The Lexus Enthusiast

Autocar Drives the Lexus LF-A

2009-07-09T14:17:24+00:00

Autocar journalist Steve Sutcliffe was also had a chance to drive the Lexus LF-A at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed:

There’s a clonk from the transaxle when first gear engages, and as I pull away the ride immediately feels firm but refined, not at all racing car hard. Another faint but disappointing clonk as second and third are selected. A bit more throttle introduces a lot more noise into the cockpit; a cross between a 1980s Quattro and an F1 car from a few years ago, with a bit of Lamborghini-style crackling on the overrun for good measure.

It’s so wet I’m a bit reticent about nailing the thing wide open to begin with, not until fourth gear is selected at least, but when I do it is so immediately obvious that there is traction, and lots of it, I down-change to third and hold on tight, at which point the LF-A goes fairly berserk.

If I couldn’t set a faster lap time in this car around Goodwood than I could in a Ferrari 599 I’d be prepared to make a genuine attempt to eat my trousers.

Hard not to get excited by the reactions. As well, both of the LFA reviews are sprinkled with facts:

Production LF-A will be limited to 9000rpm
Near-perfect weight distribution of 48/52 (front/rear)
Carbon ceramic rotors, magnesium alloy 20” wheels
LF-A will weigh 1500kg (3,306 lbs.)
Chassis will be carbon composite, outer body will be aluminum
The LF-A will cost £250,000 ($405,800USD)

The price is extraordinary, no question, but it also seems to vary every time it’s mentioned. Time will tell how much it will cost when it hits production.

[Source: Autocar]

Pistonheads Drives the Lexus LF-A

2009-07-09T12:56:11+00:00

During the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend in Great Britain, a group of journalists were given the opportunity to drive the Lexus LFA racing prototypes that raced last month in the Nürburgring 24h. One of these journalists was Chris Rosamond, and he’s written a stellar account of the experience:

The racing car accelerates flat and hard with a typical V10 howl; harsher, more mechanical and somehow less mellifluous than a V12, but spine-tingling all the same. The effect is amplified by the racer’s stripped-out interior and race exhaust, but if the Lexus engineers can keep any of that sound for the road version, then its owners are in for a true aural treat.

Although it very much looks the part in race trim, the LF-A competed in the production class at the Nurburgring, which means it’s not very far from the road car that Lexus is expected to reveal later this year at the Tokyo motor show.

There’s plenty of info packed in this article, and makes for a very entertaining read. His overall impression is extremely positive, unsurprising when you consider the supercar’s long development period. One small detail of note:

No performance figures or official outputs have been revealed, but when we had a look under the bonnet somebody had scrawled ‘#557 P’ with a marker pen on one of the cylinder head covers. Could this have been the record of an engine dyno test?

Also be sure to check out the article’s photos, which are impressively detailed.

[Source: Pistonheads]

Edmunds Reviews the Lexus HS 250h (Again)

2009-07-08T18:20:34+00:00

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 car’s optional touring package. Together they provide the HS 250h with an almost athletic grace.

This Lexus even won us over when we strayed beyond the hybrid-friendly confines of Santa Monica. It attacks the local canyon roads with steady, deliberate determination. While not exactly nimble, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h maintains a very stable manner when cornering hard, and it will accept heavy braking deep into turns without pushing off line or losing its composure.

The repeated praise for the HS driving experience is surprising given its overall appearance, it must be extremely competent to deserve such approval. Even more than that, Edmunds’ suggests that the HS may be “the ultimate hybrid and the ultimate Lexus”.

(Also, be sure to check out the HS 250h track video, it’s really something.)

[Source: Edmunds]

My.IS Reviews the Lexus HS 250h

2009-07-08T15:32:12+00:00

With the release of the Lexus HS 250h coming closer and closer, there will be more and more reviews of the new hybrid sedan to pore over, but it’s unlikely any of them will touch the depth and detail shown by My.IS editor Joaquín Ruhi. Weighing in at over 5,000 words, his review has plenty of info—here are some quotes:

In his presentation, [HS Chief Engineer Hiroyuki] Koba-san reveals that “I thought of myself not as a chief engineer but as a conductor, trying to direct the different amounts of each concept element into a balanced symphony, one that would end in the creation of a harmonious sedan, the HS…A Lexus symphony would not be complete without an infusion of luxury. We were focused on creating a feel befitting the first-ever luxury dedicated hybrid.”

A traffic stop allowed us to hit the EV button…and I made every effort to keep it under 20 mph. To further the cause, we turned off the radio and the air conditioning. Fortunately, a parking lot in the environs of the University of California’s Irvine campus allowed us to unobtrusively and silently creep along, as if driving the world’s fanciest golf cart…At that point, we scrolled through the trip computer, which revealed that, over a 6.4-mile drive, I’d averaged an eye-popping 73.4 miles per gallons.

This is a must read for anyone considering the HS 250h, there’s simply no easier way to get the full story of what to expect when the hybrid sedan finally goes on sale later this summer.

Visit My.IS for the full review.

Lexus IS-C Demand Outpacing Production

2009-07-08T14:17:15+00:00

The Lexus IS-C is off to a booming start in the US, with dealerships selling the new convertible faster than Lexus’s Kyushu plant in Japan can make them. Wards has the story:

The facility is ramping up to produce at least 225 IS-C models a month just for the Northeast region of the U.S., Scott Wracher, general manager of the Lexus’s eastern area, says at a press conference here.

The overall build rate will allow Lexus to sell 1,200 units per month nationally. “I don’t think we’re going to outstrip demand with our build rate,” he says, adding, “There’s a lot of value in the IS (models) compared to our competition.”

Wracher says it’s too early in the sales cycle to estimate the average transaction price for the new convertibles, although he believes all units will be sold at the base price. He also predicts sales of the new models will break 85% for the 250C and 15% for the 350C.

The IS-C is coming on the market just as the convertible season starts, and with that good timing comes a huge surge in demand. No doubt that sales will slow down once the weather gets colder, but until then, the IS-C is a hot commodity.

[Source: Wards Auto via Club Lexus]

Automobile Magazine Compares the Lexus LS 600hL vs. Mercedes S400 Hybrid

2009-07-07T18:43:04+00:00

Automobile Magazine has an article up on the Lexus LS 600hL and the Mercedes S400 Hybrid and how their approach to hybrid technology compares:

The biggest benefit of the Lexus hybrid system is its smoothness. The two electric motors and two planetary gearsets allow the big V-8 to loaf except during hard acceleration. Flat-out, the LS600hL might not be any faster than the regular LS, but it doles out power far more effortlessly.

The Mercedes, by comparison, feels like a normal V-6-powered S-class. The Benz and the Lexus behave so differently that you realize this isn’t a battle of which car is the better sedan, it’s a clash between two philosophies. The Lexus was admirably early to market, but suddenly it seems that Benz’s more elegant system reaps nearly the same benefits.

This article is dead on—but it’s important to keep in mind that it was a different world when Lexus introduced the LS and GS hybrids. After all, gas was generally reasonable and there wasn’t a global economic meltdown. Instead of boosting the gas mileage, Lexus went and boosted the power performance, in a way that competed with the top of their respective classes (the LSh in particular was aimed directly at the MB S600).

Now that fuel economy is here to stay, I would expect Lexus to revise their hybrid strategy, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see a LS 450h (or something similar) some time in the near future.

[Source: Automobile Magazine]

New Lexus RX 450h Commercials

2009-07-07T18:19:57+00:00

With the 2010 Lexus RX 450h now available in US dealerships, it’s time for new commercials:

This testimonial style commercial may be overdone, but it’s a safe and dependable choice—not unlike the RX hybrid.

(Lexus looks to be staying the course with this model, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the hybrid RX outsold the conventional V6, even with the $5,000 price difference.)

Popular Mechanics Compares the Lexus RX 350 vs. Cadillac SRX

2009-07-06T19:46:59+00:00

After Motor Trend’s misguided comparison of the Lexus RX 350 and the new Cadillac SRX, I was looking forward to a more honest take on the battling crossovers—and that’s what Popular Mechanics has delivered:

As much as Cadillac may have had its crosshairs set on Lexus, it built a much different car. The design character and driving dynamics clearly favor the sporty side. If, say, you hauled the family to a mountain retreat along some twisty roads, the SRX would be the best crossover. But in the usual day-to-day grind, the RX’s greater refinement and comfort would be awfully hard to ignore. Forced to choose, we’d go with the Lexus.

It isn’t Popular Mechanics choosing the RX over the SRX that makes this a better comparison than Motor Trend’s, it’s the absence of skewed logic. Even in this review, the RX was chosen reluctantly, and only because it makes the most sense. It’s a safe pick, which is what crossover shoppers are looking for (as opposed to how well the vehicle carves corners). It isn’t right or wrong, it’s simply the truth.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Lexus LFA to be offered in 30 colors?

2009-07-06T19:20:53+00:00

Motor Trend is now in the business of translating and republishing Japanese auto magazines, and that includes a Best Car feature on the upcoming Lexus LFA:

Their translation:

In addition to showing a rendered final form, insiders quoted by Best Car say Toyota officials are looking to rename the car to ‘SS550’. The ‘SS’ standing for ‘super sport’ and ‘550’ for the car’s tremendous horsepower figure. Product planners are also keen on offering the six-figure car in 30 color schemes—12 of which would be standard, the other 18 optional.

Most of this Best Car information was covered in an earlier post, but this is notable due to the more detailed rendering and the news that the LFA would be available in 30 color schemes! That’s a lot of choice for a rumored 500 unit run, and would be comparable to the variety offered by other supercar manufacturers.

(Still don’t find the SS 550 name all that appealing, it seems a shame to build so much around the LFA letters only to drop them for the production model.)

[Source: Best Car via Motor Trend]

2010 Lexus GX Photochop

2009-07-03T12:28:27+00:00

One of the things throwing me off with the leaked 2010 Lexus GX photos was that, well, they weren’t Lexus GX photos at all, but the Toyota equivalent, the Land Cruiser Prado. To better picture the GX, I spent some time photoshopping a Lexus grille on the front end:

It’s probably the fact that the grille is lifted from the LX 570, but the similarities between this redesign and Lexus’ largest SUV is undeniable, particularly with the bulging headlights.

Really feeling this redesign so far. A lot will depend on the interior design and whether it gravitates towards the LX or RX. (Personally, I’d like to see a mixture of both.)