Spy Shots: Lexus readying hot IS F Coupe

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Lexus, Luxury

The 2014 Lexus IS sedan has been turning heads and dividing public opinion since we first drove it. Then, as now, we knew that a revamped IS F would be in the offing at some point, but until today we had know idea what form the Lexus would take.

Our first ever batch of 2015 Lexus IS F spy shots has just come across the transom, and the camouflaged coupe – that’s right, there are just two doors this time out – is awfully intriguing at first glance. A much more aggressive front end is prominent, as is the slinky roofline that finishes in a pert rear end. The signature IS grille is still in effect here, at least in terms of the shape, and while the headlamps are covered up, we’d expect some variation of the slash-like units on the 2014 IS.

Hinting at the car’s performance intentions are large slotted brake rotors with significantly sized calipers, all tucked in behind dark-finish wheels. Quad exhaust tips and a retractable spoiler can be seen at the back of the car.

Unfortunately, we still don’t know what to expect in terms of engine – there’s some evidence that the current car’s 5.0-liter V8 won’t meet European emissions standards. A turbocharged V6 of some kind would certainly match up with the reported mills in the upcoming BMW M4, however, and the hood scoop seen above lends some credence to that thought process. In any case we’d expect north of 450 horsepower in terms of output.

Lexus readying hot IS F Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Lexus NX small CUV caught

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hybrid, Crossover, Lexus, Luxury

Lexus NX spy shots

To the untrained eye, these photos might not look like anything more than a Lexus CT 200h undergoing testing, but what we really have here is something pretty significant. According to our spies, this is actually a mule that gives us our first glimpse at the upcoming Lexus NX crossover, a smaller vehicle that will slot below the RX in the automaker’s CUV portfolio – presently only one vehicle.

Look closely, and you’ll note that this mule has a much higher ride height than the normal CT hybrid hatchback. The upgraded wheels with crossover-spec tires are another dead giveaway that something more robust is being tested in this CT’s shell.

Late last year, we learned that Lexus had reportedly trademarked the names “NX 200t” and “NX 300h,” which provided a glimpse into the powertrain offerings for the new CUV. Lexus will finally make use of turbocharged power with this new NX – a 2.0-liter turbo-four fitting of the 200t nomenclature. A hybrid variant will almost certainly be available – the 300h – probably using the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motor combination found in the ES 300h. Our spies report that a naturally aspirated, four-cylider version should also be available.

Our earlier reports have suggested that we could see the production NX as early as the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. A concept previewing this CUV may appear at the Tokyo Motor Show, as well.

Lexus NX small CUV caught originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Lexus working on even hotter LFA II?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lexus, Rumormill

Lexus LFA Nurburgring package

Lexus LFA Nürburgring package – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even amidst the disastrous situation on their island nation, the Japanese are showing no signs of slowing down. At least, not when it comes to its supercars. Honda was recently reported to be forging ahead with on-again, off-again plans to resurrect its NSX supercar, Nissan is hard at work on the new GT-R and now Toyota is said to be working on a new version of the Lexus LFA.

While the handle being used in the interim might suggest a completely new successor, rumor has it that an LFA II is being developed as a variant of the existing model. Following in the footsteps of the above-pictured Nürburgring package, Japan’s Best Car says that the so-called LFA II is expected to push the performance envelope even further. Just what that will entail – or for that matter, if it will come to fruition at all – remains to be seen, but if there’s any truth to the reports, we certainly applaud the company’s spirit.

Lexus working on even hotter LFA II? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Lexus lines up LFA against IS F on UK track

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Lexus, UK

lexus lfa and is-f on track

Lexus supercar versus super sedan – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Lexus UK finally has its first LFA on the Queen’s home turf. Rather than take it on a glam tour by propping it up in shiny showrooms, Lexus is taking it to the track. It’s also bringing along a camera to record the sights and sounds that come along with the two-door supercar.

Recently, the LFA lined up at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Grounds alongside its sibling, the Lexus IS F and both were put through the requisite paces. Unfortunately for the IS F, however, its dulcet exhaust tone was drowned out by the banshee wail spewed forth from the tri-tipped rear of the LFA. Click past the jump to revel in the noise.

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Lexus lines up LFA against IS F on UK track originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New York Taxi Commission moves to ban Lexus RX 450h

Filed under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Crossover, Lexus

NYC Taxi

With over 13,000 taxis in Manhattan, it’s easy to blend in. Over half of those taxis are of the Crown Victoria variety, while a quarter are Ford Escape models. Hybrids are beginning to enter the New York taxi fleets in solid numbers, but a certain model has been singled out as being “too powerful.”

The New York Times reports that The Taxi and Limousine Commission has recently passed a regulation removing the Lexus RX 450h from the list of approved cabs. We’ve never thought of the RX hybrid as “too powerful,” but that doesn’t seem to matter to the commission.

The move, while a bit odd, will only affect six cab owners. But those owners dropped over $40,000 for their high-end taxis, and more money was spent adding the required yellow paint, lights, a camera and television screen. The owners are hoping to have their Lexus cabs grandfathered in before the Nissan NV200 van is officially ushered in as the Taxi of Tomorrow, but the Taxi and Limousine Commission isn’t commenting on the issue.

For our money, it seems as though the Commission is a bit off on this one. After all, most any passenger is going to enjoy the luxury taxi experience, especially since the fares are the same as they are in an Escape or Crown Vic. And “too powerful?” Seriously?

New York Taxi Commission moves to ban Lexus RX 450h originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gazoo Racing fields race-prepped Lexus CT hybrid at Nürburgring

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Lexus, Racing

Lexus Gazoo Racing CT

Lexus Gazoo Racing CT – Click above for high-res image

When nearly 200 cars line up this weekend at the Nürburgring for the Adenauer ADAC Rudstrecken-Trophy, countless Porsches and BMWs will be among them. And a hybrid. Wait, what?

That’s right. This year Gazoo Racing – the ToMoCo-backed outfit that has campaigned the Lexus LFA at the same track – is fielding a competition-spec Lexus CT 200h.

Well, we shouldn’t call it a CT 200h, since while it’s almost identical to the roadgoing CT hybrid, the 200 nameplate would be a bit of a misnomer. Because while the electric component of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system was kept in place for this racing machine, the 1.8-liter four was replaced by a 2.4. Perhaps it’s a test platform for the upcoming more powerful CT?

Otherwise, beyond the required safety modifications, it’s pretty much bone stock, right down shutting the engine off at idle and under braking. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Gazoo Racing fields race-prepped Lexus CT hybrid at Nürburgring

Gazoo Racing fields race-prepped Lexus CT hybrid at Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 May 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus transforms Roosevelt Hotel into 3D billboard

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Lexus, Toyota

lexus 3d billboard of ct 200h

Lexus advertising goes 3D with the 2011 CT 200h – Click above to watch video after the jump

Not every 3D project requires cumbersome glasses and a $20 IMAX ticket. Hot Wheels showed us an innovative way to advertise its product using a large projector and some imagination. Now, Lexus is using the same style to tout its CT 200h, and it’s using a Los Angeles landmark to play background duty.

First opened in 1927, the Roosevelt Hotel is a piece of classic California situated right on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s said that Marilyn Monroe’s ghost haunts one of the hotel’s mirrors, and we can’t help but wonder what she’d think of the 2011 Lexus CT 200h running wild on the side of the Roosevelt. We also wonder what you think of Lexus’ three-dimensional advertisement, so follow the jump to watch the clip then sound off in the comments.

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Lexus transforms Roosevelt Hotel into 3D billboard originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Lexus LFA delivered to UK

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Lexus, UK

lexus lfa at goodwood motor circuit

Lexus LFA at the Goodwood Motor Circuit – Click above to watch the video after the jump

When it comes to the Lexus LFA, there’s plenty to be excited about. There is the 552 horsepower V10 with a 9,500 rpm redline, the carbon fiber monocoque, the fantastic performance stats… we could go on, but we’d rather let the Brits take over.

Hit the jump to witness the first Lexus LFA delivered to our island ally. The greatest-ever Lexus made an appearance at the Supercar Sunday Breakfast Club at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, and it promptly led to a bit of drooling and gushing. The hot-to-trot LFA seduced the crowds with it’s luxury and gadgetry, but it won our hearts when we heard the Formula One-like engine as it roared to life.

Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself, but if you’re a Ferrari fanboy, please don’t ex-communicate the guy who said he’d trade in his Maranello masterpiece for an LFA. He may have simply gotten caught up in the moment…

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First Lexus LFA delivered to UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus planning to bring three new models, hotter CT200h to market

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Lexus, Australia, Luxury

Lexus logo

It looks like Lexus is planning to bring a range of new models and customer options to market in Australia soon. The Japanese luxury brand has met with struggling sales down under, and according to The Age, the automaker plans to reverse that slide by giving buyers more choices. According to Tony Cramb, the chief executive of Lexus, that will begin with the addition of a number of new paint colors and interior finishes to put the Lexus option sheet on par with what rivals Audi and BMW offer their buyers.

In addition, the Lexus showroom will grow a little more crowded with the introduction of three new models. Those include a CUV, a more affordable luxury sedan and a seven-passenger SUV. Details on those creations are slim at the moment, though Cramb says that the vehicles will join a new hotter version of the CT 200h called the CT 300h. That wee beastie will come with a more potent gasoline engine and a jazzed-up electric motor to match.

Lexus planning to bring three new models, hotter CT200h to market originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Lexus CT 200h

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Lexus, Reviews, Luxury

Lexus Hatches A New Take On Responsible Performance

2011 Lexus CT 200h

2011 Lexus CT 200h – Click above for high-res image gallery

Armchair quarterbacks have been quick to charge Toyota with losing its engineering nerve, labeling it a brand content to churn out safe, middle-of-the-road milquetoast offerings for every segment in which it competes. Admittedly, this isn’t the same company that once marketed a supercharged, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive minivan shaped like a suppository, nor is it the same company that sold homologated rally specials alongside its workaday iron. But to say that there are no bold spirits in Toyota City just ain’t so – just look at the bonkers LFA supercar, for goodness’ sake.

But you needn’t have a millionaire’s bankbook to see that the Japanese automaker still has cheek to spare – just check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h. Not only is Toyota’s premium marque dipping its toes into America’s compact luxury market – a segment that nobody but Mini has figured out how to make big dollars on – it’s doing so with a hybrid, an expensive powertrain configuration that, Prius aside, only sells in marginal volumes.

Admittedly, Lexus has made no bones about the fact that it’s squarely targeting Europe with the CT (a market where hatchbacks consistently do big business and “small premium” is not an oxymoron), but make no mistake, this is a brave bet. Lexus says it’s gunning for 1,000 units a month – a small number in the grand scheme of things – but it’s expecting the moon when compared to competitors like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Volvo C30, which typically sell in the hundreds per month. Yet this bold bet is showing early signs of paying off. Thanks in part to heavy advanced marketing, Lexus cleared its decks of over twice that many units in March – 2,199 – the CT’s first month on sale.

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Gallery: 2011 Lexus CT 200h: Review

2011 Lexus CT 200h2011 Lexus CT 200h2011 Lexus CT 200h2011 Lexus CT 200h2011 Lexus CT 200h

Photos copyright (C)2011 by Chris Paukert /AOL

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2011 Lexus CT 200h originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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