Lexus Nürburgring 24h Race Open Thread

After much anticipation, the Nürburgring 24h Race weekend is here! I'll be updating throughout the weekend with any news I come across, and I encourage everyone to post links and updates in the comments section.
Kevin · June 24th, 2011

Lexus LFA Places 5th Overall in VLN5 Nürburgring Race

It was quite an eventful weekend for racing -- not only did both the Le Mans 24h Race and the Canadian Grand Prix turn in spectacular results, but the #111 Lexus LFA (and drivers Iida Akira, Oshima Kazuya & Ishiura Hiroaki) won the SP8 class on their way to placing 5th overall in the latest edition of the VLN Nürburgring series. This is the best overall result for the Gazoo team since they started racing LFAs in 2008.
Kevin · June 13th, 2011

The Latest Lexus UK Events

Lexus UK is kicking off summer with a display at the 2011 London Motorexpo held at Canary Wharf from June 6-12. Their Pearl Blue LFA will be in attendance, as will the CT 200h. Sadly, only the CT is available for test drives.
Kevin · June 7th, 2011

Rumor: Lexus Working on LFA II

According to Japanese magazine Best Car (by way of leblogauto), Lexus is now working on a new LFA special edition meant to be even more performance-oriented than the Nürburgring Edition package.
Kevin · June 1st, 2011

Lexus LFA Wins SP8 Class in Nürburgring VLN4 Race

The #119 Lexus LFA finished first in the SP8 class and 17th overall at this weekend's VLN 4 race at Nürburgring. Two LFAs started the race, but #111 LFA ended up with a busted suspension after a collision in the first corner.
Kevin · May 31st, 2011

TTAC Reviews the 2011 Lexus IS-F

I've really been enjoying the Lexus reviews over at The Truth About Cars, and the latest review of the 2011 IS-F by Jack Baruth is no different.
Kevin · May 26th, 2011

Kyle Busch Caught Doing 128 mph in Lexus LFA

Apparently caught up in a perfect moment, Nascar driver Kyle Busch was clocked doing 128 mph in 4 5mph zone while driving a Lexus LFA in Troutman, North Carolina.
Kevin · May 24th, 2011

Lexus Video Tribute to LX 570 Racer Joe Bacal

Lexus released a wonderful tribute to off-road racer Joe Bacal, who endured through Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on his way to winning the SCORE Off-Road Championship and the Baja 1000 in the Stock Full class behind the wheel of an Lexus LX 570: A truly amazing story, and an inspiration to us all — you can follow …

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Kevin · May 10th, 2011

Lexus IS F to Race in Superstars Series This Weekend

When the second round of the Superstars Series Touring Car Championship kicks off this weekend with a race at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, Lexus fans will have a new team to cheer for — Diego Romanini & MN Motorsport have entered the race with a IS F, where it will be the …

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Kevin · May 6th, 2011

Helicopter Chase Scene with Lexus IS F

What do you get when you combine “a gorgeous girl, an arrogant rich boyfriend, a helicopter chase, and a Wald Lexus IS-F with custom forged 3-piece wheels and custom exhaust”? This short film by In Sixth Gear: Laughed out loud at the little hand flip there at the end — brilliantly done. (Thanks Franklin!)
Kevin · May 5th, 2011

Lexus CT Race Challenge Videos

A couple weeks ago during the Australian Grand Prix festivities, there was a celebrity race using only Lexus CT 200hs — and now today we can watch the two fifteen minute races in full: Even with everyone driving the exact same car, I found the whole thing surprisingly entertaining — though I have to admit, …

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Kevin · April 17th, 2011

Lexus LFA Official Pace Car of the Grand Prix Long Beach

The Lexus LFA will be the official pace car this weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, and it’s been done up in a white & black wrap that looks straight from the Gazoo Racing Nürburgring LFAs. Scott Pruett will be the man behind the wheel — it’s bound to be a fun …

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Kevin · April 15th, 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 …

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Kevin · April 14th, 2011

A Lexus LFA Joy Ride with Inside Line

I was trying to wait until Inside Line concluded their Lexus LFA coverage this week before posting about their adventures, but there’s just been so many it’s been hard to keep track! The first thing I’ll link to is this video of their run up the Glendora Mountain Road in California — what a fantastic …

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Kevin · April 14th, 2011

Stunning HD Video of Lexus LFA in VLN 1 Nürburgring Race

While the Lexus LFA appearances are sporadic at best, this seven minute video from last week’s VLN series opener at Nürburgring is great viewing on quality alone: Whenever I see the LFA out on the track, I always startled by how futuristic it looks compared to the competition, and how it really doesn’t remind me …

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Kevin · April 10th, 2011

TOM’s Planning Lexus CT 200h Body Kit & Exhaust System?

According to the CT 200h Club of Malaysia, long-time Japanese Lexus tuner TOM’s is looking into creating a CT 200h body kit — here’s some mockups: The kit follows the pattern set by the Modellista body kit with a fairly plain front and a rear diffuser, though the TOM’s rendition is more angular. TOM’s does …

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Kevin · April 6th, 2011

More Photos of Lexus LFA in the VLN Season Opener

TLE Friend Thomas Biesenbach was kind enough to send over a few more photos of the white #111 Lexus LFA that took part in the VLN race season opener at the Nürburgring this past weekend (click any image for a larger image): I especially liked this one, here it is in some desktop dimensions: Select …

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Kevin · April 4th, 2011

Lexus LFA Races in VLN Nürburgring Season Opener

A Gazoo Racing Lexus LFA took part in this weekend’s 4-hour VLN 1 race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with disappointing results. After finishing the 20th overall in qualifying (the fastest non-German car in the race), a run-in with a Porsche 911 took the team of Iida Akira, Kinoshita Takayuki & Ishiura Hiroaki out of main …

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Kevin · April 3rd, 2011

Lexus IS F Racing the Fuji Speedway

The Fuji Speedway is a an central part of Lexus‘ new sporting history, with the F-Sport performance brand named after Japan’s most famous racetrack — here’s a nicely done IS F video that shows every twist and turn of the course: Love the slide around the :55 mark — must have watched it five times …

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Kevin · March 31st, 2011

Lexus CT 200h @ Australian Grand Prix

The Lexus CT 200h Celebrity F1 challenge took place last night in Melbourne, Australia, and when the dust settled, the podium saw Australian celebrities Sav Rocca, Corbin Harris & Luke Ricketson finishing first, second & third respectively. Lexus was also big on advertising during the actual Australian Grand Prix — I took some photos on …

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Kevin · March 27th, 2011

Racing with Joe Bacal & his Lexus LX 570

Joe Bacal and his Lexus LX 570 took part in the San Felipe 250 off-road race last weekend, and while the team was unable to place in the final results, they did post some rumbling in-car video from the start of the race — I’m amazed just how close the spectators are to the track. …

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Kevin · March 20th, 2011

Quick Impressions of the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program

Today I attended the Lexus LFA Driver Development Program at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, and while I don’t want to give away too much in advance of my Lexus Magazine article on the event, I did want to share some brief impressions. I started off the day’s driving by hitting 118mph (190km/h) on …

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Kevin · March 15th, 2011

Lexus LFA Donuts with Scott Pruett

Although it turned out that the previous LFA video with Scott Pruett was actually filmed at the Auto Club Speedway and not the Infineon Raceway, Lexus’ tame racing driver did log some time at the Sonoma, California racetrack during a recent Lexus owners event — in fact, he was filmed by a variety of onlookers …

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Kevin · March 9th, 2011

Joe Bacal’s Lexus LX 570 Set to Race This Weekend

Lexus USA has announced that it will be the primary sponsor of Joe Bacal and JTGrey Racing’s LX 570 as they work for their second SCORE Stock Full Championship. The full sponsorship is just reward for the dominating performance that the JTGrey Racing team turned in during the 2010 season — taking first in four …

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Kevin · March 8th, 2011

Full Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package Details

Lexus Europe has released the full details on the LFA Nürburgring package that’s set to debut at next week’s Geneva auto show — there’s plenty to go over, first here’s a quote from the press release: To improve track driving even further, the aerodynamic performance of the LFA with the Nürburgring package will be modified …

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Kevin · February 22nd, 2011

Lexus LFA Driver Development Program

Lexus announced today that it will be offering a full-day Lexus LFA driver development program at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, from March 8 to 15. This unique opportunity is for current LFA owners, potential LFA owners or any sports car enthusiast that wants a full day of high-performance driving behind the wheel of the …

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Kevin · February 11th, 2011

Lexus IS Precision Tour Dates

After taking December & January off, the Lexus IS Precision Tour will be starting back up in February with stops at some of the USA’s best tracks — here’s a full listing: Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California Saturday, February 19, 2011 Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California Saturday, February 26, 2011 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas …

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Kevin · January 28th, 2011

Details on the Lexus LFA Launch Control

Although we’ve known for some time that the Lexus LFA is equipped with Launch Control, details have been far & few between. This system, which optimizes fast starts off the line by holding the transmission at a higher RPM, is essential for racing and providing the best track times. Now, with the first production models …

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Kevin · January 26th, 2011

Lexus Australia Sponsors World’s First Hybrid-Only Race

As part of their CT 200h launch, Lexus Australia will be sponsoring the Celebrity Challenge race during the 2011 F1 Australian Grand Prix: The Lexus CT 200h Celebrity Challenge will feature 27 all-new Lexus CT 200h hybrids racing around Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit this March. Significantly, the Celebrity Challenge will be the first hybrid-only race …

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Kevin · January 18th, 2011

Tokyo Auto Salon: Lexus IS-F Club Performance Accessory by TRD

In addition to the IS-F CCS-R concept, Lexus is also displaying the IS-F Club Performance Accessory at the Tokyo Auto Salon, which is sporting performance parts from Toyota tuner TRD — once again, here’s some photos from AutoGuide’s prolific Colum Wood: Here’s the full list of accessories: Dino over at SpeedHunters also posted a photo …

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Kevin · January 14th, 2011

Lexus IS-F CCS-R Racing Concept at Tokyo Auto Salon

Lexus has unveiled the IS-F CCS-R racing concept at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon — here are some photos from Autoguide’s Colum Wood: The IS-F CCS-R, or IS-F Circuit Club Sports Racer, is tuned for the track, with a gutted interior, a roll-cage, and plenty of carbon fiber, which was used for the front splitter, …

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Kevin · January 14th, 2011

Lexus LFA Donuts with Scott Pruett

Here’s a quirky Lexus LFA feature from Autoweek Magazine, featuring Scott Pruett really hooning it up behind the wheel: Amazing to think of all the miles Scott has put on these LFA prototypes — after all that tough work, it’s good to see him having a little fun on the job. (Thanks RollaXRS!)
Kevin · January 11th, 2011

Lexus IS F Nürburgring 24h Race GT5 Documentary

One of the videos included with the PS3 game Gran Turismo 5 is this 30+ minute documentary detailing GT5 creator Kazunori Yamauchi’s experience driving a Lexus IS-F in the Nürburgring 24h race — get comfortable and hit play, it’s worth it: In the end, Yamauchi-san and the World Car Award team finished 59th overall — …

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Kevin · January 11th, 2011

Two Lexus IS-Fs to Join Superstars Series

Two Lexus IS-Fs will be joining the surging Superstars Series touring car championship — from Touring Car Times: Lexus is set to become the tenth manufacturer represented on the Superstars grid for 2011. The team MN Lexus Racing has announced plans to enter a pair of Lexus IS-F in the championship this year. The Italian …

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Kevin · January 5th, 2011

2011 Lexus IS F Competes in Car & Driver’s Lightning Lap

The 2011 Lexus IS F took part in Car & Driver’s annual Lightning Lap at the Virginia International Raceway, and found that the freshly revised sedan has really stepped up its game: Three years back, an IS F turned a less-than-impressive 3:14.0. We said then, “A little attention to springs and damping might make this …

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Kevin · January 2nd, 2011

Massive Lexus Die-Cast Model Collection

Today, I would like to share a very special article from Eric Janssen, a retired Sales & PR Manager from Lexus Belgium, who has been collecting Lexus models since the very introduction of the brand, and was gracious enough to share a full history and photos of his collection. The history of Lexus scale models …

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Kevin · December 29th, 2010

GT5 Lexus LFA Magazine Article

By now, we’ve all seen shots of the Lexus LFA cruising around the world of Gran Turismo 5, but here’s a unique take by GT Planet member Alejandro Gomez, who has created a full magazine article using only screenshots (click the pages to see a larger version): A brilliant job by Mr. Gomez — a …

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Kevin · December 3rd, 2010

Gran Turismo 5 Lexus LFA Video

Just in case you haven’t the Lexus LFA tearing up the track in Gran Turismo 5 yet, here’s a video by CoolColJ24 that shows the LFA buying process in the game and its dealer demo: Here’s a quick preview of the new photo creation option, along with a full behind-the-wheel lap of Nürburgring: I bought …

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Kevin · November 29th, 2010

Lexus IS F: Gran Turismo 5 vs. Reality

With Gran Turismo 5 being released today, auto writer Dan Lyons tells the story of his experience racing with Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi at this year’s Nürburgring 24h race, and how their laptimes compared in GT5: …while Yamauchi was playing out one of his dreams – to drive in a real Nürburgring 24-hour race …

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Kevin · November 24th, 2010

Joe Bacal’s Lexus LX 570 Tire Test

While on the topic of Joe Bacal’s Lexus LX 570, here’s a look at the super-modified SUV testing out a new set of tires: What a monster.
Kevin · November 22nd, 2010

Joe Bacal’s Lexus LX 570 Wins Baja 1000 Race

JTGrey Racing’s Lexus LX 570 has won the Stock Full class of SCORE Baja 1000 after a hard-fought race that saw plenty of adversity for Joe Bacal & his team: “I felt great and we were making excellent time until a wheel came loose around mile 180,” said Bacal. “The loose wheel caused some damage …

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Kevin · November 22nd, 2010

Lexus to Join Australia’s V8 Supercars Racing Series?

Fans of the Australian V8 Supercar series may one day see a Lexus lined up beside the Holdens and Fords: Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus could be on the V8 Supercar grid in 2012 under the category’s new Car of the Future rules, which aim to remove the stranglehold that Holden and Ford have on the …

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Kevin · November 18th, 2010

Lexus Gran Turismo 5 Car List

To say I’m excited about the upcoming release of Gran Turismo 5 would be an extreme understatement, and now these in-game screenshots of the Lexus LFA have me calculating the seconds until the game hits stores on November 24th: The LFA isn’t the only Lexus available in GT5, here’s the full list of the eighteen …

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Kevin · November 16th, 2010

Hiromu Naruse on the First-Gen Lexus IS Development

Stumbled on an insightful speech given by the late Hiromu Naruse, Master Test Driver of Toyota, at a Toyota Altezza/Lexus IS 300 owners event at the Fuji Speedway in 2007 — here are some direct quotes that detail his part in the car’s development: After enhancing the rigidity, I test drove 2,000 km for two …

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Kevin · November 16th, 2010

Lexus LFAs at Fuji Speedway

During a recent visit to the Fuji Speedway, JDM news site 7Tune stumbled onto two Lexus LFAs performing some “secret” track testing, and managed to snap a few photos: The exact reasons for the tests wasn’t revealed, but the lack of a center cap in this photo suggests it may have something to do with …

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Kevin · November 9th, 2010

Lexus IS Precision Tour in New York

If you’re anywhere near Monticello Motor Club in New York, I have some excellent news — this Saturday, Lexus USA is kicking off the IS Precision Tour, which means track-time with both the 2011 IS 350 & IS F! There will be six two-hour sessions throughout the day, and one lucky participant from each group …

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Kevin · November 8th, 2010

Video Tribute to Hiromu Naruse

Lexus has published a touching video tribute to Toyota Chief Test Driver, Hiromu Naruse: The very core of Toyota’s sporting hertiage, Naruse-san will be deeply missed by the company and all of its fans. May he rest in peace.
Kevin · November 4th, 2010

Lexus LFA Footage from Forza Motorsports 3

Tomorrow, the Lexus LFA will be available in the Forza Motorsport 3 Ultimate Collection, and we’re now starting to see footage from the game, including this pretty flawless run around Circuit de la Sarthe: Check out the detail in these screenshots: Even the interior is fully detailed (minus the key): As mentioned earlier this month, …

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Kevin · October 25th, 2010

Car & Driver Video: Lexus LFA & Ferrari 599 HGTE

Car & Driver has posted a video featuring the Lexus LFA & a Ferrari 599 HGTE driving through Wales: The video’s all well and good, but what’s with this quote?: [The LFA] has got a fantastic chassis, great steering that’s Ferrari-like, chassis is really well balanced, tons of grip, tons of downforce, fantastic carbon-ceramic brakes, …

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Kevin · October 21st, 2010

Lexus LFAs Racing in the Rain

First there was this photo of Akio Toyoda driving the Lexus LFA around Nürburgring in the rain, and now a video showing some very similar circumstances has shown up on Youtube: Not exactly the kind of circumstances I’d want to be driving fast in, that’s for sure. (Thanks Roberto!)
Kevin · October 20th, 2010

Four Lexus LFAs All Together

Here’s something you don’t see every day — four Lexus LFAs all together: I was surprised to see that the Pearl Yellow LFA featured is not the same one we’ve seen previously, but instead a brand-new car with a Camel Yellow interior — check out some of these screenshots: Beautiful interior color, it just looks …

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Kevin · October 17th, 2010

Lexus LFA vs. Audi R8 on Battle of the Supercars

Last night, the Lexus LFA faced off against the Audi R8 on SpeedTV’s Battle of the Supercars: With Paul Tracy driving the R8 and Tanner Foust with the LFA, the supercars are put through a series of four tests — our own 05RollaXRS watched the show live and reports the numbers here: Standing mile: LFA: …

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Kevin · October 15th, 2010

Akio Toyoda Visits Nürburgring

Last week, Toyota President Akio Toyoda visited Germany to test-drive two Lexus LFAs at Nürburgring: As we can see, one of the LFAs is black (likely this one), and the other is a duplicate of the yellow Nürburgring edition involved in the fatal crash that took the life of Toyota Chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse. …

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Kevin · October 12th, 2010

Joel Bacal & Lexus LX 570 Take Off-Road Championship

In just their first year of off-road competition, Joe Bacal and his Lexus LX 570 have dominated their class, winning this year’s SCORE championship: …an unbroken streak of wins and podium finishes that on Saturday culminated in their first off-road championship with a dominant Stock Full-class win at the SCORE Terrible’s Las Vegas Primm 300. …

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Kevin · September 23rd, 2010

Auto Express Parallel Parks the Lexus LFA

Here’s a fun review of the Lexus LFA from Auto Express that even includes a spot of parallel parking: By now, we’re all fairly used to seeing the LFA in high-performance mode, so these reviews that have a touch of the real world are enjoyable in their rareness — can hardly blame the reviewer for …

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Kevin · September 16th, 2010

Yellow Lexus LFA at Monticello Motor Club

The yellow Lexus LFA spent some time at the Monticello Motor Club in New York last week — let’s take a quick look & listen: The video was taken by Jason Thorgalsen, who also snapped this super photo: Savage!
Kevin · September 15th, 2010