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This one-off Lexus RC F takes a page out of an NBA playbook

We talk about one automaker taking a page out of another's playbook – following a lead to keep up with the competition. But this one-of-a-kind Lexus actually does take a page out of a playbook. Specifically that of the Los Angeles Clippers. The unique Lexus RC F coupe features a livery inspired by the team colors and emblazoned in tone-on-tone Xs and squiggles that look like strategic doodles from the coach's notebook. The stock horn has been replaced by a shot buzzer, the dashboard clock with a game timer, basketball-patterned speaker grilles, and Clippers logos throughout. The navigation system is voiced by the team's coach Doc Rivers, and there's a makeshift locker room in the trunk packed with memorabilia. As far as special editions go, this one's actually pretty convincing. Of course it doesn't hurt to pack a 5.0-liter V8 engine good for 467 horsepower under the hood. The vehicle was created to raise funds for the Clippers Foundation, a charity associated with the basketball team that works with children in the Los Angeles area. For $100, fans can buy raffle tickets for the chance to take it home. Toyota has long been a sponsor of the team, briefly suspending its involvement in the wake of then-owner Donald Sterling's racist remarks a couple of years ago. Related Video:

Lexus: No plans for LFA replacement anytime soon

Supercars are fantastic in terms of their raw performance, sound and ability to inspire interest in an automaker. They aren't so good at actually making money, even for giant, global automakers like Toyota. And if you are holding out hope that Lexus might be fibbing about there being no plans for an LFA successor, we have some bad news. "I think you will see us do some incredible things in the future, but probably not a $375,000 supercar anytime soon," Lexus Executive Vice President Mark Templin told Automotive News. The issue comes down to the LFA's cost to develop and massive price. Lexus built just 500 of the V10 supercars from 2010 through 2012. Templin said that the plan was originally for a much more modest vehicle with a steel body. However, that intention changed to plans for an aluminum exterior and eventually evolved further to carbon fiber during the course of its engineering. Templin is clear that Lexus isn't giving up on more accessible performance with its F sub-brand models, but more supercars aren't coming, at least not anytime soon. He previously suggested that the LFA was a generational model with a 30-year wait for the next one. These days, the workshop that built the LFA has been converted for a much less powerful but perhaps more important vehicle. Toyota now uses it to build the Mirai with the company's hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Lexus LFA: Review View 30 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Plants/Manufacturing Lexus Toyota Coupe Performance Supercars supercar lexus lfa

Lexus NX begins production in Japan [w/videos]

Lexus entered new territory this past April when it revealed the new NX compact luxury crossover at the Beijing Motor Show, but it wasn't until now that the Toyota luxury division actually started building them. The first production examples started rolling off the assembly line last week at the Miyata plant in Japan, with the accompanying turbo engines built at the adjacent Kanda plant.
The arrival of the NX marks both the first time that Lexus has produced a compact crossover - an increasingly important segment for luxury automakers - and the first time Lexus has offered a turbocharged engine, one of two options alongside the hybrid version. The NX builds on two previous competences exhibited by Toyota: one is the RAV4, which pioneered the compact crossover segment back in 1994, the other being the Lexus RX that was among the first luxury crossovers when it arrived in '97.
Lexus reports that it has already taken some 6,500 pre-orders in Japan alone, with many more coming in from markets around the world - including ours, where it is sure to be a key player for the Japanese automaker alongside the hot-selling RX. Watch the videos below to see the NX starting its production run in Japan.