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J.D. Power: Mini, Lexus again offer most satisfying sales experience

JD Power has released its annual Sales Satisfaction Index Study, and once again Mini and Lexus have taken top honors. Overall, buyers are more satisfied with the auto-buying sales experience than they were last year, with those surveyed reporting an average score of 664 points on a 1,000-point scale. That's up from 648 in 2011. Dealer satisfaction also increased by five points over last year as well.
All told, Lexus brought home an index score of 737, which was high enough to put it atop the luxury brands for the second year in a row. JD Power says Infiniti came in second in that category with a score of 728 and Cadillac rounded out the podium with it's rating of 725. Speaking of Infiniti, that brand saw the single largest jump in sales satisfaction of any brand on the survey, popping up 52 index points over 2011.
Among mass-market brands, Mini ranked highest with a score of 712, followed closely by Buick with 706 and GMC farther down the line with 683. You can check out the full press release below for more information.

Lexus builds an actual hoverboard [w/video]

Sometimes a story comes along that your heart desperately wants to be true, but every brain cell is screaming that something is amiss. For one of the best examples of this in recent memory, take a good look at the Lexus Hoverboard. Despite seeming like pure science fiction, the company vehemently claims this vision of the future isn't a joke or a hoax. It all seems so hard to believe, though. Like us, your first question is probably how this thing works if it is real. Unfortunately, Lexus is being very cagey with the details at this time. The Hoverboard allegedly runs on "magnetic levitation with liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets." That's all we know for the moment, but the Japanese automaker claims to be working with "experts in super-conductive technology." While not the first functioning hoverboard, this one can apparently work on concrete, based on the teaser video. The company's spokespeople aren't giving away any of the tricks, either. "It is indeed real. We have worked with companies to make this happen, and there will be more demonstration of this later this summer," Nik Pearson, Press Relations Manager for Toyota and Lexus in the UK, said to Autoblog. "The technology mentioned in the release is accurate." According to Lexus, the Hoverboard prototype is being tested in Barcelona. So any readers in the Spanish city should keep an eye out for someone floating by. Get any Back to the Future 2 dreams out of your head right now, though. The company is clear that this thing isn't going on sale. Pearson also reiterated that point to Autoblog: "Don't expect it in showrooms any time soon." The teaser video below shows off more of the board but still raises a lot of questions. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. LEXUS CREATES ADVANCED HOVERBOARD Design and technology collaboration achieves creative breakthrough for new Lexus Amazing in Motion project A Lexus has always been a vehicle that rides on wheels, in contact with the ground. Until now. This summer a new Lexus takes flight, bringing the stuff of science fiction closer to real world fact. Lexus has worked with experts in super-conductive technology to create one of the most advanced Hoverboards the world has seen. The concept is the fourth project in its Amazing in Motion campaign, demonstrating its commitment to pursuing new possibilities in advanced design and technology.

The Lexus LC 500h has a four-speed auto and that's a good thing

Lexus is sharing some powertrain details on the LC 500h ahead of the big hybrid coupe's debut in Geneva. Its new gas-electric setup strays from Toyota's tried-and-true system found in everything from the Prius to the Lexus GS. It's called the Multi Stage Hybrid System that's designed for performance vehicles, and it has an antiquated-sounding piece of equipment buried deep inside that's supposed to make it more enjoyable to drive. The basics: In the LC 500h, its first application, the Multi Stage Hybrid System will consist of a 3.5-liter V6, a hybrid transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid transmission has an electric motor for motivation (and we're guessing a second for charging) and a four-speed automatic mounted to its rear, which either means inside or aft and in series. Why add ancient tech to a new hybrid system? Lexus says it preserves the connection between throttle input and engine speed that gets lost in a CVT. And while four seems like an insignificant sum in the face of nine- and 10-speed autos, remember that it is an infinite increase in gear count compared to CVT-packing hybrids. Toyota has been using versions of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system since the first Prius debuted in 1997, and the same system is sold under the Lexus Hybrid Drive banner in most of the luxury brand's offerings. These systems use what Toyota calls an e-CVT – two electric motors paired with a planetary gearset. This lets the engine and electric motors share the job of propelling the car – one motor handles charging of the battery and the other is primarily used to drive the wheels but can also recoup energy through regen. Like a conventional CVT, the planetary gearset arrangement allows the gas engine to run at its optimal engine speed when called upon for motivation and/or charging. But that doesn't make for the most exciting or familiar driving experience, as it affects both power delivery and the sound of the power being delivered. This is where the four-speed auto comes in. Based on the limited details Lexus has shared, our hunch is that the hybrid transmission will meld some form of the existing Lexus Hybrid Drive system with two more planetary gearsets, or the basic guts of a four-speed auto. This will provide the four fixed ratios and the feeling of actual shifting gears – because there will be actual gears shifting.