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Lexus IS to get Deviant at SEMA

It's time to start gathering intel on SEMA, and it starts with this drawing of a modified 2014 Lexus IS. Lexus ran a competition on DeviantART, an online community for artists, to find a suitably modified IS that it could build and display at the temple of all things aftermarket in Las Vegas. The winner, as judged by a four-person panel from among more than 600 entries, is the IS rendered above by Rob Evans.
The winner looks like the beginning of a build for an IS entry into Japan's Super GT series, with a seriously exaggerated front spoiler and rear diffuser and fender flares that aren't just punched out, they're throwing 12-punch combinations.
Evans will have his car built by VIP Auto Salon and plastered all over Lexus materials promoting its presence at the show. Oh, and he gets an IS F-Sport for a year, among other prizes. Second place went to Lucia Lee, third place to Guangho Huang. A press release below has more on the competition and the winner.

Toyota, Lexus recall 460,000 vehicles for stability control issue

Toyota and its luxury subsidiary, Lexus, are recalling 460,000 electrified models produced for the 2020-2022 model years to address an issue that can cause the vehicles' stability control systems not to activate on startup. If you drive a new Toyota or Lexus and it has at least one electric motor in it (or it's the new LX 600), there's a better-than-even chance you'll be hearing from your dealer in the coming months. The good news for owners is that the issue is one of compliance, rather than something which may immediately endanger a vehicle occupant.  "A software error can cause the Vehicle Stability Control system (VSC) not to default to ON the next time the car is started under certain circumstances. This can result in a noncompliance with applicable regulations in the U.S," Toyota said in its announcement. "For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software of the Skid Control ECU free of charge to customers." Included in the campaign are the 2020-2022 Toyota Venza, Mirai, RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Sienna Hybrid, and Highlander Hybrid. On the Lexus side, it hits the LS500h, LX600, NX350h and NX450h+. Notably absent here are the Tundra-based trucks with the new iForce Max hybrid, though Toyota may have addressed the issue in those models before they went on sale. On the other side of the coin, the LX 600 — a purely ICE model for the time being — managed to stumble into the defect pool.  Toyota says owners should receive notices before the end of June. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Recalls Lexus Toyota Safety Luxury

Toyota Hilux gets heart transplant from Lexus IS F

The Toyota Hilux might not be sold in the US, but Toyota's venerable pickup has an international reputation of being able to go anywhere and do just about anything. The trucks aren't really known for their speed, though, at least until Toyota South Africa Motorsport's new, one-off project. This bruiser ditches the usual diesel engine and replaces it with an unrestricted 5.0-liter V8 from a Lexus IS F making 449 horsepower. Of course, it takes more than power to handle the rigors of high speed off-roading. The motorsport team also adds bigger, competition-spec brakes, fully adjustable dampers, new springs, and retuned gearing to make the truck look practically ready for the Dakar Rally. The gearbox is really the only part that carries over. The V8 gives the special Hilux quite a mean growl, too. With the new Tacoma just launching in the US, maybe the engineers at TRD need to apply this same concept over here for its own Lexus-engined, one-off pickup.