Top Ten Lexus Stories of 2012
It’s arrived a couple days later than expected, but my Top Ten Lexus stories of 2012 has just published by Lexus Magazine.
Kevin · January 6th, 2013
Latest News
Lexus Enthusiast Holiday Giveaway Winners
Announcing the Lexus carbon fiber keychain winners.
Kevin · December 28th, 2012
Happy Holidays!
As we enter the festive season, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a safe and happy holidays!
Kevin · December 24th, 2012
Lexus GS NightView Video Demonstration
Before returning the Lexus GS 350 AWD I’ve been driving to Lexus Canada, I put together a short video demonstration of the NightView system.
Kevin · November 23rd, 2012
Photo Gallery: Lexus GS Interior at Night
As my time with the 2013 Lexus GS 350 AWD comes to an end, I was finally able to accurately photograph the interior at night in my latest gallery.
Kevin · October 22nd, 2012
Driving the 2013 Lexus GS 350
Even though I’ve been driving the GS since the beginning of the summer, in some ways the character of a car can only be discovered with an extended journey.
Kevin · September 9th, 2012
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
Lexus Summer Trip: A Visit to Lexus Laval in Quebec
While driving through Quebec on my GS summer road trip, I stopped at Lexus Laval in Laval, a city just north of Montreal.
Kevin · August 28th, 2012
2013 Lexus LS Preview
Earlier this week, I was invited to Palo Alto, California to drive the 2013 Lexus LS, and in the first part of my review, let's get into a technical overview.
Kevin · August 11th, 2012
A Visit to Lexus Downtown in Toronto
Three months ago, I attended the grand opening of the Lexus Downtown dealership in Toronto and was very impressed by the facilities, so I decided to set up a visit.
Kevin · July 3rd, 2012
2013 Lexus ES Preview
Earlier this month, I was invited to Newberg, Oregon, to try out the all-new sixth generation Lexus ES.
Kevin · May 31st, 2012
Photo Gallery: 2013 Lexus GS 350 Visits a Derelict Gas Station
For my first photo gallery with the GS 350, I scoured the city of St.Catharines for a derelict building -- eventually, I lucked out and found this abandoned gas station.
Kevin · May 16th, 2012
Lexus Meet in Toronto Tomorrow
Just a quick note: I’ll be attending the local Lexus meet at the Lexus of Richmond Hill dealership in Toronto tomorrow.
Kevin · April 14th, 2012
Driving the 2012 Lexus CT 200h
Last week, I picked up a 2012 Matador Red Mica Lexus CT 200h from Lexus Canada for a road test, and so far, I’ve been really enjoying my time behind the wheel.
Kevin · April 14th, 2012
Live Coverage from the New York Auto Show
For the next two days, the New York International Auto Show opens its doors to the media, and I'm here at the Javits Center to bring you live Lexus coverage from the show floor.
Kevin · April 4th, 2012
Planes, Trains, & Supercars: A Lexus LFA Owner Visits Japan, Part Two
Here is the second part of the story submitted by a Lexus LFA owner who visited Japan to see the supercar being built at the LFA Works factory.
Kevin · April 1st, 2012
Planes, Trains, & Supercars: A Lexus LFA Owner Visits Japan, Part One
The following article was submitted by a Lexus LFA owner who visited Japan to see the supercar being built at the LFA Works factory and ended up having a once-in-a-lifetime experience -- here is part one of his story.
Kevin · March 31st, 2012
The Desert Challenge: My Weekend with Joe Bacal & His Lexus LX Racer Part Three
For a weekend in January, I became an official member of Joe Bacal’s JTGrey racing team, who are entering the 2012 SCORE off-road season with a brand new LX 570 race truck. The following is the final installment of a three part series detailing my experience.
Kevin · February 26th, 2012
The Desert Challenge: My Weekend with Joe Bacal & His LX Racer Part 2
For a weekend in January, I became an official member of Joe Bacal’s JTGrey racing team, who are entering the 2012 SCORE off-road season with a brand new LX 570 race truck. The following is the second part of a three part series detailing my experience.
Kevin · February 25th, 2012
Lexus Magazine: 2013 Lexus LX 570 Changes
For my latest column in Lexus Magazine, I talk with Paul Williamsen of Lexus College about some new features of the restyled 2013 LX 570.
Kevin · February 2nd, 2012
Happy New Year!
2012 is going to be a big year, both for Lexus and this website — not only is there nine new or updated models to look forward to, but as Lexus Enthusiast enters its fifth year of publication, there’s also going to be some big new site developments to watch out for.
Kevin · December 31st, 2011
Lexus Magazine Article: 2011 Year in Review
For my latest Lexus Magazine article, I picked my five most important Lexus news stories of 2011, with a bonus mention of the Lexus concept set to debut in Detroit.
Kevin · December 29th, 2011
Happy Holidays!
As we gear up for the festive season, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a safe and happy holidays!
Kevin · December 23rd, 2011
2013 Lexus GS 350 Quick Drive
After some issues with my photos, I’m ready to get back into my review of the 2013 Lexus GS with some quick impressions on the GS 350.
Kevin · December 7th, 2011
2013 Lexus GS First Drive Reviews
Over the past three weeks, Lexus has been bringing in automotive journalists from all over the world to the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California, for the global press launch of the all-new fourth-generation GS.
Kevin · November 23rd, 2011
Liveblogging Lexus at SEMA
The SEMA Show opens today, and I'm here in Las Vegas to cover all the Lexus announcements, and there's going to be plenty -- the next-generation GS *F Sport* package, the Five Axis Project GS, VIP Auto Salon's hyper IS-C & Joe Bacal's new LX Racer will all debut today at the Lexus display.
Kevin · November 1st, 2011
Lexus Enthusiast Site Redesign!
Good morning, and welcome to the all-new, all-improved *Lexus Enthusiast* website!
Kevin · November 1st, 2011
Lexus to Debut SEMA Cars from Five Axis & VIP Auto Salon
SEMA starts next Tuesday in Las Vegas, and as part of the tradeshow, Lexus USA will be debuting the 2013 GS 350 F-Sport along with show cars from Five Axis & VIP Auto Salon.
Kevin · October 24th, 2011
New Lexus LFA Driver Development Program in November
Good news for anyone that’s ever wanted to drive the Lexus LFA — I’ve just been told that Lexus USA will be hosting another LFA Driver Development program at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, from November 2-5th.
Kevin · September 28th, 2011
2013 Lexus GS 350 Video Presentation with Akio Toyoda and Mark Templin
It was a crazy day today at the Lexus GS event in Pebble Beach, and what better way to continue my coverage than by featuring the introduction video with Lexus USA General Manager Mark Templin and, surprise of surprises, Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
Kevin · August 19th, 2011
2013 Lexus GS Official Debut Tomorrow!
With less than 24 hours before the much-anticipated reveal of the 2013 Lexus GS in Pebble Beach at Parc du Concours, I wanted to give everyone a breakdown of your options for following the action online.
Kevin · August 18th, 2011
Lexus Magazine Column: Undercover GS
The next generation Lexus GS is almost here, and to mark the occasion, I've put together a brief timeline of all the car's public appearances (accidental or otherwise) for the latest edition of my monthly *Lexus Magazine* column.
Kevin · August 13th, 2011
Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit
Seven years after its original hardcover release, a revised edition of Chester Dawson's book Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit has been released as a paperback, and I have the distinct pleasure of being featured as one of the back cover quotes.
Kevin · July 17th, 2011
Poll Results: What should be the next Lexus F Model?
I've closed the books on our last poll: What should be the next Lexus F Model?
786 of you voted, and here's what the results look like.
Kevin · June 21st, 2011
Driving the 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD
Last week, I picked up a 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD from Lexus Canada HQ for a road test, and so far, I've found it a very easy car to drive fast. I don't know if it's the AWD system or the memory of the LFA driving school, but there's some serious confidence happening in this car.
Kevin · June 17th, 2011
Lexus LF-Gh Desktop Wallpaper: Set to Attack
Out of the few hundred photos I took of the Lexus LF-Gh last week, this photo closeup of the grille & headlight was one of my favorites — so I made it into a desktop to share: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 Pretty mean looking — it …
Kevin · April 24th, 2011
NY Auto Show: Lexus LF-Gh Concept Photo Gallery
With so many Lexus LF-Gh photos already floating around, I thought it might be a good idea to focus on the smaller details of the latest Lexus concept, especially when they’re so visually interesting: The side profile was my favorite angle — by increasing rear headroom & available trunkspace, Lexus has moved to give the …
Kevin · April 22nd, 2011
NY Autoshow: Supercharged Lexus CT by Fox Marketing
From the candy-apple-gold-green color and the wild fender flares right down to the personality behind the build, the supercharged Lexus CT 200h by Fox Marketing featured at the New York Auto Show was packed with character — check out these photos: Brian Fox, the man behind Fox Marketing, is a straight-up wildman, and you can …
Kevin · April 21st, 2011
Lexus LF-Gh Official Reveal Video
While we may have seen photos of the Lexus LF-Gh last week, the concept car was officially revealed tonight at a gallery in New York City — here’s a video of the event along with reaction from some leading design minds: I was lucky enough to attend the reveal, and there’s no question that the …
Kevin · April 19th, 2011
Lexus NY Auto Show Coverage Starts Tomorrow
With the NY Auto Show and the introduction of the brand new LF-Gh concept, it’s going to be a busy week in New York City for Lexus, and I’m going to be here in the city to cover all the events. The fun starts tomorrow morning with a special caravan that’s going to be touring …
Kevin · April 18th, 2011
Lexus LFA Driver Development Program Video
Have to admit, it feels a little surreal linking to this Lexus-produced video of me attending the LFA Driver Development program — feels like I’ve broken the fourth wall: What a day this was — the first comment on the Youtube video page pretty much sums up how I feel. Have to thank everyone that …
Kevin · April 14th, 2011
Lexus LFA Desktop Wallpaper: Through the Back Window
The next Lexus LFA wallpaper is this abstract photo of the Lexus LFA’s interior — I must have taken it through the back window: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 I’ve never had my hands on a better steering wheel in my life, it felt like it was …
Kevin · April 13th, 2011
Lexus LFA Desktop Wallpaper: After the Rain
Now that my Lexus LFA article has been published at Lexus Magazine, I can share some of the photos I took in handy desktop wallpaper format. I’m going to post up one a day this week, starting with this moody shot: Select Resolution: 1920×1080 | 1680×1050 | 1440×900 | 1280×1024 | 1280×800 | 1024×768 The …
Kevin · April 11th, 2011
Photos from Lexus LFA Driver Development Program
While the full story on my experience at the Lexus LFA Driver Development program is still a couple weeks away, Lexus Magazine has published some of my photos from the event — here’s a sample: It didn’t take long for me to start missing the LFA — I can definitely say with some certainty that …
Kevin · March 22nd, 2011
Lexus LFA Driver Development Program Tomorrow
After weeks of anticipation, five hours in a plane, and two hours in a manual transmission IS 250, I arrived in Sonoma, California for the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program, the full day training program at the Infineon Raceway meant to bring LFA owners a better understanding of their new purchase. While I’m here to …
Kevin · March 14th, 2011
Lexus LFA at Infineon Raceway
The Lexus LFA Driver Development Program starts tomorrow at the Infineon Raceway, and to mark the occasion, let’s watch Scott Pruett Justin Bell tackle the course using an LFA equipped with a very impressive tracking system by Video VBOX: Having the full details on LFA’s speed & steering wheel position is going to come in …
Kevin · March 8th, 2011
Site Update: Disqus Comments
In order to bring the comment system some much needed new features, I’ve decided to try out Disqus. Disqus is the same system used by Engadget & Mashable, and makes it easy to respond directly to other comments, along with being able to “like” comments, respond to comments via email, and edit your comments. Besides …
Kevin · March 7th, 2011
Lexus 2010 Year-in-Review
With 2010 coming to a close, there’s no better time to look back on the year that was, so here’s a bullet-point breakdown of the last twelve months: January The year started off strong with a Top Gear review of the Lexus LFA, complete with crazy graphics and the usual badge snobbery. TLE readers voted …
Kevin · December 31st, 2010
Happy Holidays!
The festive season has arrived, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a safe and happy holidays! As can be imagined, things will be quiet over the next few days, but regular posting will resume December 29th with the history of Lexus die-cast models, followed by a look back …
Kevin · December 24th, 2010
TLE Christmas Day 5
It’s Christmas Eve, and time to give away the final gift of the week — the winner of the Lexus LFA t-shirt is…Izzy from the UK! In the end, over 500 people signed up for the TLE Christmas contest — thank you to everyone that entered, and congratulations to all the winners!
Kevin · December 24th, 2010
TLE Christmas Day 4
Today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Richard Estrella of USA, who will be receiving the last silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. As promised, the Christmas Eve t-shirt is something special, and I’m almost reluctant to part with it: This t-shirt was from my LFA experience down in …
Kevin · December 23rd, 2010
TLE Christmas Day 3
We’re halfway though the week, and today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Ednut Meezak of USA, who will be receiving a custom silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. Tomorrow, the last CT 200h t-shirt will be given away, and then Friday it’s time to pick a winner for …
Kevin · December 22nd, 2010
TLE Christmas Day 2
Today’s winner of the TLE T-Shirt giveaway is Monique Knowles of USA, who will be receiving a custom silkscreened Lexus CT 200h t-shirt as a Christmas present this year. Tomorrow, another t-shirt will be given away, and I’m also going to post a little teaser of Friday’s special edition t-shirt. It’s still not too late …
Kevin · December 21st, 2010
TLE Christmas Party
Christmas is fast approaching, and to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, I’ll be giving away a Lexus t-shirt every day next week, from Monday to Christmas Eve! Winners will be randomly selected — there are four custom CT 200h t-shirts that I picked up at the NYC event in September, and then on Christmas Eve …
Kevin · December 18th, 2010
A Visit to Lexus of Henderson
During last month’s visit to Las Vegas, I took the opportunity to get a good look at the newly opened Lexus of Henderson. The dealership is a massive facility and the largest one I’ve ever been to, but it’s not just the size that’s impressive, the design is pure classic — check out the showroom:
Kevin · December 5th, 2010
TLE Site Update
In order to keep things current and make room for some planned improvements, I’ve updated the website design — no major changes, and probably best compared to the 2011 Lexus IS refresh: all the same elements, just a little bit sharper. If things are looking a little weird for you, I suggest clicking your browser …
Kevin · December 1st, 2010
Lexus CT 200h in Black
While on the topic of the Lexus CT 200h, here are a few photos of the black CT 200h taken at the September press launch in France (click for a larger version): The best part about the last picture is that the brick wall is actually the bottom of a castle.
Kevin · November 19th, 2010
Lexus GS 450h Photos: Cryogenic
Down the street from my house is Industrial Cryogenic Enterprises Ltd., which is basically an old, (seemingly) abandoned garage out in the middle of nowhere. Not only does it make me think of cryogenically frozen Futurama heads every time I pass, but it’s also the perfect place to take grunged-out car photos — so that’s …
Kevin · November 12th, 2010
2010 Lexus GS 450h Photos: Electricity
The first set of photos from my time with the 2010 Lexus GS 450h are all about the electricity (click on any image for a larger version): Taking photos with an electrical backdrop was my #1 goal with the GSh, and luckily I had been saving a hydro station for such an occasion. Electro-shock!
Kevin · October 29th, 2010
2010 Lexus GS 450h Review
A few weeks back, I had the chance to spend some time with a 2010 Lexus GS 450h, which stands as one of my favorite models in the lineup. Now, having reviewed the 2009 model last year, my main focus this time around was trying out some new photography techniques, but I did want to …
Kevin · October 27th, 2010
Lexus CT 200h in Daybreak Yellow
Of all the Lexus CT 200h exterior color options, Daybreak Yellow was the last color I expected to like, but seeing it in person changed my mind, at least to a degree — depending on the sun or shade, it could shift from gold to garish in the blink of an eye, and it was …
Kevin · October 19th, 2010
2011 Lexus CT 200h: First Drive
Over the past month, I’ve had two occasions to drive the Lexus CT 200h — first time up was at the NYC stop of the CT 200h World Tour, where I found the CT 200h to be a perfect fit on the busy New York streets, easily absorbing the rough edges of city driving without …
Kevin · October 12th, 2010
Paris Photos: Lexus CT 200h in Smoky Granite Mica
The lights surrounding the Smoky Granite Mica Lexus CT 200h on display at the Paris Motor Show made for some strong contrast: I also ventured out onto the rotating platform for some pics of the interior, which just so happened to be a wild red & black fabric almost impossible to photograph: Much to my …
Kevin · October 4th, 2010
Photos from the NYC Lexus CT 200h Event
While my driving impressions of the Lexus CT 200h will have to stay under wraps until my article is published by Lexus Magazine later this month, I do have some photos to share from the event in NYC this past weekend (click on any image for a larger version): Like anything in New York, space …
Kevin · September 14th, 2010
Lexus CT 200h Event in New York City
Two Lexus CT 200h prototypes are making their way around North America, and this weekend’s stop will be High Line Park in New York City. This event, which is one of just four tour stops in the US, is open to everyone, and provides an unique opportunity to drive Lexus’ newest hybrid months before its …
Kevin · September 8th, 2010
Lexus CT 200h Event in Toronto This Weekend
Just a reminder that the black & red Lexus CT 200h’s will be debuting tonight in Toronto as part of a Lexus-sponsored concert weekend — here’s the flyer: The fun starts at 7pm, and I’ll be there early to take some CT photos — can’t wait to see it in Matador Red Mica. Photos to …
Kevin · August 27th, 2010
TLE Featured in Lexus Magazine
Here’s something different — Lexus Magazine has published a feature on this very website: [The Lexus Enthusiast]’s key service is to continually aggregate the sea of information out there about Lexus models—your model, or the model you’d like to make your own. By his own admission, site editor Kevin R.E. Watts sifts through a thousand …
Kevin · July 23rd, 2010
Keeping Perspective on Lexus Recall
Bloomberg is reporting that Lexus has been aware of the engine problems behind the recent recall since 2007: The carmaker received the first customer complaints in March 2007 in Japan regarding defective valve springs that may cause engines to stall, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said by phone today from Tokyo. The problem occurs when foreign …
Kevin · July 7th, 2010