Lexus RX Superbowl Commercial

I’m late to the party on this Lexus RX commercial that debuted at this year’s Superbowl: I’ve been driving an RX 450h for the better part of three months, and I have to admit, this commercial captures much of what my final review will focus on. The RX’s best feature is how well it fits …
Kevin · February 18th, 2010

Lexus Middle East Pursuit of Perfection Commercial

Huge fan of this Lexus commercial from the Middle East: Reminds me of the classic LS launch commercial—though obviously for a different part of the world. Love this type of lifestyle commercials when they’re done right.
Kevin · February 17th, 2010

Lexus LFA Video Review by EVO Magazine

Here’s a video review of the Lexus LFA by EVO Magazine’s Chris Harris : The video watches almost as a love letter to the LFA—some select quotes: “The fit and finish, and just the sheer levels of fetishism, that have been lavished on this interior, I think, know no equal. It’s just stunning. The materials …
Kevin · February 12th, 2010

Under the Lexus LF-Ch’s Hood

Here’s a little video of the Lexus LF-Ch puttering its way across a parking lot: Not a lot of pep in the concept car—which reminded me of some photos I forgot to post from the Detroit Auto Show : I have a feeling the engine in the production model will be a little more advanced …
Kevin · February 10th, 2010

Motorweek Reviews the Lexus GX 460

Motorweek has posted up their 2010 Lexus GX 460 video review: You can definitely see the effect of the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) on the handling—the lack of body roll is surprising given the speed in the corners—which is a nice counter-balance, bringing that expected Lexus luxury to the body-on-frame underpinnings. As a bonus, …
Kevin · January 25th, 2010

Lexus Taiwan Commercial: Perfect

Prepare yourself for what may be the greatest Lexus garage setup ever: Classic. The only thing, the car selection’s a little dated—I think my four-Lexus rotating garage would comprise of: LFA, GS 450h, LS 460 AWD & a GX 460 for the wife. How about you?
Kevin · January 24th, 2010

Lexus & Ryan Leslie Team up for GX 460 Ad Campaign

Lexus USA will be launching a new advertising campaign for the 2010 GX 460 during next month’s BET Honors ceremony—the commercial will feature RNB artist Ryan Leslie and has a very cinematic vibe—here’s a sneak peek: Along with the teaser clip, Lexus has released a behind-the-scenes interview with Ryan, who looks to fit the role …
Kevin · January 22nd, 2010

Lexus GX 460 Commercial: Action Hero

The U.S. launch commercial for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 is a riff on the Bat-signal: Hilarious that the mom is really driving her kids to a soccer lacrosse practice. Update: I received an email from none other than Kevin Tucker, photographer for Lacrosse Magazine, to let me know that I had made a mistake—the …
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

Matte Red Lexus LX 570

Speaking of custom Lexus finishes, here’s a LX 570 from Russia done up in matte red.
Kevin · January 5th, 2010

Chromed Lexus LS 460

The shiny foil is usually reserved for the Lexus LX, but someone in Kuwait went ahead and decided to give it a go with an LS 460: Chrome-wrapping is a disturbing trend, though there’s some solace in the fact that it’s unlikely to catch on in North America—too much potential for vandalism and public humiliation. …
Kevin · January 4th, 2010

Lexus LFA on Top Gear

Earlier today, the Lexus LFA made its Top Gear appearance—first off, you can watch The Stig’s lap around the track (likely on Youtube for a limited time only): The LFA, in wet track conditions, made it around the track in 1:22.3, which beat the Lamborghini Gallardo as the fastest wet lap on the show so …
Kevin · January 3rd, 2010

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

1993 Lexus ES Commercial: Brass Sound

Blast from the past with this 1993 Lexus ES 300 commercial: Reminds me of the ES 350 commercial that was one of Jim Sloyan’s last Lexus voiceovers—can’t help but miss his confident (and smug) tone.
Kevin · December 14th, 2009

More Lexus GX 460 LA Auto Show Video

Here’s some more footage of the Lexus GX 460 from the LA Auto Show—this time, someone filmed a crowd demonstration of the newest Lexus SUV: Biggest part of the spokesman’s speech is that Taste of Lexus may have been reactivated after its hiatus. This US event, put on hold for much of 2008-2009, is a …
Kevin · December 7th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX 460 at the LA Auto Show

It’s only a quick look, but Kicking Tires has some footage of the Lexus GX 460 on display at the LA Auto Show: With the presenter in the video, it’s easier to get a better idea of the vehicle’s size—don’t know that I would compare it to Subaru Outback, though. [Source: Kicking Tires] *** Road …
Kevin · December 6th, 2009

Three Ridiculous Lexus LFA Videos

All in the span of a 15 minute period, I watched these three absolutely ridiculous Lexus LFA videos—first up, a car blogger apparently snuck into the storage area where the matte black LFA was being prepped for the LA Auto Show and drove it around the garage: Now that’s just plain crazy. Next up, someone …
Kevin · December 1st, 2009

Jay Leno’s Garage Features Lexus LFA

Just got around to watching the Lexus LFA coverage on Jay Leno’s Garage and it’s well worth the time (even without Leno driving): The side-long footage simulates what it might look like to pull beside the LFA, and also shows just how large the car really is (which is to say, not very). It’s also …
Kevin · November 29th, 2009

Lexus LFA Crystallised Wind Video

Loved this video of the transparent acrylic Lexus LFA created earlier this year for the Milan Design Week: An extraordinary model, and a beautifully filmed video. Must-see. (It was very hard to visualize the model by photos alone—I didn’t release there was an entire transparent engine sitting under the hood!) (Thanks WoL!)
Kevin · November 25th, 2009

AutoSpies Video of the Lexus GX 460

Here’s some (shaky) AutoSpies footage of the new 2010 Lexus GX 460: I’m taken by that Sepia interior—it really is the perfect color for this type of vehicle.
Kevin · November 25th, 2009

2010 Lexus GX Now on Lexus USA Website

The Lexus USA website has been updated with all the details on the 2010 Lexus GX 460, including the full specifications and package/option pricing. Even better, the website photos paint the GX in a better (non-Satin Cashmere Metallic) light: I also came away very impressed with the Sepia interior selection: There’s also the virtual tour …
Kevin · November 25th, 2009

Lexus LFA Interior Walkthrough Video

This Urban Racer video of the Lexus LFA at SEMA features some nice detail footage of the interior, including a nice walkthrough of the instrument panel options: That LFA instrument panel is spectacular—can not wait to see something similar in other Lexus models down the road. [Source: Urban Racer]
Kevin · November 24th, 2009

Lexus IS F Lap with Gran Turismo’s Kazunori Yamauchi

Another day, another virtual lap—only this time it’s the esteemed Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, driving a race-modifed Lexus IS F in the 8th round of the VLN series at Nürburgring: Back in August, Mr. Yamauchi and a team of two others (Motor Journalist Peter Lyon and racing driver Hideshi Matsuda—all three judges for the …
Kevin · November 19th, 2009

Auto Club Speedway Lap with the Lexus LFA

Keeping with the Lexus F-Sport event at the Auto Club Speedway, here’s a LFA lap around the track with driver Scott Pruett, as filmed by Flipside 909 from Club Lexus: Hard to believe the speed watching the track whip by—absolutely wild.
Kevin · November 17th, 2009

Behind-the-Scenes of Lexus ES 350 Slice Commercial

Speaking of “behind-the-scenes” and Lexus ES commercials—here’s a real backstage pass to the work that went into creating one of my favorite Lexus commercials. First, the commercial (in poor quality): Next, here’s the process of creating a real “sliced” ES 350: The lengths that (Lexus USA advertising agency) Team One goes through to get these …
Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: 40,000 Hours

Here’s the new commercial for the 2010 Lexus ES 350: This commercial stays with the look of the latest LS commercial, and has a “behind-the-scenes” feel. Not sure I believe that’s what the Lexus test-facilities look like, though. (A note: I recently spotted a 2010 ES at my local dealership, and was pleased to see …
Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Automobile Interview with Lexus’ Brian Bolain

As part of Automobile Magazine’s SEMA coverage, Editor-in-Chief Jean Jennings sat down and interviewed Lexus National Marketing Manager Brian Bolain on the LFA: I like how the LFA is described in terms of how it fits into the lineup—not just the plan to use the supercar to build out F-Sport, but how it builds on …
Kevin · November 11th, 2009

The Lexus LF-Ch Design Story

Also out today is a video from Toyota’s Calty Design Research on the design of the Lexus LF-Ch: Nice to see the people behind the designs, even if the video plays like an automotive design school advertisement. (A funny thought: even though the LF-Ch has taken a back seat to the LFA in recent days, …
Kevin · November 10th, 2009

Lexus LFA Video Overview

If it hadn’t been for the boisterous voice over, I probably would have passed over this informative Lexus LFA video: (This video also includes the carbon fiber footage in case you didn’t see it the first time around.) I’m still marvelling at the LFA, it’s brought some much-needed energy to the brand. It also has …
Kevin · November 10th, 2009

Homestead Hot Laps in the Lexus LFA

As part of their North American LFA press event in Miami, Lexus gave the journalists the opportunity to experience a hot lap around the Homestead Speedway with an experienced race car driver behind the wheel—here’s footage from two such runs: Love the interior sound, especially now that I know it was tuned by musicians.
Kevin · November 6th, 2009

2010 Lexus LS 600h Commercial

There’s a new 2010 Lexus LS 600h commercial from Lexus Japan: This LS features an L-Select bright-red & black interior—don’t know if that would be my first pick with a white exterior. (On a side note: Why do all the press photos & video have to feature the same color car? I certainly wouldn’t mind …
Kevin · November 5th, 2009

2009 Lexus SEMA Showcase Video

Along with the usual press photos, Lexus has also put together a video showing their stable of customized SEMA cars: It’s a nice lineup of cars this year, though I would have preferred to see more done with the GS. Also, I hope the wheels on the TRD (orange) IS-C make it into the F-Sport …
Kevin · November 4th, 2009

Lexus LFA Carbon Fiber Creation Video

Here’s a video that shows the machine responsible for the Lexus LFA’s dual-carbon fiber A-pillars: Called a rotary weaver, this machine is of only two such devices in existence, and is used expressly for the creation of the carbon fiber components of the LFA. Hard to imagine what else this machine will create—the possibilities are …
Kevin · November 1st, 2009

Lexus LS Commercial: Turntable

Loving this new Lexus LS commercial: What Lexus has achieved with the new LS is amazing, and it’s nice to see a commercial that focuses on just how exceptional a vehicle it is. As the (current) flagship model, I don’t think it gets enough attention—but then, maybe that’s the point? Oh, so subtle… [Source: Motiongrapher]
Kevin · October 27th, 2009

Official Lexus LFA Introduction Video

This official Lexus LFA video, which was shown right before the supercar’s introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show, is hands-down the best thing you will see today, I promise: The production value of both this video and the official press photos is absolutely fantastic—they really show the LFA in the best possible light. As a …
Kevin · October 21st, 2009

Lexus LFA Uncovered!

Only hours before its official launch at the Tokyo Motor Show, a video has been posted showing the uncovered Lexus LFA in all its glory: Not only that, two Lexus LFAs has been spotted in Miami by NAGTROC member Adrey, presumably for a press launch tomorrow: {embed=“site/gallery” gallery_id=“1391”}
Kevin · October 20th, 2009

Lexus LFA: “The Best Car I’ve Ever Driven…”

In a quick interview during a Lexus LFA press event, Dutch motoring journalist and race-driving instructor Thomas Bangma had some very, very complimentary things to say about the upcoming supercar: The best car that I’ve ever driven in my life as a car journalist. It is an absolute gem, it is amazing…and I think it’s …
Kevin · October 12th, 2009

White Lexus LF-A on Nürburgring Video

Here’s another quick video of the Lexus LFA—this time taken on the track at Nürburgring and more importantly, completely undisguised: Here’s a quick screenshot of the full front-end: It’s impossible to make any real judgment from a 16 second video, except when it comes to the sound. What a roar! SAVAGE! (Thanks WorldofLuxury!)
Kevin · September 27th, 2009

Five Lexus LF-Ch Videos

The Lexus LF-Ch has received plenty of video coverage, and rather than post them one by one, I thought it best to collect them into a single post. This first video, from WhatCar?, claims that the LF-Ch won’t see production until late 2011, and will cost £20,000: Next up is Which?: Then there’s the lone …
Kevin · September 23rd, 2009

Two Lexus LF-Ch Videos

Lexus has released a launch video for the LF-Ch: There’s some nice interior shots of the concept hatchback, but no driving footage. On the other hand, I did find some video from the Frankfurt auto show floor, showing what the LF-Ch would look like at a disco: (I wonder why concepts never get proper rear …
Kevin · September 17th, 2009

Live Lexus Frankfurt Auto Show Press Conference

Just a quick announcement: The Lexus LF-Ch will be debuting at the Frankfurt Auto Show today at 10am EST/7am PDT, and as luck would have it, the entire press conference will be streamed live on the Lexus Europe website. Plenty of photos of the hatchback concept are bound to surface soon after the press conference, …
Kevin · September 15th, 2009

2010 Lexus HS 250h Commercials

Lexus has just released four mini commercials for the HS 250h that highlight the sedan’s non-hybrid technologies: Additionally, there’s a full length commercial that touches on all of the technologies at once (the sound seemed clipped, though): Drawing attention to the driver aids in the HS 250h is very smart—after all, even if you subtract …
Kevin · September 10th, 2009

1992 Lexus SC 400 Dealership Video

After look at the present & future of the Lexus SC, I thought it might be interesting to look back at the model’s history—the following video is a dealership introduction for the first-generation SC 400, and is an important look back at what Lexus was trying to achieve with their first sports coupe: Amazing when …
Kevin · August 20th, 2009

Lexus LF-A vs. Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR: A Virtual Nürburgring Race

Similar to the virtual Lexus LF-A vs. Nissan GT-R race we saw a couple months ago, this split-screen racing footage has the LF-A (top) up against the 600bhp Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR on the Nürburgring: When you consider the traffic the LF-A has to deal with, there’s no telling how much faster it could have …
Kevin · August 14th, 2009

Lexus IS Family Commercial

This Lexus IS convertible commercial from Australia is pure fantastic: Each transition is breathtaking, and the IS-F roof popping off to make the IS-C is sensational. Loved it. (Thanks Charles!)
Kevin · August 12th, 2009

Conan O’Brien Giving Away a Lexus HS 250h

Last night, Conan O’Brien announced a contest on The Tonight Show to give away a Lexus HS 250h, here he is to explain it: The contest runs until August 21st, 2009, and is only available to US residents. Visit the Tonight Show website for full details. (Thanks Stan!)
Kevin · August 4th, 2009

1997 Top Gear Feature on the Lexus LS 400 & GS 300

From 1997, here’s a Top Gear feature on the freshly updated Lexus LS 400 and the brand new GS 300: It’s no surprise that presenter Quentin Wilson is extremely positive about Lexus in this feature, the refreshed second-generation LS and the just released second-generation GS were quite a formidable pairing. However, I was surprised by …
Kevin · July 31st, 2009

Twin-Turbo Lexus IS-F Video

It’s one thing to mod out your Lexus IS-F with carbon-fiber spoilers and a blacked-out roof, but it’s something else entirely to have a twin-turbo installed and then post a Youtube video driving it around in your pajamas (video also contains some swearing): Actual quote from the video: “This thing just sounds super-killer.”
Kevin · July 29th, 2009

Fifth Gear Drives the Lexus LFA

The Lexus LFA test-drives at Goodwood continue to stream in, and next up is Fifth Gear‘s video feature, as driven by Vicki Butler-Henderson (skip to 6:40 to watch the video directly): These reviews are all bringing a very clear message, and in this video Vicki sums it up perfectly: “This is really a user-friendly racing …
Kevin · July 20th, 2009

The New Lexus of North Miami Dealership

No question about it, Lexus of North Miami has taken the idea of the mega-dealership and brought it to a whole other level: The nearly one million square feet dealership is equipped to provide customers with a full spa experience, including haircuts, massages, manicures, workout sessions—there’s even a “Zen Room” equipped with a waterfall and …
Kevin · July 17th, 2009

Lexus LFA Goodwood Videos

Today saw not one, not two, but three new videos of the Lexus LFA at the Goodwood Festival of Speed—the first two are produced by Lexus Europe, and show the super-race-car-prototype bombing around the circuit from both the exterior and the interior (click on the images to go to the videos): The picture in these …
Kevin · July 15th, 2009

Edmunds Reviews the Lexus HS 250h (Again)

Edmunds may have been lukewarm on the Lexus HS 250h at first, but it appears some additional time behind the wheel has changed that opinion—their full review is extremely positive: The creamy propulsion fits right in with a very solid structure and smoothly suppressed ride motions delivered by the sport suspension settings that accompanied our …
Kevin · July 8th, 2009

New FamilyLinQ from VAIS Technology

VAIS Technology, makers of the premier Lexus iPod integration kits, are working on a new product called the FamilyLinQ—a small camera that you can connect to your navigation screen, making it easy to get see inside or outside the vehicle: After driving the LX 570 with its camera mounted under the passenger mirror, I can …
Kevin · July 3rd, 2009

Lexus HS 250h Video with Mark Templin

This latest video from Lexus USA features General Manager Mark Templin talking up the new HS 250h: A quote from the video: “I like being at Lexus because we get to try new things, we get to change the world, we get to do things the right way instead of the same old way they …
Kevin · June 25th, 2009

Lexus RX Discovery Special Now on Lexus.com

Last night, the Discovery Channel show Factory Made had a short behind-the-scenes feature on the 2010 Lexus RX 350 manufacturing process, and today that video has been posted on the Lexus USA website. As the video shows, the RX 350 is built in Cambridge, Ontario, and is an incredibly detailed process—even painting the RX takes …
Kevin · June 20th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 Manufacturing Special on The Discovery Channel Tomorrow

Tomorrow night, Discovery Channel show Factory Made will be airing a behind-the-scenes look at the building of a Lexus RX 350—from the show description: Starting as 50-tons of steel and emerging as a precision driving machine, take the front seat to an amazing manufacturing process. Welcome to the Lexus plant where the new RX350 is …
Kevin · June 18th, 2009

Lexus LFA & Nissan GT-R Virtual Race on Nürburgring

What started as a video comparison between Nissan Falken Z33 and GT-R Nürburgring laps ends up giving a small taste of how the Lexus LFA stacks up against Nissan’s Godzilla. Quick explanation before watching the video—the screen is divided into top and bottom portions: the top is a front-view of the Falken Z33 and the …
Kevin · June 17th, 2009

2010 Lexus RX Named IIHS Top Safety Pick

The 2010 Lexus RX has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), along with the 2009 Audi Q5, 2009 Toyota Venza, and 2009 Volkswagen CC. To be given this top safety mark, vehicles must rank as Good in front, side and rear impacts, as well as being equipped …
Kevin · June 17th, 2009

Lexus HS 250h Press Presentation Videos

This Lexus HS 250h video press presentation posted by The Auto Network is quite dry, but it’s hard to beat in terms of information if you’re interested in the upcoming hybrid sedan. Of special note is the second video, which is a technical overview of the vehicle’s mechanical and electrical systems—too bad there’s an audio …
Kevin · June 9th, 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

Edmunds Reviews the Lexus HS 250h

The Lexus HS 250h reviews keep coming—next up is Edmunds, who have heavy praise for the interior of the new hybrid: When it comes to cutting-edge features, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h leads its class. And it doesn’t hit you over the head with its hybrid nature. There’s no freakish space-pod Prius-esque dashboard. The numerous …
Kevin · May 27th, 2009

New Lexus LFA Spy Video

Stop everything and watch this video of the close-to-production Lexus LFA howling round Nürburgring: This car looks and sounds demonic, very exciting when you consider how close this will be to the real thing. Can not wait to see the production LFA. (Thanks Roberto!)
Kevin · May 19th, 2009

Lexus IS-C Commercials

Lexus USA’s advertising campaign for the IS convertible has hit Youtube, with three short, interconnected videos: Live a little, a lot looks to be the IS-C’s tagline—I wonder if there will be more episodes to this series. Neat idea.
Kevin · May 15th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Commercial from Japan

Let’s start off the week with this GS 450h commercial from Lexus Japan, brimming with the positive message “ON and GO!”: One thing I noticed is the alternative markings for the kW energy gauge: Japanese Energy Gauge North American Energy Gauge While the North American version is much more exact, the Japanese gauge gives more …
Kevin · April 27th, 2009

Lexus IS 250C Promotional Video

From Lexus Japan comes this new promotional video for the IS 250C: I know that the IS 250c is essentially killing two birds with one stone, as Lexus gets a new coupe and a new convertible in the lineup, but there’s some angles in this video that make me wish a coupe-only version was available. …
Kevin · April 23rd, 2009

New Lexus HS 250h Videos

Lexus has published some new HS 250h videos: These videos give a better insight into just how important the ecological aspect was in the design and production of the HS—I’d say it’s the very definition of the vehicle, right down to how it looks.  Speaking of which, take a look at this new photo of …
Kevin · April 21st, 2009

New Lexus RX Commerical: We’ve Never Been Closer

This new RX 350 commercial from Lexus Australia is an absolutely literal interpretation of the slogan “The Pursuit of Perfection”: Just what is that Lexus RX going to do when it catches perfection?
Kevin · April 20th, 2009