Category: Lexus

The future LF-A’s engie has been spotted by photographers during the 24 hrs Nurburgring where the car was competing.

As expected the engine bay featured the future V10 petrol-unit which is rumoured to develop over 500bhp. In addition to the V10 unit, Lecus is also readying a hybrid version which will feature a V8 petrol engine and and electric motor. Power remains unknown at this stage, but this hybrid-powered LF-A will be launched 12 months after the V10 version.

The LF-A finished 134th at the 24hrs Nurburgring race, far behind Porsche which dominated the top 10 rankings. The Japanese supercar is still in development and the even will likely help the engineers to improve the cars. However, first results aren’t as impressive as it was expected.

Lexus tries to spice up the IS saloon and unveils a new sport pack called SR for the IS 250 model that takes inspiration from the IS F.

The IS 250 SR is designed to deliver some of the sporting allure of the IS F and offers combined customer value of more than £3,500 for less than £1,000. This sporty addition to the IS range comes with a full body kit and 17in 10-spoke alloy wheels on the outside. Aluminium scuff plates and pedals add subtle visual enhancements on the inside. Heated front seats are also fitted as standard.

Standard equipment includes 10 airbags, climate control, cruise control, smart keyless entry and engine start and sequenced LED interior lighting. Owners can specify five-spoke 18-inch Tsuki rims.

Powered by a 204bhp 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine, the IS 250 SR will accelerate from rest to 62mph in 8.1 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 140mph.

Three exterior colours are available: Velvet Black and Cadoxton Slate and Argento Ice metallic finishes. All are available with the same interior treatment, a Worcester Black interior fabric trim. The IS 250 SR costs £24,990 with the manual gearbox and £25,800 for the automatic version.

Lexus wants to increase its global presence, especially outside the US and has announced it will invest £108 million to expand its dealer network in Australia.

From its current network of 22 dealerships, the luxury brand will increase this number by 50% in the next four years. The new facilities will feature a new face similar to that of the latest Lexus dealer in Perth with a purpose of making customers “feel as though they are guests in our home”.

Lexus Australia CEO John Roca also said that "Lexus locally is in growth mode. Demand for our vehicles regularly outstrips supply and our dealerships in their current format are reaching their capacity limits. Lexus’ success comes from satisfied customers.”

Source: The Australian
Source photo: Edmunds

Lexus plans to expand its lineup in an attempt to increase its globals sales. more F models, a small Lexus and the eagerly-awaited LF-A are on the menu.

In an interview with the Australian, head of Lexus Australia, John Roca, has revealed the future plans of the Japanese luxury brands. First, the long-awaited LF-A won’t be build before 2011. Tokyo Motor Show will likely be the event chosen by the carmaker to unveil the supercar.

The carmaker also plans to launch more F models. After the IS-F, the company plans to unveil the GS-F which might be powred by a V10 petrol engine like the Audi RS6 and the BMW M5. Lexus might also launch a LS-F which would take on the Audi S8 and the Mercedes S65 AMG.

All these models will help to boost the company’s brand image which struggles to get a pie of the luxury market outside the US. The real model expected to be built at large scale will be a compact model and a future hybrid model. The compact model will be Lexus’ attempt to fight on the compact market segment. Set to compete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, the future model will likely be powered by a hybrid transmission. The other hybrid model will be a unique vehicle a bit like the Prius in the Toyota’s lineup on which the future Lexus will be based.

Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, is under-performing in its domestic market as a result of poor brand image and high prices.

The Japanese giant launched Lexus in its domestic market three years ago in an attempt to take on European premium carmakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW which were meeting a relative big success there.
The company opened 160 all-new showrooms and even sent its staff to best etiquette school in Japan, but demand remains weak. What’s interesting about Lexus in Japan is the wrong approach taken by the company.

The company’s executives might be blamed but the problem encountered by Lexus is more than complex. Sold as a premium brand in the US, the company promotes its Japanese technology to compete with the German clique. Bringing this strategy to Japan is out of the question as Toyota already offers models with similar technologies. Lexus can’t also promote an exotic image when belonging to Toyota as European carmakers can do it in Japan. So, the company decided to promote the Japanese core values which is not what Japanese European car buyers are looking for.

Another reason for failure was the limited lineup of three vehicles: the GS and IS saloons, and the SC convertible. Not only  they were sold previously under the Toyota label, but they were also 20% more expensive under the Lexus badge.

One approach Lexus never considered was its American success. Japanese people admires American culture in a way that can be seen as ridiculous sometimes. By selling its American success, Lexus might have appeared as exotic as German competitors without directly fighting with them. However, the poor image of American cars in Japan might have threatened the brand’s future.

Source: Business Week

Here is the picture of a Lexus IS coupé-convertible spotted in Germany during testing which is expected to be launched next year.

The IS CC is the brand’s latest attempt to take on the BMW 3-series in order to reinforce its lineup and slightly increase its sales. The company doesn’t look for a high-volume maker, but wants to show its commitment to go where the Germans are. At this stage, it is unknown whether Lexus will bring the car to our shores or not.

Secrecy surrounds the exact spec of the car at this stage although it is reported that the IS CC will be available with a wide range of engines similar to the saloon’s.

According to Motor Trend, Lexus will unveil a new hybrid model based on the next-generation Prius at the next Detroit Auto Show in January 2009.

It wasn’t a secret that Toyota planned to launch the next Prius at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. However, the Lexus version comes as a surprise and raises questions about the opportunity of such a specific vehicle in the brand’s lineup. It is rumoured that the future Lexus would be available under a sports wagon form. The former IS estate comes to mind and might be used as an inspiration for Lexus. It wasn’t a roomy estate, but its unique design was praised by the specialists.

Still, how would a unique hybrid model fit in the Lexus lineup? Well, the brand certainly needs to reinforce its portfolio at a time when the German clique expands its lineup with compact models. However, a Prius-based model might be too unconventional and bit tame for buyers used to buying 1-series and A3 models for their sportiness.

Every year since 2003, Lexus and Pebble Beach Company put on sale a limited edition of the SC430 convertible. This year, Lexus has launched is launching three models for the first time. Along the SC430, Lexus will offer the RX350 and the ES350.

Pebble Beach Company is famous among car maniacs for its concours d’elegance but fewer people know that the company is mainly a hotel chain. The three models intend to evoke the feeling of exclusivity that comes with an excursion to the Pebble Beach Resorts.

On the menu, the RX350 will be available in three colors: Classic Silver Metallic, Obsidian Black and Truffle Mica. Truffle Mica is available on the RX only with this special edition package. The RX will feature new and unique design 18-inch wheels and chrome grille, a color-keyed rear spoiler and a special interior trim combination. Customized floormats, featuring Pebble Beach Company’s signature The Lone Cypress™ logo, are included. On the exterior of the RX, Pebble Beach Edition badging will be on the front fenders.

The ES 350 Pebble Beach Edition is available in the exclusive Truffle Mica color, as well as Tungsten Pearl Silver and Obsidian Black. The 7-spoke 17-inch wheels come with an exclusive liquid graphite finish while the interior of the ES features semi-aniline leather and a wood and leather steering wheel. The ES Pebble Beach Edition also features The Lone Cypress™ logoed floormats and special Pebble Beach Edition badging on the front fenders.

The exclusivity comes from the ability to customize their “experience” by choosing three equipment packs: the Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Sets, and Epicurean Encounter. Production of the Pebble Beach Collection RX and ES is limited to 6,000 vehicles each.