2004 Lexus Gx 470 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2019 Lexus ES gets new F Sport trim, Amazon Alexa and Apple CarPlay

"Alexa," I say out loud. A chime goes off in the all-new 2019 Lexus ES acknowledging the wake word. I ask what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, and after a brief pause, the voice made famous from Amazon's Super Bowl campaign replies, informing me of the cloud conditions and the temperatures for the next day based on my current GPS location. Although the ability to order paper towels from the comfort of a car wasn't quite ready for prime time (I tried), the future is nigh. While Lexus was unveiling the seventh-generation ES on the global stage that is the Beijing Motor Show, simultaneously in Los Angeles, a more intimate gathering of journalists was held and the wraps were pulled off an ES 350 and the ES F Sport. Not present was the ES 300h hybrid variant. In all, 2,000 components are either new or have been revised on the 2019 ES, which utilizes the larger GA-K chassis variation of Toyota's new global TNGA platform. Utilized on the 2018 Toyota Camry and 2019 Avalon, it's the first time the luxury brand has put the new front-wheel-drive platform to use. Standing 2.6 inches longer, 0.2 inches lower, 1.8 inches wider with wider tracks (0.4-inch front, 1.5 inch rear), and having a 2-inch longer wheelbase than the model it replaces, Lexus says the dimensions have been stretched to improve handling(for some reference, you can see how the similarly sized new Avalon compares to the last-generation ES). Another benefit is rear seat legroom, which is actually greater than that of the flagship LS sedan. All new ES models will roll out of Toyota's Kentucky plant with aluminum hoods and front fenders, and high-tensile steel to save on weight. Thanks to efforts such as those, the preliminary curb weight for the new, larger ES 350 is 3,649 pounds, a 78-pound increase from the current. The ES models on display both employ a new 8-speed automatic transmission mated to the same 3.5-liter V6 found in the Camry and Avalon. In the ES it produces 302 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque, a jump in 34 hp and 19 lb-ft of torque from the current ES 350. Preliminary fuel economy figures are 26 mpg combined (22 city / 33 highway), a bump up from 24 combined (21 city / 30 highway). The ES 300h will also share its hybrid powertrain with the Avalon, consisting of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder aided by two electric motors (one for propulsion and another that serves as a motor generator). The current ES only has one electric motor. Total system output is 215 horsepower.

Lexus will build a production version of the UX crossover

It seems that Lexus's selection of crossovers is about to get bigger by going smaller. The Australian automotive news site Motoring says a Lexus representative confirmed that a production version of the UX concept is coming soon. A Lexus representative said it will help bring younger customers to the brand. As a refresher, the UX was a subcompact crossover shown at the Paris auto show, and it was quite striking. The exterior was a flurry of curves and angles, and the interior had crazy seats with elastic straps instead of cushions and a holographic user interface. The interior even had a weird, finned sound bar in the dash that could be removed and carried around. The futuristic interior features are practically guaranteed to be exclusive to the concept, and the exterior design will probably be toned down. Since the slightly larger Lexus NX borrows some bits from the RAV4, we expect the UX to utilize some underpinnings from another the smallest crossover in the Toyota line, the Toyota C-HR. Sharing with the C-HR would also mean the UX would also have some commonality with the current Prius, as both vehicles use the scalable architecture known as TNGA. This would also mean a hybrid UX is a strong possibility as well, since the Prius is only available as a hybrid, and the C-HR has a hybrid option in Europe and Japan. It's hard to say when the car will arrive, but considering the compact crossover craze we can't imagine that Lexus wants to wait too long. It's possible a near production-ready concept will appear at a show next year, and would likely reach dealers at the end of that year or the start of the following one. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lexus UX Concept: Paris 2016 View 17 Photos News Source: MotoringImage Credit: Drew Phillips Lexus Crossover Luxury toyota c-hr lexus ux

Lexus designers create lunar transport concepts

NASA is working to put human back on the moon by 2024, the idea being to use it as a way station for the eventual colonization of Mars. Since those humans won't want to moonwalk everywhere, they'll need new transportation — the battery-electric Lunar Rover the Apollo astronauts left up there probably won't start. Designers at the European Advanced Design Studio for Toyota and Lexus created a few potential, and yes, fanciful, craft for getting around our satellite for Document Journal magazine's The Lunar Design Portfolio. The artwork joins a collection of articles by culture critics, philosophers, architects, and more about the issues confronting humanity's return to the mistress of tides. Out of the seven concepts, the Lexus creation chosen to appear in the issue is Karl Dujardin's Zero Gravity, which turns the automaker's spindle grille into a single-seater moto-like hovercraft capable of doing 310 mph. The Bouncing Moon Roller by Julien Marie attaches a wheel-like stabilizer to a gyroscope cell protected by a flexible graphene nanotube bubble meant for hopping over the terrain, whereas the Lexus Lunar Cruiser by Keisuke Matsuno serves land and sky by having wheels that can flip out 90 degrees to serve as ducted fans powering a drone capsule. Jean-Baptiste Henry's Lexus Cosmos isn't for the surface at all, with a Lexus mothership and Moon Explorator capable of solar system travel. The glass construction of the observatory in the Moon Explorator allows "group experience contemplation [of] Zero G," and there's even a "space swimming pool." The Mothership awaits a role in the next installment of A Space Odyssey, a glossy habitat for whatever life forms succeed humans. Astronauts might be able to launch from the mothership in the Lexus Lunar Mission craft designed by Yung Presciutti, using wings shaped like spindle grilles. Because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy even in space, the Lexus Lunar is a 6x6 "massive transport vehicle designed to explore and discover the moon safely," meaning it can haul a few Moon Racers — both of which are also Presciutti's work —  a different kind of single-seater craft made to "jump, climb, race, and discover" the light and dark sides of the moon.