2017 Lexus Is Is 300 on 2040-cars

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Toyota's 'green bond' an industry first, quickly rises to $1.75 billion

Toyota is greasing the skids for more green car purchases with the announcement of a $1.75-billion bond designed to finance the purchase of high-efficiency Toyota and Lexus models. The Asset-Backed Green Bond is a first for the automotive industry and is making a lot of money available to buy or lease the following vehicles: any of the four Prius variants, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, RAV4 EV, Lexus CT 200h and Lexus ES 300h. Originally, the bond was set at $1.25 billion, but Justin Leach, manager of public relations for Toyota Financial Services (TFS), told AutoblogGreen that demand was high and it was quickly oversubscribed. TFS has been looking at more ways to diversify its portfolio after a Diversity & Inclusion Bond that was announced in early 2013 and, with the new Green Bond, TFS is offering something for the "number of investors out there who are looking for investment opportunities in green." The way the money from the bond is used, basically, is that TFS takes the $1.75 billion and uses it to finance the purchase or lease of the nine vehicles listed above. As of right now, all the eligible vehicles are plug-in or hybrids, but the rules simply say that the cars in the program have to meet certain "powertrain, fuel efficiency and emissions" criteria. That means: Minimum EPA estimated MPG (or MPG equivalent for alternative fuel vehicles) of 35 city / 35 highway California Low-Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) certification of super ultra-low emission vehicles (SULEVs) or higher, which would include partial zero emissions vehicles (PZEVs) and zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). TFS raises plenty of billions in other ways for the rest of the lineup, and got into asset backed securities in 2010, Leach said. Given the success of this first Green Bond, Leach said he expects TFS to keep this idea in its arsenal. "This one was so well received, I would be surprised if we didn't see it again," he said. "If anyone was going to do it, it should be Toyota, right?" Toyota Financial Services (TFS) Issues Auto Industry's First-Ever Asset-Backed Green Bond Bond Proceeds to Fund Consumer Loans and Leases for Toyota's Leading Portfolio of Green Vehicles TORRANCE, Calif., (March 24, 2014) – Toyota Financial Services (TFS) issued the auto industry's first-ever Asset-Backed Green Bond in the amount of $1.75 billion.

Lexus finally announces all-new twin-turbo V8, will race the Nurburgring 24H

In March 2013, Motor Trend wrote about rumors of Lexus bolting two turbos onto the high-revving, atmospheric 5.0-liter V8 in the RC F, the new engine for eventual use in an LC F super coupe. We heard the rumor again from multiple directions in 2017, and again in 2018. At last, the rumor gets official confirmation as an aside in a Lexus press release about taking the Gazoo Racing LC race car to the Nurburgring 24-hour for a third time next year. After two years of "unavoidable hours in the pit to resolve issues" with the LC in 2018 and 2019, the luxury carmaker said that next year it "[aims] to complete the race without any trouble by adopting a variety of new technologies, including a newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars." That's all we know for certain about what's coming. Predictions supposed Lexus has paired two of its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines with a 90-degree angle to create the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Estimates over the years guessed output as anywhere from 600 metric horsepower, 592 of our U.S. customary horses, to 620 hp, to 660 hp. The guesstimate torque figure comes in at "up to 506 pound-feet," arrived at by a Japanese magazine that figured Lexus was trying to outdo the Nissan GT-R. What's safe to say is that the engine – created with an emphasis on performance – will outdo the 471 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque from the Yamaha-developed, naturally-aspirated V8 currently powering the LC 500 flagship. The new engine might not outdo the 7,300-rpm redline. Since the press release mentioned "sports cars," plural, there's every right to expect the hi-po power plant to migrate to other offerings. In the press, the engine's been mooted for everything from the RC F and new GS F to an LS F and a super-potent SUV inspired by the LF-1 Limitless concept that would take on the Lamborghini Urus. Further changes to the LC F accompanying the new motor could include a great deal more carbon fiber, about 200 pounds trimmed from the curb weight, a stiffer structure, a "low-weight and high-rigidity suspension," and more refined software systems for tech like driver aids, traction control, and anti-lock braking.  Lexus will take the start line at next yearÂ’s Nurburgring 24-Hour weekend from May 21-24 in the SP-Pro class. Related Video:

Watch an Aventador, Viper and LFA play the songs of their people

Our friends at Road & Track recently stopped by Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California, with the 2013 SRT Viper and found themselves a place to park between a Lamborghini Aventador and a Lexus LFA. Those machines might as well be the three musketeers of ludicrous exhaust notes, and rather than keep those 24 raging cylinders muffled, R&T set about conducting an orchestra of internal combustion. On seeing these three lined up, we were more than prepared to call the Viper victorious when it came to tickling our ear drums, but the latest domestic V10 sounds down right civilized in this company.
If we're picking favorites, we have to say the LFA takes the cake. There's something about the noise of a street-legal V10 that can wrap it's tachometer all the way to 9,000 rpm that turns our knees to quivering dollops of jelly. Check out the clip below for a listen. We shouldn't need to tell you to get frisky with the volume.