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Lexus reaches 10 million sales since its inception 30 years ago

Almost immediately after Matt Farah's famed second-generation LS400 became the million-mile Lexus, the Japanese luxury brand is celebrating another major milestone: Lexus has now sold 10 million vehicles globally. The Toyota luxury division, whose first car debuted 30 years ago at the 1989 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, famously pursued "perfection" when it came to build quality and ownership experience. The smooth, V8-engined LS400 was quickly followed by smaller additions to the lineup, and in the time Lexus has been around, it has sold a wide range of vehicles, from the Camry-related ES line and Land Cruiser-related SUVs to the LFA supercar. While the LS was sold in Japan as the Toyota Celsior, the ES as the Toyota Windom and the IS as the Toyota Altezza, not all Lexus models have had a Toyota-badged equivalent, and as Japan-market Lexus sales officially began in 2005, the corresponding Toyota model lines were ended and succeeded by their Lexus counterparts. With the RX400h SUV, Lexus introduced its first hybrid model in 2005. Since then, Lexus says it's sold 1.45 million hybrid vehicles, and it currently has 11 hybrid models on offer around the world. With 698,330 global vehicle sales in 2018 constituted a 4.5 percent increase from 2017, hybrid sales jumped nearly 20 percent for Lexus in that time. 2018 marked the company's best-ever global sales. Related Video:

2018 Lexus RX 350L Quick Spin Review | Minding the gap in the Lexus lineup

PORTLAND, Ore. — Why on Earth does Lexus still make the Jurassic GX 460? It's old, inefficient, body-on-frame and completely atypical of the rest of the three-row luxury segment. Well, the answer lies in that segment descriptor: three rows. People want them, yet Lexus didn't offer anything else between the two-row RX and the $85,000, Land Cruiser-based LX 570. Despite this lineup gap lasting for two decades, Lexus decided to finally attempt filling it with a seemingly quick-and-dirty solution: Lengthen the RX 350, shoehorn in a third row, add an L to the name, wipe hands together, call it a day. The resulting 2018 Lexus RX 350L does indeed have a third row of seats and is generally a far superior vehicle to the GX. It's better to drive, massively more efficient, and its beautiful interior is up to the current Lexus norm. The cargo door doesn't swing into the curb. Plus, unlike some other slapped-together lengthened jobs over the years like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT or even the long-wheelbase Range Rover, the RX 350L doesn't suffer visually for its extra inches. In fact, it can be difficult to tell the L apart from a non-L unless the two are parked together in profile. If everything, the extra 4.4 inches of length might actually improve the RX's proportions from certain angles. Of course, quite a few people find the current RX to be hideous, so finding comments below that include the words "lipstick" and "pig" would not be surprising. Adding the L also doesn't seem to take away from the RX's driving experience, which continues to impress. The current model is buttoned down and involving in a way its couch-like predecessors never attempted to be. From the lowered driving position to the more responsive steering, this is a far more driver-oriented vehicle. You don't even need to engage Sport mode, but doing so dials in an appropriate level of steering weight and sharpens throttle/transmission response. This general sportification also hasn't taken anything away from comfort, as a three-hour road trip from Portland to Seattle proved it to be a superb highway cruiser. Both seat and ride comfort are excellent. That was with two people aboard, however. Later in the week, we managed to easily fit an extra pair in the second row along with a rear-facing baby seat. That's all well and good, but the regular RX can do that.

Dubai Police conscript 467-hp Lexus RC F into high-performance stable

The Dubai Police Department has added yet another... um, let's call it unconventional, cop car to its ranks. But rather than an ultra-exotic, mid-engined masterpiece, it's the V8-powered Lexus RC F. Finished in the white-and-green color scheme typical of Dubai's fuzz, the RC F was purchased alongside another Toyota product, a utilitarian Toyota Land Cruiser. While the off-road-ready SUV's purpose seems clear, enforcing the emirate's laws in the areas outside the city, the 467-horsepower Lexus will likely follow in the lead of Dubai's other high-performance offerings, appearing more for publicity and public relations than actual law enforcement. Check out a couple shots of the new cop car up top.