Archive for Lexus

Lexus will be developing a compact car to compete with the Audi A3 and the BMW 1-Series, but it won’t hit the US markets where Lexus was born, instead the new vehicle will compete in the European market and help Lexus with its CO2 emissions targets.

Knowing Toyota, a compact Lexus could very well be based on some form of variation of the Toyota Auris. Lexus may even spice up the Toyota Blade for the European market, a model that is essentially a premium Japanese market Toyota Auris.

This won’t be the first time a “regular” car has crossed over to the premium marque – Acura sells the regular Asian Honda Civic in Canada as the Acura CSX (the North American Civic gets different styling).

Lexus displayed the Lexus IS 250 Sports Concept at the 2008 Australian International Motor Show. Lexus says this new Sports Concept previews an upcoming version of the IS 250 that could provide younger customers with less deep pockets a taste or preview of what the IS-F could potentially give. This is exactly what BMW is doing with the M-Sport versions of their cars, except about 6 alphabets down the alphabet table.

The kit that was displayed included better cross-drilled two-piece brakes with 6-pots at the front and 4 at the rear, Bilstein shocks, sway bars and a chassis brace for better chassis rigidity, a performance air intake, exhaust, carbon fiber engine cover, front and rear lip spoilers and 19 inch 10-spoke alloy wheels done up in graphite grey.

Manual transmission versions also get a performance clutch with 16% better grip as well as a short shifter kit.

“The introduction of the IS 250 Sports Concept is still in preliminary stages but it’s something we definitely want to investigate. In the meantime, Lexus will concentrate on introducing the IS F performance sedan to the local market. Once we get the hero car into the marketplace, the rest will fall into place,” said Lexus Australia CEO John Roca.

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Lexus has unveiled the Lexus IS Convertible, its competitor to the E93 3-Series Convertible at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

The Lexus IS250C features a 3-segment folding hard top using a lightweight aluminium alloy. It can change from coupe to convertible at the touch of a button in 20 seconds. Lexus has designed the boot to be able to contain a golf bag with the top down.

Under the hood is the 2.5 liter 4GR-FSE with direct injection putting out 208hp at 6,400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4,800rpm, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

The IS250C will go on sale in Japan in spring 2009. Look after the jump for a gallery and a video showing the IS250C’s hard top in action.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus IS250C Convertible unveiled at Paris 2008

Lexus is set to unveil an all-wheel drive version of the Lexus LS460 at the 2008 Moscow International Auto Show. The LS460 AWD will feature the all-wheel drive system that was previously exclusive to the LS600h in the LS range. This all-wheel drive system features a differential for the front axle and another Torsen LSD as a center differential. Default torque split is 40:60 but the system can bump up the rear bias up to 70 percent or front bias to 50:50 if conditions ask for it.

Lexus Malaysia has added one more model to their line-up here in Malaysia, the short wheelbase version of the Lexus LS. The Lexus LS460 is 120mm shorter than the LS460L but you may not notice it at first glance because it manages to maintain similiar proportions, unlike the luxury sedans from other manufacturers where you can see the rear door is obviously much longer.

Priced at RM663,117.50 on the road with insurance, it is more than RM100k cheaper than the LS460’s RM797,583.50 price tag. Under the hood is the same 380hp 492Nm 4.6 liter V8. The rear legroom remains impressive, and a single rear bench is now used to accomodate 3 passengers at the rear. The LS460L’s could only seat 2 because of the latter’s two individual rear seats.

Because of this, the single rear Ottoman massage seat is also gone. Also missing in this version are the ventilated leather seats and the rear entertainment system with 9 inch display. All the other premium equipment in the LS460L has been carried over including the impressive 19 speaker Mark Levinson 7.1 sound system.

Look after the jump for more photos of the LS460.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus Malaysia launches 5-seater Lexus LS460

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard of the Lexus IS-F here on this blog. Here is a video of the Lexus IS-F at a track day. You can see a whole line-up of the Lexus IS-F in the pits, and not just the blue one we see so often. Needless to say, there’s also plenty of engine growl to enjoy. Video after jump.

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Toyota is currently evaluating the possibility of a small Lexus SUV-like vehicle, despite earlier stands that a compact vehicle would diminish the Lexus brand and overlap with Toyota-badged vehicles.

“A small Lexus SUV could be a response to the urbanization of Gen Y buyers and empty-nest boomers. Toyota’s advanced product strategy group is studying a demographic trend – people who are sick of the suburbs, but who don’t want to give up the utility of their SUV. A small luxury SUV might be the right product for that environment,” says Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president.

If a compact SUV is built, Lentz says it would most likely be priced in the upper half of the US$30,000 price range, as if the car is priced in the low 30s it would sacrifice too many luxury features to hit the price. This is tricky as the mid-sized Lexus RX350 is already priced at about US$38,000 in the US market.

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The new facelifted Lexus GS300 is already on sale in Malaysia, right after the facelift was unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show just earlier this month.

What’s obvious is the exterior changes and the minor interior change (button relocations, etc) as previously highlighted in the facelift announcement blog post, so I will highlight some other technical enhancements in this blog.

• Increase in steering rigidity for improved direct road feel.
• Improved front suspension bushings for comfort and road holding.
• Underbody reinforcement for increased body response to steering input.
• Underbody aerodynamics improved for more stabler highs peed driving.
• 330W 14-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround System with in-dash 6-CD DVD player now has aux input for your iPod and other music players.
• Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management which uses input from various sensors to anticipate an impending vehicle instability such as a skid, and uses a combination of brakes, throttle and steering control to avoid a mishap.

Another interesting change is that the dashboard fonts have been changed to a new standard Lexus font. This is for branding and a “family feel”, which is important as Lexus establishes its identity in a market filled with luxury automakers that have very long histories and heritage.

Lexus has sold a total of 83 units of the Lexus GS300 last year. The new 2008 facelifted Lexus GS300 costs RM408,800.00, OTR without insurance.

More photos after the jump.

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Lexus has updated its GS range with the new Lexus GS460, which launches with the luxury sedan line’s 2008 mid-life revision. The Lexus GS460 uses the LS460’s 4.6 liter V8, and features D-4S dual-port fuel injection which uses two injectors per cylinder – one on the intake port, the other in the combustion chamber itself – delivering the advantages of both direct and indirect injection to maximise power and torque throughout the revs.

The V8 also uses Dual VVT-iE, which uses a motor-driven valve timing system for the intake valves instead of the usual hydraulically controlled system. It produces 342 horsepower at 6,400rpm and 460Nm of torque at 4,100rpm. The engine is mated to the AA80E 8-speed automatic transmission also found on the LS460, which despite its larger amount of ratios, is actually more compact and lighter than the GS430’s 6-speed transmission. It is also quieter and fuel efficient. 0 to 100km/h takes 5.8 seconds, and fuel consumption is rated at 9 liters of fuel per 100km on a combined cycle.

As for the facelift’s styling updates which also apply to the rest of the GS range, there is now a chrome surround for the front grille, new door mirrors with integrated indicators and new-look door handles. The front and rear bumpers have also undergone a minor restyling exercise, with new-shape air intakes. New 17-inch (GS 300 and GS 300 SE) and 18-inch (GS 300 SE-L and GS 460) wheel designs have been introduced and the GS is available in two new colours now – Byzantine Silver and Namibian Gold.

On the inside, the steering wheel mounted audio and telephony controls have been updated, and the boot and fuel filler release buttons have been relocated outside the little pop-out module that Lexus employed to keep the dash design cleaner without too many exposed buttons.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus GS Facelift debuts with new GS460

If BMW has its M-cars and normal cars with M Sport accessories, Lexus has to have it’s F-cars and F-Sport accessories too… though the names are abit predictable, heh. Following close after the first F-car – the Lexus IS-F is the Japanese luxury automaker’s line of performance accessories called the F-Sport line. Initially it will include products for the IS250 and the IS350, although items like brakes and wheels can likely be applied to the GS and LS as well.

The following is a list of initial F-Sport products:

• Air Intake – Reduces restriction in the intake, fully compatible with stock engine and ECU, and emission legal in all 50 US states
• 19″ Forged Alloy Wheels – dark graphite with 19″x8″ for the front and 19″x”9″ at the rear, designed for 225/35R19 tyres at the front and 255/35/R19 tyres at the rear.
• Front Brake Upgrade – 355mm drilled cast iron rotors with a patented internal fin design, anodized aluminium hubs, and six-piston fixed calipers. Kit includes braided stainless steel brake lines and low-dust performance brake pads
• Rear Brake Upgrade – Four piston calipers and drilled cast iron 345mm rotors, with braided stainless steel brake lines and low-dust performance brake pads. May only be used with the above upgrade.
• Continuous Carbon Ceramic Brake Upgrade – Lightweight ceramic rotors sized 380mm for the front and 355mm for the rear. Calipers are 6-pot and 4-pot respectively.
• Exhaust System – stainless steel with fully polished mufflers and double-wall exhaust tips
• Lowering Spring Set – lowers vehicle 1″ in the front and rear without bottoming out or creating a harsh ride. Compatible with both stock and F-Sport absorber set
• Bilstein Shock Absorbers – sport-tuned suspension
• Sway Bar – larger diameter sway bars for both the front and rear, includes urethane mounting brushings
• Clutch Upgrade – increases clamping force by approximately 15% to handle higher torque capacity
• Quick Shifter – made from billet aluminium, it decreases shift throw by approximately 30%
• Rear Chassis Member Brace – connects key rear chassis and suspension mounting points via a tubular steel brace to improve chassis stiffness
• Carbon Fiber Engine Cover – exclusive for the IS350, this is a light and durable engine cover made of carbon fiber
• Ground Effects Kit – bodykit consisting of front and rear lips and side skirts
• Rear Spoiler – boot lid spoiler

These products are engineered by TRD and is covered by Lexus warranty. More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus F-Sport Accessory Line