It's Worth It, If You're The One Being Chauffeured

Here's Why This One Option Package Costs as Much as a New Toyota Camry

The 2018 Lexus LS500 is already a luxurious car. It’s got leather everywhere you look, and it’s loaded with the latest technology. With no options whatsoever, the car already costs $75,200. But if you really want to go all-out, it has one single option box you can tick off that costs an astounding $23,000.

Twenty-three thousand dollars. To put that in perspective, you can walk into a Toyota dealership right now, and pay $23,845 for a new Toyota Camry. You’ll pay less if the dealership gives you a deal on it, which I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

But there are likely no discounts whatsoever on the most expensive option package on the Lexus LS, known as the “Executive Package with Kiriko glass.”

That little screen, my friends, is the key to the kingdom.

From that little screen you can not only recline both seats, the back right seat unfolds into an ottoman-adorned recliner, pushing the front passenger seat out of the way as it does so, because only peasants sit in the front. Both rear seats benefit from extensive shiatsu massage programs, complete with a “spot heater” that applies heat in just the small spot where you are currently feeling massage pressure, as as to better replicate the feel of a human hand gently pushing against your backside.

Because you paid $23,000 for it, damn it. You need the feeling of a human hand, especially considering as the level of wealth you need to accrue simply to be able to afford such an option necessitates, fundamentally, a distance from other “humans.” Might as well simulate it then.
Of course, a screen would be a bit silly if all you used it for was extremely precise control of the backrest, seat bottom, head rest, seat heating, seat cooling, lumbar support, level of cushioning, massage, spot heater, ottoman, and all 22 ways the rear seats could possibly move. What a terrible waste that would be, of course.

So you can also control all of the audio for the rest of the car, the privacy shades that emerge from the bottoms of the rear doors and the rear windshield, and the interior lighting.

(Jalopnik.com)

Simple. Because People Want Trucks & CUV's

LC Sales Failing To Meet Expectations - Why Can't Lexus Make A Performance Car That Sells?

Unless your surname is Porsche and your given name 911, the sales volumes generated by premium two-doors are frighteningly small.

Lexus nevertheless brought to market the two-pronged Lexus LC range, as an indirect successor to the SC, with lofty expectations.

Moreover, Lexus was public with its goals, going so far as to respond directly to TTAC to defend the company’s reasoning.

(AutoSpies.com)

Behold, An Overpriced CHR

Lexus Hopes To Crack The 35 Year Old Segment With New UX - Do They Have A Chance?

(AutoSpies.com)

It's About Time They Felt Like This

For Toyota, it's always time to panic 

Company and its leader are driven by an enduring sense of crisis


Toyota's chief rarely opens his mouth in public these days without warning of the "once-in-a-century transformation" assailing the entire industry.

"Over the next 100 years, there is no guarantee that automobile manufacturers will continue to play leading roles in mobility," Toyoda said last fall in a timbre typical of his pronouncements. "A crucial battle has begun — not one about winning or losing, but one about surviving or dying."

That may sound hyperbolic, melodramatic or even panicky to the outside observer. But in some ways, the obsession with gloom and doom shows that Toyoda and his team are smack in their comfort zone — a chronic state of discomfort.

"Technology is changing quickly in our industry, and the race is on."

(AutoNews.com)

There's No Direct Competition, But There Is Inspiration

Calty Design’s Kevin Hunter On Toyota & Lexus’ Living Legacy

TG: What could Lexus learn from a brand like Porsche?

KH: You know, they’re such different brands. I don’t know from my point of view that there’s a lot of learning, because Lexus is a really new luxury brand. We don’t have a racing history, and all the iconic vehicles that Porsche has. It’s just a totally different ballgame I think.

TG: You are building a racing history though right?

KH: We’re starting to, yeah. It’s beginning. It will take a while, and I really see Lexus as a company that is searching for a new innovative direction, not dwelling too much on the past, but trying to forge a new path and a new way through the future. I really find that exciting, I think that aspect is very interesting, and it’s very different from what Porsche does in a lot of ways.

TG: It’s funny actually, many many car designers that we speak to appreciate Porsche in the same way, they appreciate the heritage much like you do. It’s very interesting to hear that from different people. It speaks to a designer on a core level I think, and it’s cool to hear that you appreciate that as well.

KH: Yeah, I mean just as a designer, as a person who enjoys driving, I really love the functional aspect of the 911. To me it’s a perfect blend of form and function, and I really respect that. I think it’s hard to do that, and being in the design business, it’s incredibly difficult to pull that off in such a fluid manner in combining something that from my point of view still looks artistic, but also is rooted in functionality. I think it’s something that’s very difficult to pull off, but I’m excited by what cars like the LF-LC mean for us in a similar arena.

(Petrolicious.com)

They See Me Rollin' - Bippu Edition

(SpeedHunters.com)

There's Always A Method To The Madness

Why Is Toyota Sending ‘Journalists’ On A Lavish Vacation To The Olympics?

Clearly, Toyota wants coverage for its Olympics sponsorship—why wouldn’t it?—and admittedly the chance to interview the athletes at the Games is very exciting. You get to capture all of their excitement, anxieties, rage and triumphs as they’re happening. It beats conducting an interview over the phone for sure.

But that being said, if this was truly the experience Toyota wanted journalists to have, then why include all the vacation shit? Why a visit to the fish market and a polar bear swim? What do those things have anything to do with Toyota, the Olympics, sponsorships or the athletes? It makes the coverage seem secondary to the VIP experience, and one wonders how these journalists—who are not sports journalists, by the way—will have time to get any meaningful journalism done in between all the fancy dinners and “mega-sauna” experiences.
As for how Jalopnik got this invite, I will speculate a bit here, but I suspect this was in part a PR fuck up. Toyota probably outsourced the duty to the marketing agency, sent instructions about the event, told them to build a list of outlets to invite and to handle the travel details. Yet, that agency was still acting on behalf of Toyota, so we can also assume that Toyota was in agreement with everything that it was doing, including the wording of the original invite.

That’s the same invite that went out to all the outlets, though! Which means that there are journalists who saw it and accepted this fairly egregious bit of access journalism anyway.

Let’s not act like this is some Toyota-specific issue. Every automaker does shit like this. But this trip’s purpose is even more dubious in value for the automaker than most others and its return on investment is extremely questionable.

(Jalopnik.com)

A Toyota Unicorn, A Manual Transmission Camry

Junkyard Gem: 1991 Toyota Camry with 5-speed manual

The very rare U.S.-market stickshift Camry, extinct since the 2012 model year.

(AutoBlog.com)

No! Please No!

Should Lexus Follow The LFA Supercar With A Second Generation ?

The Lexus LFA supercar was almost beyond comprehension. Jalopnik bossman Patrick George once described it perfectly “Its name stands for Lexus ***king Awesome.” Lexus knows we want another one, but will they ever build it? Well, it hasn’t said yes, but it hasn’t closed the door either.

The Lexus LFA was far removed from any other car that the Japanese luxury brand has made. It was a legit supercar, more Ferrari than Lexus, with a price-tag of almost $400,000. Under the hood was a screaming, naturally aspirated V10 that sounded like a Formula 1 race car.

 

Today it is still one of the rarest supercars you will ever encounter, as Lexus only made 500 copies between 2010 and 2012. Some are mysteriously still out there for sale as brand “new” cars.

(AutoSpies.com)

I Still Can't Believe How Good Lookin' Toyota's Sedans Are Now

2019 Toyota Avalon revealed | Bigger, sleeker and loads more tech 

First Toyota to come with Apple CarPlay and adaptive suspension 

(AutoBlog.com)

What Could Have Been

It's Time To Make A Case For The Lexus IS F

I think about cars a lot, as it is my job. But I’ve found that I think about this car more than I do most: a 2008 Lexus IS F. I think about this Lexus roughly twice a week, which is a lot for a car that’s 10 years old. But with rear-drive and a dirty V8 bark, how do you not think about it?

I like the IS F for a couple of reasons, with the first being that it’s a Japanese sport sedan with a fat V8 in its nose. From its 5.0-liter engine, you got about 420 horsepower lighting up the back wheels. Sure, comparable sedans these days have 100 to 150 more horses than that, but it doesn’t change the fact that 420 is still fun in its own regard.
I personally found the IS F’s design to be uninspiring in 2007, but after seeing how things took an unpleasant turn to favoring spangly LED running lights and hyper-aggro design today, the Lexus’ understated looks are refreshing. But also maybe because I’m not a teen anymore. Really, if you weren’t paying attention, an IS F could easily pass you by and you’d be none the wiser. You’d just have to look for the bigger wheels, beefier front bumper and stacked exhaust tips.

Even the eight-speed auto was decent. Yes, it’s a shame a manual was never made, but at least the car came with paddles so you could shift some stuff on your own.

All of that, objectively, should have meant that the IS F would be an easy home run. But it wasn’t. How do I know this? Because I hardly hear anybody bring up the IS F today. In fact, I’d wager that the only mistake Lexus made with the IS F was launching it alongside the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. That poor timing made it the true underdog.

(Jalopnik.com)

Lexus Is Over A Decade Late To The Sedan HP Wars

Lexus LS F Coming To Tokyo With 600 HP? 

Rumors about a Lexus LS F have been floating around for awhile and Toyota Motorsport GmbH even showed off a 641 hp concept several years ago.

While it would be easy to dismiss the model as a magazine rendering, the publication notes the RC F was given an early reveal in a similar fashion. The timing is also interesting as reports have suggested Lexus could unveil an LS F or LS F concept at either the Tokyo Motor Show or the North American International Auto Show.

If Lexus is indeed working on an LS F, it could be powered by a new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that develops around 600 hp (447 kW). The engine is also expected to be used in the LC F.

(AutoSpies.com)

It's About Damn Time, Lexus

Next-Gen Lexus GS F Rumored to Have 4.0-Liter Twin-Turbo V8

The performance car market is starting to look like Oprah Winfrey is in charge. "You get a 4.0L V8, and you get a 4.0L V8, and you get a 4.0L V8" sort of stuff. After Mercedes, Audi and Porsche, Lexus could be next with a hot GS F that's finally ready to compete with the BMW M5.

Best Car, the same magazine that reported a 600 horsepower LC F is coming in 2019, now claims there's a GS F powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the pipeline. We're talking about a next-generation car, which is several years away. So the story could be just pure speculation. However, the previous one was well fleshed out with a timeframe, price, and key rival: the GT-R Nurburgring edition.

(AutoEvolution.com) 

Lexus Needs To Stop Chasing Some Ghosts

Lexus Aims High With The LC F - Will MATCH Performance Of Nissan GT-R Nismo and Mercedes-AMG GT.

Japanese website Best Car Web says that the LC F will look to match the performance of Nissan’s most-potent GT-R variant but also offer the luxury and refinement you’d expect from a car like the BMW M6 and Mercedes-AMG GT. If true, Lexus will have its work cut out in the coming 12 months or so. 

(AutoSpies.com)

The Prius' Cousin Unfortunately Never Caught On

Dead: Lexus CT200h

Lexus has decided to discontinue the CT200h hybrid hatchback after the 2017 model year. This is not a shocking development with cheap gas and buyers flocking to crossovers, but the CT200h was an underrated upscale hatchback.

According to Car and Driver, the CT200h will reach the end of its lifecycle in the American market in 2017, but Lexus will continue to sell it elsewhere. Its demise isn’t really surprising, since the automaker sold less than 9,000 units of the CT200h in 2016.

The CT200h had a fairly reasonable starting price of around $31,000, but it was essentially a fancy version of the Prius with hybrid tech that has been around since 2012. The current Prius can get up to 52 mpg combined, while the CT200h only manages 42 mpg combined.

However, the CT was a bit “sportier” to drive than the Prius and comes with a much nicer interior if you have are looking for luxury feel with your fuel efficiency.

(Jalopnik.com)

So Long To The Lexus Gran Sport Sedan

Why the Lexus GS death rumors aren't surprising

For months, rumors have persisted that the Lexus GS is dying, to be replaced in the lineup by the ever-growing ES. After spending some time with one, we can't really figure out why it hasn't happened sooner. For a long time, the smaller, less expensive, more efficient front-wheel-drive Lexus ES has been growing in size and dominating the rear-wheel-drive GS in sales. As customers move from sedans into crossovers, Lexus' five-car lineup of the CT, IS, ES, GS, and LS is looking a bit too crowded.

From behind the wheel, the GS fails to convey any sense of excitement or occasion. It's simply a shoulder shrug of a car. When competition like the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class offer both refinement and a decent infusion of fun, it's hard to make a case for the Lexus. The ES isn't any better, but with a base price of $39,895 it's a far more reasonable proposition than a $47,305 GS. Our test car was starting to show its age, as the competition has long sailed by when it comes to noise, vibration, and harshness. Lexus quiet this GS 200t was not.

All that said, it seems that customers have already spoken. In 2016, Lexus sold 58,299 ES and 14,878 GS. That's not an insubstantial divide. In fact, the ES is the automaker's second-best-selling model, only behind the RX, which moved 109,435 units. The ES even outsold the smaller, less expensive IS sedan. The RX, like the ES, is heavily based on already existing Toyota platforms. Having a Lexus-specific platform seems to have no sales benefit.

Customers want crossovers like the RX and NX, not big sedans like the GS. Enthusiasts might love models like the old inline-six powered GS 300s of the '90s, but they aren't exactly lining up for new Lexus performance products like the IS F, GS F, or RC F. 

(AutoBlog.com)  

They're Finally Realizing This?

Lexus Knows it Needs to Improve its Sedans or Prepare Them for a Merciful Death

“Unless we can really offer a sedan experience you cannot have with an SUV or crossover, I think the sedan may not be able to survive if it does not evolve,” Fukuichi told Automotive News at the Shanghai auto show in April. “At a certain point of time, the traditional, square, three-box sedan will go away.”

“Personally, I would like to have a Lexus wagon if we had enough resources,” he said. “Maybe not as tall as an SUV but not as short as a wagon. There could be some optimized packaging … If we’re going to do it, it can’t be just an ordinary station wagon.”
They already have those; they are called crossovers.

With sedans accounting for only 29 percent of Lexus’ sales within the United States, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where it didn’t murder off at least a few models for CUV replacements. The brand’s car sales dropped a full 35 percent during the start of 2017. Meanwhile, Lexus spent most of January scrambling to produce more SUVs after last December turned out to be their best sales month in history.

(TheTruthAboutCars.com)

Good Luck With That

Lexus Has Very Lofty Sales Goals For The LC - Will They Even Come Close?

Lexus has lofty goals for the new LC performance coupe, a two-car range encompassing V8 and V6 hybrid cars.

The Lexus LC, Toyota’s premium division hopes, will attract 400 buyers in America per month.
That’s a big number.

(AutoSpies.com)

They See Me Rollin' - Lexus Edition

(SpeedHunters.com)

Uh, I Dunno About That Much Praise

The 2018 Lexus LC 500 Is Basically A Japanese Aston Martin

[W]hen Lexus wants to make a big dramatic statement, it unleashes a huge luxury coupe with a naturally aspirated V8 engine. Such is the 2018 Lexus LC 500[.]

[W]atch this One Take review from our friend Matt Farah at The Smoking Tire.

Matt’s down with it too, and he’s not just some joker off the street with no sense of taste. What does he say about it? While the legendary Lexus LFA was like a Japanese Ferrari 599, this is like a Japanese Aston Martin. It’s got dramatic styling, an interior worthy of a $100,000+ luxury car, a fantastic soundtrack from the V8, and some impressive tech to aid the driving experience, and surprisingly decent handling despite its two-ton weight, and an exclusivity that separates it from what Mercedes and BMW are slinging.

Video link (Jalopnik.com)