Archive for Lexus

This is not exactly 100% new – in fact it a concept with the same name and the same general direction was first shown in 2005 and production models of it have been spotted on the Nurburging. A concept will the same name will be displayed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show next week in updated form so here is a short refresher course.

The Lexus LF-A Concept is a 2-seater sports car – or a super car if you like – that is supposed to be powered by a 5.0 liter V10 engine, likely the 2UR-GSE that made it’s debut in the Lexus IS-F. However, the one to go into the production LF-A might be one in a totally different state of tune considering the 9,000rpm redline of the LF-A Concept as seen in the dash photos after the jump, compared to the IS-F’s 7,000rpm redline.

The car’s body is made of light but sturdy carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), so this is not merely a two-door version of the IS-F. Comparing the photos of the 2005 LF-A concept and the one that will be displayed at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, it appears that Lexus has revised the LF-A Concept, with the interior looking noticeably different.

Check out photos of the updated LF-A Concept after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus LF-A Concept 2-seater sports car

The Lexus LF-Xh concept will make it’s debut at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show next week, and is most probably a preview of what the production version of the next generation Lexus RX SUV will look like.

The new Lexus LF-Xh concept is 4800mm long, 1895mm wide and 1650mm tall with a 2850mm wheelbase, which makes it slightly wider and longer but shorter than the current Lexus RX/Toyota Harrier (4729mm x 1844mm x 1679mm), but with a significantly longer wheelbase of 2850mm versus the current RX’s 2715mm.

It will be powered by an all-wheel drive system incorporating both a V6 petrol engine and a high-output electric motor hybrid system.

Plenty more photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of TOKYO PREVIEW: Lexus LF-Xh Concept Hybrid

The full specifications of the Lexus IS-F and the 5.0 liter V8 engine has finally been announced, and the new performance Lexus sedan is now on sale in Japan, coming from Toyota Motor Corporation’s Tahara Plant in Aichi. Lexus reveals that the F in IS-F comes from the F in Fuji Speedway, at which the Lexus IS-F was extensively tested at.

The new Lexus IS-F uses the 2UR-GSE, a variant of the 5.0 liter V8 2UR-FSXE that goes into the Lexus LS600h without the Lexus Hybrid Drive, and has different tuning. The 2UR-GSE makes 423 PS at 6,600rpm and 505Nm of torque at 5,200rpm. It is a high compression engine with a compression ratio of 11.8:1. It has the same 94mm bore as the 4.6 liter unit in the LS460 but is stroked up from 83mm to 89.5mm to enlarge it’s displacement to 5.0 liters.

Fuel is delivered via a D-4S fuel injection system which incorporates both direct injection and conventional port injection. Dual VVT-i provides variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams, and the intake cams use VVT-iE, which varies the cam using an electric motor instead of conventional mechanical methods.

A dual-intake system provides good torque at low to medium engine speeds, with additional air inlets opening at high revs. Lexus has managed to get the engine to produce three different intensities of engine roar as the needle moves up the rev range.

This engine is mated to an 8-Speed Sport Direct Shift transmission which is based on the 8-speed unit in the LS460, but tuned for more sporty intentions. In gears 2 to 8, the engine and transmission has a direct lock-up connection while the first gear uses a conventional torque converter to transmit power so that the car can launch smoothly. The transmission also automatically blips the throttle to smoothen downshifts.

The entry level IS250 is already in Malaysia thanks to Lexus Malaysia – will they introduce the IS-F here for those who feel adventurous and want to try out the Japanese luxury automaker’s first high performance model?

Check out more photos of the Lexus IS-F in my previous post.

Related Post:
2007 Lexus IS-F: a performance Lexus sedan!

2009 UPDATE: 2009 Lexus IS 250 facelift launched in Malaysia, now available in 2 variants!

UMW Toyota’s luxury division Lexus Malaysia will be launching it’s fourth model today, the Lexus IS250. The IS250 will go against the BMW 325i and the Mercedes Benz C230 (or whatever it’s equivalent is in Malaysia for the W204), and is expected to account for a third of Lexus Malaysia’s projected sales of 300 units in 2008.

In overseas markets, the Lexus IS250 uses the 4GR-FSE, something that some of you might already be familiar with as it is the same engine in the 2.5 liter version of Naza’s Toyota Mark X. The 2.5 liter V6 engine makes 205 horsepower at 6,400rpm and up to 265Nm of torque at 4,800rpm, rather impressive torque figures for a 2.5 liter engine as usually you only get 100Nm of torque per liter of displacement for a normally aspirated engine. This might not be the exact state of tune that we’ll get in our Malaysian market, so more details will be posted here once Lexus Malaysia’s website is updated.

Expected price is about RM300k, which puts it somewhere at a premium over the normal 325i, but slightly cheaper than the 325i M Sport. Exact price to be posted here later.

UPDATE: Here’s the official deal on the car: RM313,166.20 on the road inclusive of insurance gets you a Lexus IS250 with a 2.5 liter V6 4GR-FSE engine complete with D4 direct injection producing 205 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm. This is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Equipment includes HID headlamps, vehicle stability control, adaptive front-lighting, rain-sensing wipers, anti-glare rear view and wing mirrors, and of course the Lexus trademark here in Malaysia – an awesome Mark Levinson sound system with 14 speakers.

More photos and four videos of the Lexus IS250 after the jump.

Source

Click here to read the rest of Lexus IS250 launched in Malaysia today

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Motor Trend reports that the Lexus GS-F will only make it’s debut with the next generation Lexus GS, which would be the fourth generation since the first GS was unveiled in 1993, based on the 1991 Toyota Aristo. The current third generation Lexus GS was released late 2005 and is due to be replaced by the fourth generation in 2011, with the GS-F coming the following year in 2012.

If the project gets a green light, the 2012 Lexus GS-F is expected to make it’s debut with the Lexus LF-H supercar’s V10 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Above is an artist’s impression by Theophilus Chin of what the GS-F could look like if based on the current third gen Lexus GS. It takes styling cues from its younger sibling, the V8-powered Lexus IS-F.

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Lexus is planning a new car for the 2009 model year that will only be offered with a hybrid drivetrain, much like Toyota’s Prius hybrid car. The new hybrid-only Lexus will be a C-segment car slightly roomier than the Lexus IS sedan, and will be priced between the IS sedan and the RX400h hybrid SUV.

The new Lexus hybrid will be offered in European and Japanese markets, but a North American debut is uncertain at the moment. It’s also not known what body form the new Lexus hybrid will use – a sedan, an SUV or a hatch?

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Lexus Malaysia is now selling the very popular Lexus RX350 luxury SUV as the third model in it’s line-up, joining it’s GS and LS sedan brethren. It goes for RM382,934.50 on the road including a RM9,934.50 insurance for individual private registration, and RM383,683.23 including RM10,483.23 insurance for business private registration.

The new Lexus RX350 comes with a three year warranty, or the first 100,000km travelled, a pretty standard warranty package these days. It is powered by the 2GR-FE, a 3,456cc V6 Dual-VVTi engine making 272 horsepower at 6,200rpm and 342Nm of torque at 4,700rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission (4 forward + 1 forward overdrive). 0-100km/h acceleration takes 7.8 seconds.

Features include electric seats, power rear door, HID headlamps, a wide panoramic moonroof, and a wood grain and leather interior finishing available in a few variations. Safety features include VSC, Traction Control, EBD, ABS, and the works, as well as 7 airbags which include dual two-stage front airbags The Lexus RX350 sold by Lexus Malaysia is equipped with a Mark Levinson 11 speaker in-car entertainment system with a 6-CD in-dash changer, which Lexus says is “like having Bach perform the Toccata and Fugue in D minor in person”. Would definitely like to try having a listen to that.

Related Posts:
Lexus LS460L Short Test Drive Report
Lexus Malaysia – Lexus LS460L and Lexus GS300

Click here to read the rest of Lexus Malaysia now selling Lexus RX350

Click to view larger image of Lexus GS-F

The first in the new Lexus F brand was the Lexus IS-F that many expected to be a competitor to the BMW M3, but the end results was quite different. Even though blessed with hardcore, perhaps even borderlining on ricey looks, what the car was made of was suited more to a fast luxury cruiser instead of a track monster.

The next car in the Lexus F line-up will be the Lexus GS-F (artist’s impression above by Theophilus Chin), supposed to be aimed square at the BMW M5. The GS-F will most likely be powered by the V10 that’s supposed to be slotted into the Lexus LF-H supercar, making over 500 horsepower.

Since Lexus also seems to love one-upping it’s competitors on numbers, perhaps a tweaked up and modernized version of the 1GZ-FE (1GZ-DE?) will be offered. The 1GZ-FE was a 5.0 liter V12 offered in Toyota luxury cars like the Toyota Century.

While power figures on paper might defeat the M5, but that’s not all it takes to win the hearts of enthusiasts.

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Lexus is rumoured to be developing a more track-oriented lightweight version of the Lexus IS-F, which is seen by some to be too tame to be a competitor to the Audi RS4 and the BMW M3. Obviously inspired by lightweight editions of it’s competitors like the M3 CSL, the new lightweight version is to be called the Lexus IS-F Evo, will use carbon fibre bodywork and have it’s interior stripped out. 0-100km/h acceleration times are expected to be under 5 seconds.

In Malaysia, Lexus is a really exclusive thing. Test drives of the press fleet are limited to an exclusive list, and for the media on that list, test drives are limited to taking the car for a spin around the headquarters – none of the usual three day test drive stuff. Shannon Teoh of NST Life & Times, one of the lucky local journalists who managed to get a feel of the Lexus LS460L shares with us his experience driving the flagship Lexus.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus LS460L Short Test Drive Report