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Stand out in the parking lot | 2017 Lexus NX 200t F-Sport Quick Spin

Timing is a funny thing. As I'm writing this mini-review of the Lexus NX 200t, which has been out for several years and used the brand's first turbocharged engine in America, a newly-revised NX just debuted in China. It doesn't have much bearing on my thoughts about the CUV, but it does go to show the growing importance of China for luxury manufacturers like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. It's been almost three years since we drove the NX 200t for the first time. Back then, our reviewer was impressed by how different it felt from the RAV4 – the two vehicles share a platform, although Lexus claims 90 percent of the NX is distinct from its Toyota cousin. The biggest differences are styling and, more important, the powertrain. With turbocharging going very mainstream in the intervening years, how does the NX200t hold up? I spent a week in an F-Sport trim in a striking orange color to find out for myself. It took a little while for me to warm up to the powertrain. Even in Sport mode, things seem ... well, they seem a little sluggish. The NX has a funny way of expressing its slightly more than adequate horsepower and torque by requiring a hefty punt to spool up the turbo and get things moving along. Normal drive mode could pass for an economy setting. Back in 2014 when this thing was new, it was clear that the RAV4 connection doesn't matter as much as we, as enthusiasts, would think. It's easy for us to fixate on what vehicle is related to what platform, and which way its engine sits. And that's good! We need to do that. But Lexus determined that they didn't need it to sit on a rear-drive sportscar platform because of course not! It's a little crossover. From a packaging standpoint, that'd be idiotic, and from a marketing standpoint likewise. Not to say that buyers of the NX 200t aren't discerning. But I think their priorities and desires probably align with what Lexus decided to produce. This is good and proper. Also, it beats the heck out of a RAV4. I love the seats. Every body is different, sure. But these seats are completely spot on for what my body needs. They're sporty-looking without resorting to immense bolsters that pinch the torso, and they're very supportive. I wouldn't say they're the best seat's I've tried out of the hundreds of cars I've driven over the years, but they're probably the best small crossover seats I can recall. To put it in different terms, on some long road trips you need to stop just to stretch – that's not the case here.

Recharge Wrap-up: Grimsel electric car breaks acceleration world record, electric Ford Raptor ATV debuts

An all-electric version of the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is now available... as an ATV. Made by Caddyshack Golf Cars, it features officially licensed Ford badging borrowed from the super-macho pickup. It has a lifted chassis with leaf springs in the front and rear, hydraulic shocks and off-road tires. Powered by a 48-volt motor, it can do 0-25 mph in 2.9 seconds. Range is an estimated 30 miles - plenty to get you through 18 of the most rugged holes of golf you've ever played. Caddyshack also offers other miniature electric Fords, including a Shelby GT500, Shelby Cobra and 50th Anniversary Mustang. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lexus takes a crack at the BMW i3 in a new video from Funny or Die. In the decidedly anti-EV film, a group of guys drives to Las Vegas for a "dad-chelor party" in a Lexus CT 200h and a BMW i3. The Lexus hybrid makes it to Sin City without any problems, while the BMW's occupants need to make several lengthy stops to charge along the way, missing much of the fun. The video lampoons the inherent range limitations of the EV (the BMW group ends up driving slowly through the desert with no AC or radio to save energy), all in a well produced, if somewhat misguided, short comedy film. Perhaps they should have considered the i3 with a range extender? See the video below, or read more at Green Car Reports. Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University have set a new EV acceleration world record. Their "Grimsel" racing car was able to zoom from 0-100 kph (0-62.137 mph) in just 1.785 seconds in less than 30 meters (98.425 feet), crushing the previous record of 2.134 seconds. Even more impressive is that the Grimsel was built by the students themselves, as part of the Formula Student team at the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich. The car weighs just 370 pounds and provides 200 horsepower and 1,202 pound feet of torque from the four hub motors. The Grimsel uses traction control to manage torque for maximum acceleration. See the record acceleration run in the videos below or read more at Gizmag, at Electric Autosport or in the press release from ETH Zurich below. 'grimsel' breaks world record The 'grimsel' electric racing car today broke the previous world record for acceleration in electric cars. The vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.785 seconds in under 30 metres. The new record was set by students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, who also designed and built the vehicle.

Watch the mysterious Lexus F Sport model live reveal here today

Lexus has a mystery F Sport reveal for us coming up this Monday morning. Turn your dials to the YouTube video above at 11 a.m. ET today to see what new performance model Lexus has to offer. The teaser image is exactly the same as it was a week ago. There’s a simple F Sport badge sitting proudly on an engine cover, but no exact indication of what the car is. We picked the engine cover out as the same cover found in the RC F, suggesting that the car weÂ’re going to see has the 5.0-liter V8 under its hood. However, the F Sport badge contradicts this, as the only cars with the performance V8 in LexusÂ’ lineups are full F models (without the Sport moniker). WeÂ’ll certainly be tuning in at 11 to see exactly what Lexus has for us. Could it be the IS 500 that we wondered about a week ago? Or is it some other mysterious F Sport model? All will be revealed in short time.