gear’s LFA feature.)
Kevin · April 14th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event at New Jersey Motorsports Park

Lexus will be hosting an F-Sport event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on April 29th—if you’re in the area, here’s your chance to drive the IS F and F-Sport-equipped GS & IS models, and even better, all attendees will have a chance to win a hot-lap in the LFA! Attendance is limited—be sure to …
Kevin · April 5th, 2010

Red Lexus LFA Spotted

At long last, the production Lexus LFA has been spotted in something other than black or white: Some screenshots, because I can’t resist:
Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Lexus LFA Real-World Performance Figures

Since the production Lexus LFA’s introduction last year, the only concrete performance figures we’ve had to go on were the official numbers from Lexus—but that’s all changed now that Car & Driver had a chance to perform some speed tests with the supercar at the Nissan Technical Center in Arizona: At the moment, there’s no …
Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Lexus LFA Takes SP8 Class in 57th ADAC Nürburgring Race

This weekend, the Gazoo Lexus LFA race car took part in the 57th ADAC Westfalenfahrt four-hour race at Nürburgring, where it took 28th place overall and first in the SP8 class. Some photos from the race: The racing team of Iida Akira, Wakisaka Juichi, & Ohshima Kazuya overcame a first lap pitstop and a resulting …
Kevin · March 29th, 2010

Lexus LFAs to Race in Nürburgring 24h Race

The production Lexus LFA will be entering its first professional race when it takes part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race this May. Gazoo Racing will be preparing and fielding two LFAs in the race, where the supercars will be receiving some minor aero-effects: This will mark the third time the LFA has participated in …
Kevin · March 15th, 2010

Lexus LFAs Sold for SGD$1.25M in Singapore

According to the Business Times, Singapore’s allocation of 2 Lexus LFA supercars has been “sold at speed of light” – being spoken for even before the price was announced. Lexus Borneo Singapore received deposits of SGD$80,000 shortly after the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays from two undisclosed customers. The LFA’s price in Singapore has since …
Kevin · March 9th, 2010

Lexus IS 350C F-Sport Special Edition Heading to USA

A Lexus IS 350C F-Sport special edition is on its way to the USA later this month, and will feature the following upgrades over the standard IS 350C: Newly designed 19-inch forged alloy wheels with a wheel lock set and Michelin Pilot Sport 225/35ZR19 tires in the front and 255/35ZR19 tires in the rear Front …
Kevin · March 8th, 2010

Road & Track Reviews the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport

Road & Track has posted their driving impressions of the LS 460 Sport, which features a sport-tuned air suspension, Brembo brakes, and the Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission from the IS-F, all intended to give the Lexus flagship a more performance-oriented demeanor: Seemingly small changes add up to big differences out on the road—especially if …
Kevin · March 1st, 2010

Lexus GS-F in 2013?

Autocar is reporting that the Lexus GS-F is on deck for 2013 and will be powered by the LFA’s V10: Lexus engineers are working on reducing the engine’s capacity by around 200cc to 4.6 litres and power to 450bhp. The idea is to improve low-range torque, although even with the reduced power output the GS-F …
Kevin · February 24th, 2010

On the Road with the Lexus LFA

We saw the video portion of Chris Harris’ Lexus LFA review for EVO Magazine, and now we have the written instalment as shared by Edmunds: The only engine as free-revving and responsive as this that we’ve ever experienced has been the Porsche Carrera GT’s 612-hp 5.7-liter V10. The resemblance is uncanny, from the heavy, lash-free …
Kevin · February 18th, 2010

Lexus LFA & Toyota 2000GT Photoshoot

While looking for a article photo earlier today, I stumbled across this image from Japanese Nostalgic Car: I missed it the first time around, but the folks at Japanese Nostalgic Car managed to secure both the LFA and a 2000GT for a photoshoot after a chance meeting at last year’s SEMA: Like everyone else at …
Kevin · February 15th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Photo Leak

Earlier today, Lexus released a teaser image of the upcoming CT 200h hatchback’s rear tail light—and now we have another photo, this time from the front and extremely blurry—I tried brightening it up a bit: If this photo is accurate, the production model looks to have a more traditional grille and the Lexus Hybrid LED …
Kevin · February 12th, 2010

Four Seasons Lexus IS F Review from Car Magazine

Car Magazine has just wrapped up its Four Seasons review of the Lexus IS-F, and like most of these long-term test drives, it’s interesting to see what the year brings (although it does sound like the author and the IS F fit together like a square peg in a round hole). Read this review
Kevin · February 4th, 2010

Next-Generation Lexus SC Rendering

With the Lexus SC 430 in its final months of production, our attention turns to what happens next—and Top Speed is more than happy to oblige with this rendering of the next-generation SC put together by photochopper Avarvarii: This rendering hits a lot of the right notes—the next generation SC has a lot of potential …
Kevin · February 1st, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event @ Homestead-Miami Speedway

Wednesday’s Lexus F-Sport Event at the Homestead-Miami Speedway has come and gone, but some of those lucky enough to attend have published their photos & videos from the track, including some beautiful LFA shots from Eric Ho: Be sure to check out his full gallery on Flickr—some very nice 1SC & 2GS photos from the …
Kevin · January 29th, 2010

Looking at the 2010 Lexus LS 600hL Instrument Panel

I really love the look of the new TFT instrument panel in the 2010 Lexus LS 600hL: There was also these images from yesterday’s L-Select LS 600hL photo gallery from Japan: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1543”} The IP’s central circle theme is a much cleaner approach than the traditional two dial display, and brings to mind the LFA’s …
Kevin · January 28th, 2010

Lexus LF-Ch Survey Results

If you’re a regular TLE reader, you may remember the LF-Ch online survey that Lexus USA conducted last September—here are the final results: Very clearly, the front-end design is a hit with the 3,281 voters—more than half liked a combination of the front and front 3/4 angles. No surprises here—the LF-Ch is certainly sporty & …
Kevin · January 27th, 2010

Lexus F-Sport Event in Miami This Week

Lexus is hosting an F-Sport event this Wednesday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida—if you’re in the area, get yourself some free tickets and take the the F-Sport IS, GS and the IS F around the track. Even better, one person from every session will be randomly selected to take a lap with Scott Pruett …
Kevin · January 24th, 2010

More Lexus GS-F Rumors

Pistonheads has published some very interesting quotes from Lexus representatives at the Detroit Auto Show about possible applications of the LFA’s V10 engine: “It’s not a straightforward job, because although the V10 is very compact its dry sump design means you have to find space under the bonnet for the oil tank,” said one insider. …
Kevin · January 21st, 2010

Lexus LFA @ The Detroit Auto Show

After a concentrated effort, I finally got through all of my Lexus LFA photos from the Detroit Auto Show—seeing the LFA for the first time was a funny experience. After all the hours writing about it, poring over photos, watching videos, there wasn’t much room for surprise—or so I thought. From a distance, the LFA …
Kevin · January 20th, 2010

Lexus IS F CCS Concept @ Tokyo Auto Salon

Marking the end of a two year rumor, Lexus has debuted the IS F Circuit Club Sports (CCS) concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon—a lightweight IS F with loads of carbon fiber, including the roof, hood, trunk, ground effects—just look at this wild rear wing: Along with the carbon fiber weight savings and a new …
Kevin · January 17th, 2010

Poll Results: Favorite Lexus of the Past Decade

Last week, I asked you to vote for your favorite Lexus of the past decade—510 votes later, here are the results: Ranking 1. Lexus IS F 20% 2. Lexus 2nd Gen IS 16% 3. Lexus 4th Gen LS 13% The IS F received 1 of every 5 votes and took the poll with ease, not …
Kevin · January 7th, 2010

Rumor: Lexus GS F to have LFA V10 Engine

Japanese magazine Best Car is reporting that Lexus is working on a GS F that would pair the current sedan with the LFA’s 4.8L V10 engine. It seems unlikely to be true, especially the idea that Lexus would be working on a variant of the oldest sedan in the lineup, and is probably wishful thinking …
Kevin · December 30th, 2009

Japanese Lexus LFA Commercial!

I wasn’t expecting this—Lexus Japan has released an actual commercial for the LFA: Also from Lexus Japan is this new cut of the LFA’s launch video, featuring new music and some 3D animation of the supercar’s engine and brakes: The Roar of an Angel—what a tagline. (Both of these videos were posted by O.N.O., who …
Kevin · December 17th, 2009

Autoblog Reviews the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport

Autoblog has posted their review of the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the sedan’s newfound sportiness: Approaching the first tight turn along this curvy hillside ribbon of asphalt, we instinctively wanted to tap into the upgraded Brembos to scrub off some momentum. Expecting a fair amount of body roll, …
Kevin · December 16th, 2009

Lexus LFA Review from The Sunday Times

Jason Barlow has reviewed the Lexus LFA for The Sunday Times: You can make up your own mind about the LFA’s looks, but it is aerodynamically efficient, authentically Japanese and more chunky Transformer than curvy Megan Fox. The sci-fi theme continues inside…after 10 minutes of fiddling I felt as befuddled as Bill Murray in Lost …
Kevin · December 13th, 2009

Lexus LFA Sound Gallery

The Lexus LFA mini-site has been updated to include a Sound “Gallery”, where you can listen to the LFA in its various aural states—and lucky for us, Youtube user supercargasm has posted up each soundclip for our listening pleasure: Engine Start Acceleration Full Flight Downshift Every time I almost get used to Lexus having a …
Kevin · December 10th, 2009