Nearly New Car!!!!! on 2040-cars

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Toyota recalling 20k 2014 and 2015 cars and CUVs with 3.5L engines

Toyota has announced a recall of roughly 20,000 vehicles covering the 2014 Avalon, Camry, Highlander (pictured) and Sienna, as well as the 2015 Lexus RX luxury crossover. The affected vehicles are all powered the 2GR-FE engine, which in layman's terms, is Toyota's well-regarded 3.5-liter V6.
According to Toyota's statement, a parts supplier might not have welded "the end cap on the right-hand fuel delivery pipe in the engine compartment" correctly, meaning fuel could leak. Leaking fuel, of course, increases the chance of an engine fire. That said, no fires, crashes or injuries have been reported due to the issue.
Owners will be notified to report to dealers, where techs will check the fuel delivery pipe and fit a replacement part as necessary.

2015 Lexus RC F

I didn't get a chance to drive the Lexus IS F until 2009, two years after the car had gone on sale, but I still vividly remember the day it happened. Having piloted almost every other vehicle in the Lexus lineup at that point, I was stoked to finally get some wheel time in the V8-powered, flared-fender muscle sedan, but fully expected the car to offer a quick, sanitized and ultimately un-driverly experience. Lexus built well-screwed-together, comfortable, quiet, reliable luxury cars for the timid, right?
As it turned out, I was 100-percent incorrect. When the premium brand's lauded "skunkworks team" crammed that massive V8 into the innocent IS, and then tuned the thing for competent hot laps at Fuji Speedway (F = Fuji, if you haven't heard), they seemingly forgot every brand value that Lexus had curated over the previous 20 years. It was raw and loud, had fast-twitch reflexes and a penchant for power slides, and it went unyieldingly across the road surface like a racecar cut loose from the paddock.
As far as Ur- models and origin stories go, the IS F and Lexus F has a pretty compelling, if new, set. A backdrop against which the sequel, this 2015 RC F, must inevitably be viewed. Sure, the otherworldly LFA may have intervened as the second F model, but the RC carries forward an evolution of the 5.0-liter V8 thumper, some shared body and chassis constructions, similar in-your-face design and a ticket price that's squarely in the mix for premium buyers with a hankering to smoke tires.

Lexus unveils first EV, the UX 300e

UPDATE: A Lexus spokesperson has provided Autoblog with the following statement concerning U.S. sales of the UX 300e: "The UX 300e has been designed specifically for the Chinese and European markets. The U.S. will not offer the UX 300e, however, we have committed to developing a dedicated BEV that is purpose-built to offer the benefits and features that U.S. luxury buyers demand." The original article continues below. Lexus has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle and — surprise — itÂ’s a crossover. The Lexus UX 300e is seeing its public debut in China, at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition. Lexus tipped the world off to its next step in the luxury automakerÂ’s “Lexus Electrified” campaign with a trademark filing. Now it has followed through, in what appears to be a trend, as more and more automakers enter the EV arena with formats that are hot as all heck right now: crossovers. We only have a few specifications so far, but theyÂ’re interesting. The Lexus UX 300e has a 54.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides an estimated 248 miles of driving range based on the very generous and arguably outdated NEDC driving cycle — this would indubitably be rated much lower if tested by the EPA. The electric motor, located up front, is capable of a peak 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. It has a DC fast charging capability of 50 kW, which lags behind a lot of what weÂ’re seeing nowadays (for instance, the Kia Niro EV is capable of 100 kW, and the Audi E-Tron can do 150 kW). LexusÂ’ press release doesnÂ’t specify the charging standard, but that 50-kW capacity corresponds with the current maximum speed of the CHAdeMo charging standard. The UX 300e promises a comfortable but exciting drive experience with a dual focus on NVH and driving dynamics. Drivers can control the experience with a number of driving modes, as well as paddle “shifters” that adjust the level of regen feel form the electric motor/generator. As for the sonic experience, Lexus says it has an “Active Sound Control (ASC)” feature that “transmits natural ambient sounds to allow for a greater understanding of driving conditions, and provides a natural feeling for the cabin's occupants.” We have no word on whether the UX EV will make its way to the U.S. Lexus says it will go on sale in China and Europe next year, with a Japan introduction in 2021. Again, this is just a first step, and weÂ’ll be curious to see what plans Lexus has for EVs here in the States.