Next-Generation Lexus IS Teased in New Video
Lexus has released a new teaser video of the next-generation Lexus IS.
Kevin · December 20th, 2012
Latest News
Lexus GS Summer Road Trip
It’s the last weekend of summer, and Lexus Magazine has published the story of my GS 350 road trip from Ottawa to Montreal.
Kevin · September 2nd, 2012
2013 Lexus ES Available with Intelligent High Beams
For the first time, the Lexus ES will be offered with automatic high beams.
Kevin · June 14th, 2012
Lexus Magazine Profile on Shuichi Ozaki, Vehicle Performance Tester
Lexus Magazine is running a great profile on Shuichi Ozaki, a Lexus “Meister” whose job “is to identify, safeguard, and optimize the mix of emotions that create the uniquely human appeal of the new GS —- and all Lexus vehicles.”
Kevin · February 27th, 2012
New Information on the Lexus LF-LC Concept
After accidentally leaking a video of the Lexus LF-LC concept weeks before its scheduled reveal at the Detroit Auto Show, Road & Track has followed up with an exclusive pre-show feature about the Lexus concept, with early photos and details.
Kevin · January 4th, 2012
Lexus LFA Featured on Apple Website
On a day spent transfixed by Apple’s latest announcement, I was reminded that the Lexus LFA has been featured on the Apple website.
Kevin · October 4th, 2011
Lexus IS F-Sport Featured on Two Guys Garage
For those with The Speed Channel, Two Guys Garage will be installing a selection of F-Sport parts on a Lexus IS 250 tomorrow — should be interesting to anyone curious about the modifying their Lexus using OEM parts. Showtimes may vary, please check the Speed Channel website for further details. Check the Speed Channel Schedule
Kevin · May 3rd, 2011
Lexus LF-Gh Equipped with Night Vision?
TLE reader Vogel spotted something interesting in one of the Lexus LF-Gh interior photos — it looks like the concept might just be equipped with Night Vision. Here’s the button in question, highlighted in red: Not much to look at, but here it is zoomed up: Compare it with this Night Vision button from a …
Kevin · April 15th, 2011
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
Lexus LS 460 & Hideki Watanabe in Kyoto
There’s a wonderful photo-essay on Lexus Magazine by Doug Knox & Andrew Shaylor that takes you through Kyoto, Japan in a LS 460 driven by Chief Engineer, Hideki Watanabe—some example shots: Many miles later and comfortably at one with the LS, Watanabe patiently takes me to school, explaining how his team managed to eke out …
Kevin · April 19th, 2010
TLE Exclusive Interview with Lexus CT 200h Chief Designer
Yesterday, I posted an interview-by-email with the Chief Engineer of the new Lexus CT 200h that was arranged by Lexus Europe during the Geneva Auto Show—and now today I bring you a Q&A with the Lexus CT 200h’s Chief Designer, Takeshi Tanabe, about the challenges of translating the LF-Ch concept into a production model: TLE: …
Kevin · April 6th, 2010
Exclusive Interview with Lexus CT 200h Chief Engineer
Although I wasn’t able to attend the Geneva auto show and see the Lexus CT 200h debut in person, I did get a very special chance to virtually interview the two men central to the creation of Lexus’ new hatchback model. By way of the good folks at Lexus Europe, I sent questions by email …
Kevin · April 6th, 2010
Lexus RX 450h Service Appointment
Last week, right before my long-term Lexus RX 450h loaner was set to be returned to Lexus Canada, I had the opportunity to bring it to my local Lexus dealership, Performance Lexus in St. Catharines, Ontario, for its 8,000km oil change.
Kevin · March 17th, 2010
2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Review: Week 8
Even with the winter weather, one of the real pleasures during my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h has been driving at night. It all starts with the on-demand all-wheel drive system—there hasn’t been a single slip, really nothing more than a flash of the yellow traction light, and that brings a lot of …
Kevin · February 7th, 2010
Lexus RX 450h Long Term Review: Week 5
I’m now halfway through my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h— after six weeks, the interior controls and options has become second nature, and that familiarity has increased my appreciation of the design decisions throughout the cabin, particularly with the steering wheel layout.
Kevin · January 26th, 2010
2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Weeks 2 & 3
Travelled: 1077km (669 miles) Gas Mileage: 8.8l/100kms (26.7 mpg) The second and third week of my 2010 Lexus RX 450h road test blended in together as I powered through day after day of holiday visiting, a pile of snow and ice, and a lengthy head cold. It was in this blur of activity that I …
Kevin · January 4th, 2010
2010 Lexus RX 450h Long Term Report: Week 1
Last week, I took the delivery of my first long-term road test vehicle from Lexus Canada—a 2010 Smoky Granite Mica RX 450h: This is the full deal—an RX 450h with the Ultra Luxury package that includes Heads-Up Display, rear entertainment system, LED headlights, and fifteen-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. As far as I can tell, …
Kevin · December 21st, 2009
Spending Time with the 2010 Lexus HS 250h
Recently, I had a chance to get a quick look at a Lexus HS 250h prototype that was being used to develop dealership training materials by the people at Lexus Canada. Glenn Alkema of the Lexus Academy was nice enough to give me a tour of the new hybrid, which will be introduced here in …
Kevin · August 31st, 2009
Lexus IS-F Photo Gallery: In Paris (Ontario)
During my time with the Lexus IS-F, I would jump at the chance to drive pretty much anywhere, so my wife took advantage and had us on the road to Paris, Ontario so that she could buy yarn at some craft store. I took the long way though some nice rural roads, and after a …
Kevin · August 2nd, 2009
Lexus IS-F Photo Gallery: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a small town in Southern Ontario, full of historical significance and now home to some of the finest wine country in Canada. Over the last few years, a new collection of exceptionally modern looking wineries have been cropping up, and I thought it the perfect backdrop to some IS-F photos: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1271”} (Really …
Kevin · July 27th, 2009
Lexus IS-F Week
Earlier this month, I picked up a 2009 Lexus IS-F from Lexus Canada, and over the course of a week, had the most fun I’ve ever had in a car. Everything happens very fast with the IS-F—I only had to drive Lexus’ super sedan five seconds before I knew it was something special, and a …
Kevin · July 27th, 2009
2009 Lexus LX 570 Review
The 2009 Lexus LX 570 is, at its very heart, a contradictory vehicle. After all, Lexus’ flagship SUV attempts to bridge together two contrary styles — ultimate luxury and ultimate utility. It seats eight, yet has a fixed rear axle and can tow up to 8,500 lbs(3,856 kg). It’s packed with every conceivable automotive luxury …
Kevin · July 10th, 2009
Lexus LX 570 Wallpapers: In the Wilderness
At the request of the TLE regulars, I’ll be posting a couple of Lexus LX 570 wallpaper collections, starting off with three all taken at the same location: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768
Kevin · July 10th, 2009
Lexus LX 570 Photo Gallery: Macros
After a few busy weeks, I will finally be posting my Lexus LX 570 review today, but first, I wanted to share a somewhat unusual photo gallery, compiled from my 1,200 shots of Lexus’ flagship SUV: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1246”} For whatever reason, I’m always taking up-close, in-tight photos of the smallest details—I attribute it to being …
Kevin · July 10th, 2009
2010 Lexus GX Photochop
One of the things throwing me off with the leaked 2010 Lexus GX photos was that, well, they weren’t Lexus GX photos at all, but the Toyota equivalent, the Land Cruiser Prado. To better picture the GX, I spent some time photoshopping a Lexus grille on the front end: It’s probably the fact that the …
Kevin · July 3rd, 2009
Driving the Lexus RX 450h & Lexus IS 350C
This past Friday, I attended a Lexus Canada press event in Kingston, Ontario, where I had the opportunity to test out the 2010 RX 450h and the IS 350C convertible. After an a quick briefing, we all loaded up into our first vehicle of the day and set out on a route through the surrounding …
Kevin · June 23rd, 2009
24 Hours Left to Enter Lexus Enthusiast Anniversary Contest
Just wanted to remind everyone that there’s only 24 hours left to enter The Lexus Enthusiast Second Anniversary Contest—winners will be announced tomorrow at 3PM EST (7:00 UTC). Anyone from the USA, Canada or the European Union can enter, with prizes provided by VAIS Technology, Sewell Lexus, Bel-Air Lexus and Lexus UK. For full details …
Kevin · June 4th, 2009
Lexus Enform Video Demonstration
This video preview of the Lexus HS 250h by The First Lemming has something we haven’t seen before, an actual demonstration of the new Lexus Enform telematic system: The demonstration is obviously a simple case—the drivers could have entered the destination directly into the navigation—but it’s hard to discount the exceptional convenience that this voice …
Kevin · June 2nd, 2009
Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: IS-Convertible Action
With the Lexus IS-C arriving at dealerships this month, I thought it only fitting to put together a desktop wallpaper showing the convertible roof in action: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Pretty amazing to consider that it only takes 20 seconds for the roof to retract.
Kevin · May 14th, 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 …
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 …
Kevin · April 28th, 2009
Welcome Lexus Pursuit Visitors!
I would like to extend a welcome to everyone visiting the site by way of Lexus USA’s monthly Lexus Pursuit newsletter. Thank you for visiting! There’s plenty of news stories making the rounds right now, here’s a selection of articles you might find interesting: Is this the 2010 Lexus ES? Production-Ready Lexus LFA rumored to …
Kevin · April 23rd, 2009
2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Review
The Lexus IS has a special place in my heart. It was the first Lexus I ever drove, back in 2000. It was my birthday, and my future-wife surprised me with a lengthy test drive of a yellow first-generation IS 300, courtesy of Performance Lexus in St. Catharines. I had only just received my driver’s …
Kevin · April 12th, 2009
2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD Photo Gallery
In the time I spent with the Lexus IS 250, I only had a point-and-shoot Canon to take photos with—luckily my friend Billy Plante came out and took some picks as well. Here are the best shots: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1083”}
Kevin · April 12th, 2009
Lexus Wallpaper of the Week: LS Generations Part Two
To celebrate Lexus’ 20th anniversary, Club Lexus member Encore888 created a desktop wallpaper showcasing the four generations of the LS: 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 For comparison, there was a similar wallpaper featured last year, though with this head-on angle, it’s much easier to see how each generation built on the …
Kevin · April 9th, 2009
Spending Time with the 2009 Lexus IS 250 AWD
Early this morning, I made my way to Toyota Canada’s corporate HQ outside of Toronto and took possession of a Lexus IS 250 for review. It’s the AWD config, an automatic, with Truffle Mica exterior and Ecru leather interior, a very flattering combination. The rest of the day was spent powering through highway traffic and …
Kevin · March 30th, 2009
Dedicated Lexus Hybrid = Hybrid ES?
In a short interview with Bloomberg, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin reiterated what he told the Free Press a couple days ago, though with a little more detail: “There is a whole section of the population that wants something different, and that’s high-efficiency,” Lexus general manager Mark Templin said in an interview at the Detroit …
Kevin · January 18th, 2008
Lexus in 2007: A Brief Recap
Right from the very start, 2007 was a year of controversy for Lexus. In January, the Detroit Auto Show saw the introduction of the IS-F and the F-Sport line. The F-Division is meant to be Lexus’ answer to Mercedes’ AMG and BMW’s M-Division, and it was a move that was criticized from all angles over …
Kevin · December 31st, 2007
TPP’s Ten Most Popular Lexus Stories of 2007
2007 is almost over, and having given myself up to a period of reflection, I thought a recap of the year’s ten most popular stories would be in order. Without further ado: 10. Additional Footage of the Lexus LF-A at Nürburgring This Youtube footage of the Lexus LF-A zooming around Nürburgring was one of my …
Kevin · December 30th, 2007
Two Tuned Lexus Models from the Upcoming SEMA 2007
As previously mentioned, this year’s SEMA event will showcase nine Lexus models tuned up by aftermarket companies. Most of these companies make little or no mention of this fact on their websites, but two of the tuners have put up some teaser images: Blitz Tuned Lexus GS 430 The Blitz GS hasn’t gone over the …
Kevin · September 25th, 2007
Site News: Most Popular, Latest Comments, & A WSJ Mention
With comments picking up and some of my older posts drawing in daily traffic, I have added links to the latest comments and most popular posts to the sidebar, underneath the category links. *** Though I’m sure it’s probably automated, my site has been linked to from a Wall Street Journal article dealing with strategic …
Kevin · September 16th, 2007
The White Lexus IS-F Revelation
After yesterday’s lengthy post examining Lexus’ decision to create their F-Division, I was left with an uncomfortable feeling, and it was quite clear to me where it was coming from. There is, and will always be, a distinct difference between theory and practice, and while I think it’s important for Lexus as a brand to …
Kevin · September 13th, 2007
Lexus: Why the F?
A very interesting discussion is ongoing at The Truth About Cars, and what started out as an editorial criticizing the new IS-F’s marketing campaign has blossomed into a much deeper debate: Why does Lexus have a performance division at all? To be fair, the question does open up considerably, casting the same doubts onto Mercedes/AMG, …
Kevin · September 12th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: GX 470
At first, the latest part in my Lexus Body Kit Series seemed to be taking the same road as my last feature, the ES 350, which yielded no kits at all. However, it turns out that there are a couple body kits for the GX 470. Two of the kits come from Toyota, built for …
Kevin · September 11th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: ES 350
My initial thought was to pass over it without mention, but the more I think about it, it’s quite surprising that the ES 350 has absolutely no body kits. Why is that? I think the major reason has to be that the ES 350 is no longer available in Japan, where most Lexus kits come …
Kevin · September 1st, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: SC 430
The next part of my Lexus Body Kit Series is up, this time for the SC 430. For a car closing in on seven years of production, and a purported sports coupe at that, there’s surprisingly few body kits to choose from, and the kits that are available are low in options, with most consisting …
Kevin · August 24th, 2007
TPP Improvements
With the rather exciting interest my Lexus Body Kit Series has been generating, this site has started to grow in traffic significantly, and now seems like the perfect time to start rolling out some planned site improvements. If my estimations are correct, there are over twenty-five changes and features in the pipeline, which I will …
Kevin · August 18th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: IS 250/350/220d
For the fourth part of my Lexus Body Kit Series, I bring you the IS 250/350/220d. I was surprised to find that the IS 250/350/220d had less body kits available than the third-gen GS, as I was expecting far, far more. Thinking on it, I figure it must have something to do with the great …
Kevin · August 17th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: GS 300/350/430/450h
I’ve just posted the third part of my Lexus Body Kit Series, the GS 300/350/430/450h. With eighteen different body kits, it was the largest collection so far. Most are in the VIP style, evidenced by the tilted rear wheels. The additional styling brought by the kits change the GS appearance significantly, and bring a much …
Kevin · August 13th, 2007
Lexus Model Timeline
By setting out to post my Lexus Body Kit Series in reverse chronology, it was necessary for me to put together a timeline to keep track of the when & whats. After compiling the list (with ample help from Wikipedia), it made for an interesting document, so I decided to add it to the site. …
Kevin · August 13th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: RX 330/350/400h
The second part of my Lexus Body Kit Series has been posted, this time with the
Kevin · August 9th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series: LS 460/460L/600hL
The first vehicle to be featured in my new Body Kit series is the Lexus LS 460/460L/600hL. If anything can be said about the majority of the available body kits for Lexus’ latest flagship model, it would be that they exhibit a very strong subtlety. None of the kits change the vehicle’s look substantially, and …
Kevin · August 6th, 2007
The Lexus Body Kit Series
With the site now more than two months old, I believe it’s time to introduce my first large-scale project: to document each and every body kit available to Lexus owners. My intention is work my way back in reverse chronology, beginning with the LS 460/460L/600hL and ending with Lexus’ first release, the LS 400. The …
Kevin · August 6th, 2007
Site of the Week: Autopia
If you’re anything of a car buff, and I’m going to assume you are, you’ve probably already come across this week’s site: Autopia. In a nutshell, it’s the place to go when you want to get your car in tip-top shape, inside and out. When I bought the Lexus last year, I spent days here, …
Kevin · July 28th, 2007
New Feature: Site of the Week
Today marks the beginning of a new feature: Site of the Week. There’s a multitude of valuable websites out there, and it’s going to be hard choosing just one a week. Admittedly, they won’t all be exclusively Lexus, but each one will relate back to our favourite car brand. If you have any suggestions,please contact …
Kevin · July 13th, 2007
Lexus LS 460 Hold Button Demonstation
Youtube user h4×0r0x was nice enough to post a demonstration of rather unique LS series feature found on the steering wheel, namely the Hold button: As you can see, this button allows you to hold your brakes, meaning that you can rest your feet while at a stoplight. In essence, we’re looking at the anti-cruise …
Kevin · June 12th, 2007