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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 LF-FC concept is a preview of the next LS [w/video]

As far as flagship luxury sedans go, the Lexus LS is one of the oldest on the market. But the upscale Japanese automaker is out to fix that in short order. And to give us a taste of what's to come, it's presenting the concept you see here at the Tokyo Motor Show today. Called the LF-FC, the show car clearly points the way forward for the next-generation LS. The design adopts the latest take on the brand's "L-finesse" styling language, with a large, spindle-shaped front grille leading to sharp creases cutting their way across the entire surface. Lexus refers to the roofline as approaching that of a four-door coupe, though it clearly places more of an emphasis on rear-seat space. Power comes from a conceptual hydrogen fuel cell whose components have been scattered throughout the vehicle to optimize weight distribution. The fuel cell drives the rear wheels and sends power to hub motors in the front wheels as well for all-wheel-drive capability. Those 21-inch rims are made of carbon fiber, with aluminum spokes, to minimize unsprung weight. Naturally, Lexus has equipped the concept with all the latest electronic aids to track the flow of traffic and even drive autonomously through it. Of course a vehicle like this is designed around the driver and occupants. The white and brown interior space features four individual bucket seats, because really, who wants to dream of riding in the middle? Interior appointments look suitably tasteful, all done in satin-finish wood and metal with white and brown leather, and would look at home on the next generation of first-class aircraft cabins. Lexus has equipped the concept with gesture control that incorporates a floating holographic image to show users where to place their hands to operate the audio and ventilation systems touchlessly. In typical concept style, the LF-FC sits wider and squatter than the production sedans at which it takes aim. More telling, however, is the overall length: at 208.7 inches, it's a few thumbs longer than even the extended version of the current Lexus LS, and a touch longer than the current long-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ, and Maserati Quattroporte. We're looking forward to seeing the production version in the form of the next LS in due course to see how it measures up against the competition, and not just in terms of size. Related Video: Lexus LF-FC Flagship Concept Revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show TOKYO (Oct.

Buick, Lexus top J.D. Power survey, as vehicle service improves overall

Buick and Lexus returned to their customary place atop J.D. Power's scorecard of satisfaction with dealership service departments. In the Customer Service Index Study, out Thursday, Buick scored 860 on a 1,000-point scale for mass-market brands and has topped this ranking in three of the past four years. Lexus topped the list of luxury brands with a score of 874. Fiat and Land Rover were the bottom-dwellers in the two categories. Buick and Lexus also ranked highly in the research company's overall Vehicle Dependability Study rankings out recently. The customer experience at car dealerships has improved steadily, with the overall industry score rising in seven of the past eight years. And one statistic is particularly remarkable: 94 percent of customers say their car was fixed right the first time. The dominant area of difficulty in repairs seems to be infotainment systems. Only 80 percent of respondents said their stereo was fixed right the first time. And in last month's Vehicle Dependability Study, J.D. Power reported that infotainment systems were the most commonly reported vehicle issue, accounting for 22 percent of all problems reported, up 2 percent from the previous year. J.D. Power surveyed 70,000 customers for the Customer Service Index Study. For the Vehicle Dependability Study, it surveyed 35,186 first owners of 2014 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. Below are charts for both the current study and the complementary overall brand dependability survey. Related video: