2007 Lexus Gx470 Base Sport Utility 4-door 4.7l on 2040-cars

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Lexus unveils UK-only LC Black Inspiration

Lexus revealed yet another special edition of its LC halo model, this time targeting the coupe model and destined for the UK market. Dubbed "Black Inspiration," it's exactly what it sounds like, only with a nice, British twist. The blacked out look is certainly nothing new, but the LC certainly wears it well.  The finish is called Graphite Black, and like all paint codes for the LC, it's ostensibly unique to the car. Don't bother looking for subtle contrasts or two-tone treatments. Everything from the spindle grille, door mirror casings, headlight and rear light cluster surrounds to the housings for the headlight washers has been done in Graphite Black. The monotone treatment finally breaks inside, which is where the Black Inspiration really leans into its target market. The seat bolsters remain a smooth-grain semi-aniline leather, but the surfaces pick up a tweed pattern that is accompanied by a textured finish on the interior trim that looks almost wool-like to our eyes.  Lexus says the LC Black Inspiration will be available for order in the UK starting Nov. 1.  Related Video:  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Toyota recalls pre-collision system on Avalon and ES models

Toyota is recalling 31,000 US examples of the 2013-2015 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES350, and ES 300h because the Pre-Collision System could potentially cause an accident. According to the company, it's possible for the safety aid to misidentify a steel joint or plate in the road as a hazard and apply the brakes. The sudden, unexpected activation could lead to a crash. Toyota spokesperson Cindy Knight told Autoblog that the company has reports of two accidents in the US related to this issue, and there are also two alleged injuries. The company has no reports of fatalities. Toyota is taking a serious approach to deal with this problem. First, the company plans to disable the system on these sedans. Once the parts are available, dealers will replace the system with improved components. The company doesn't yet know when these repairs will begin, but owners should receive notification of the recall in November, according to Knight. Toyota isn't alone in needing to tweak safety equipment. Ford faced a similar issue when the company recalled 36,857 examples of the 2015 F-150 because passing a large, reflective semi could inadvertently activate the collision warning system. An update for the adaptive cruise control module software fixed the problem. TOYOTA RECALLS CERTAIN AVALON AND LEXUS ES VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif., November 3, 2015 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is conducting a safety recall of approximately 31,000 Model Year 2013-2015 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES350 and ES300h sedans. In the involved vehicles, under certain situations, the PCS (Pre-Collision System) could interpret a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object that triggers PCS activation. If this occurs, the PCS warning buzzer sounds and the system may apply the service brake automatically. Unexpected braking could increase the risk of a crash. For all involved vehicles, the PCS function will be disabled as an interim remedy. As the permanent remedy, Toyota dealers will replace PCS components with improved ones. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-to-date Safety Recall information on Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles, customers should check their vehicle's status by visiting toyota.com/recall and entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: safercar.gov/vin.

Toyota Mirai, Lexus LS show off Advanced Drive assists with OTA updates, AI

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp unveiled on Thursday new models of Lexus and Mirai in Japan, equipped with advanced driver assistance, as competition heats up to develop more self-driving and connected cars. Toyota's latest launch comes as automakers, electric car startups and tech giants invest heavily in so-called active safety features. The Japanese carmaker's new driving assist technology, or Advanced Drive, features a level 2 autonomous system that helps driving, such as limiting the car in its lane, maintaining the distance from other vehicles and changing lanes under the driver's supervision on expressways or other motor-vehicle-only roads. The system can even handle lane merges, and when passing trucks its lane system will move the car further to the opposite side of its lane. The car will recommend a course of action to a driver before executing it. The system also features a camera to monitor the driver's actions and level of attentiveness, and if the driver seems unresponsive or incapacitated, the car will pull itself over. The luxury sedan Lexus LS will be on sale from Thursday, costing between about 16.3 million yen ($148,600) and 17.9 million yen ($164,000), while the second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car will be offered on April 12 at between 8.4 million ($76,900) and 8.6 million yen ($78,750). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The new models are Toyota's first products brought to the market that provide over-the-air updates and utilize AI technology centered on deep learning, said Toyota executive James Kuffner, who is also the head of Toyota's research unit Woven Planet. "This is really an important first step in our journey towards software-first development," he said at an online briefing on Thursday, adding that the company has tried to design the software to be truly global and to provide re-usability. In the future, software features on cars will be "upgradable" and "more customizable" much like how people personalize their smartphones, Kuffner added. Fully self-driven cars are still likely to be years away, but rival General Motors early this year made a splash at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show with a fully-autonomous all-electric flying Cadillac concept, while Chinese search engine operator Baidu unveiled a partnership with local car brand Geely.