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2014 Lexus CT 200h gains familial hourglass figure

Following reports from last week that a refreshed Lexus CT 200h would arrive in dealers for the 2014 model year, we've gotten our first glimpse of what said refresh entails, and well, at first glance, it's not much. Lexus has fitted its familial spindle-style grille and a new set of headlamps to the hybridized hatchback.
Out back, the CT 200h has gotten a set of slightly slimmer taillights, while the F-Sport model shown here sports a revised rear bumper, with what looks like a subtle diffuser and some vertical vents. All told, the exterior refinements are nice, if not subtle, additions to the five-door hatchback.
It's unclear if anything has changed inside the CT 200h, although we'd expect a similarly light refreshening in line with what's been done outside. As for the hybrid powertrain, we wouldn't expect a wholesale change in that department - at least until the next-generation CT arrives around 2016.

Fast & Furious' Paul Walker checks out Lexus LFA with 30,000 miles

For most vehicles, eclipsing the 30,000-mile mark isn't much to celebrate. With modern vehicles fully capable of sailing right past the 250,000-mile line with just basic, regular maintenance, the wee 30k is as common as coffee.
But that's not the case for supercars like the Lexus LFA. The limited-production machines are more likely to be museum pieces than commuter cars. That's what makes the fact that Lexus has not one, but two LFA models with over 30,000 miles on the clock so special. Paul Walker recently met the dynamic duo out at Willow Springs Raceway.
Walker seems impressed with the two supercars after hammering around the Streets course, saying the ultra rare, high-mileage LFA examples feel as quick and sturdy as they did when the left the factory. Lexus says the cars have both only received their equal shares of regular maintenance. Catch the video of both cars on track below along with a few words from Walker.

Lexus pushing upmarket as others move down, LF-LC production hinted [w/video]

Jeff Bracken, Lexus' US group vice president and general manager, knows his company lost its position as America's biggest luxury brand back in 2011, and it's a mantle that his employer probably won't be getting back any time soon. That's because Lexus is electing not to follow the luxury segment's downmarket trend any more than its $32,500 CT 200h hybrid hatchback. "Since we won't be going down below $30,000, it will be very difficult for us to ever regain luxury leadership," Bracken admitted on Autoline After Hours late last week.
Rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all have new low-end entries on sale or in the wings to entice new buyers and fortify their CAFE scores, but Lexus has Toyota and Scion to capture sales underneath its lineup. Instead, Bracken hints that Lexus is going upmarket and higher-performance, fueling ongoing rumors of a LFA successor, or perhaps a new offering based on the lauded 2012 LF-LC coupe concept shown above, a production version of which could also slot in where the unloved SC convertible left off. "We need to begin bringing to market luxury performance... higher performance vehicles. IS-F certainly was the beginning of that, maybe on the lower end," says Bracken.
Later in the online video interview show, Bracken gets even more candid: