1996 Lexus Ls400 Base Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door and Fiat 124 Spider Abarth | Autoblog Podcast #596

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. This week, they focus on the cars they're driving, starting with the hardcore, four-door Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S. Then they move on to the aging Lexus GX 460 and the plucky Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. They discuss the practical-yet-luxurious Lincoln Nautilus, as well as the state of Lincoln as a whole (did you hear it just got a new design boss?). Finally, they help pick a modern vehicle for someone with a hankering for the look of the classic Ford Bronco. Autoblog Podcast #596 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2019 Mercedes-AMG Four-Door GT 63 S 2019 Lexus GX 460 2019 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth 2019 Lincoln Nautilus Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Optimistic Lexus bumps US sales target higher

Last year Lexus sold 244,166 cars in the US, slotting into third place in the luxury segment behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this year Lexus said its target was 260,000 units in the US (which would still put it behind BMW's and Mercedes' numbers from last year), but Automotive News reports that it has raised its upper outlook to 270,000 cars.
The half-year pace hasn't been enough to make either number, but Lexus is gunning for a 15-percent gain in IS sales behind the arrival of the 2014 model, and this is also the first full year of sales of the new ES and LS. Lexus will most likely end the year in third place in the luxury segment behind BMW and Mercedes again, even if it does sell 270,000 units, but has said its prime directive is "good, steady growth."

Toyota projecting record profits, thanks in part to weak yen

Toyota retained its global sales crown in 2014 by selling 10.23 million cars in the calendar year. As the positive number might suggest, the Japanese automaker is doing extremely well financially, too. Although, some tougher times might be on the horizon. Toyota recently released its financial figures for the three fiscal quarters running from April 1 through the end of December 2014. Net profit jumped an impressive 13.2 percent to 1.727 trillion yen ($14.7 billion) for that period. It could be the Japanese automaker's most profitable time ever when the fiscal year ends in March, if things keep going this way, according to The New York Times. Toyota's own profit forecast for the 12-month period is also up by 130 billion yen ($1.1 billion) to 2.13 trillion yen ($18.1 billion). One key to the company's success is the low value of the Japanese yen, because it allows Toyota to make more money on each vehicle the company sells abroad. The currency is now worth relatively less than any time since the early '70s, according to The New York Times. Despite the rosy financial numbers, actual sales have started to fall, albeit a very slight amount. Through the three fiscal quarters, the company sold 6.73 million cars, a drop of just 45,365 vehicles. Toyota also reduced its forecast for the fiscal year to 9 million units, rather than the original estimate of 9.05 million. According to The New York Times, the shrinking Japanese auto market and difficulty in China might mean losing the global sales lead next year. For the US, sales jumped 145,411 units from April through December to a total 2.1 million vehicles. Operating income reached $4.27 billion, nearly 50 percent more than last year, according to The New York Times. Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Announces April – December 2014 Financial Results February 04, 2015 Toyota's global net income jumped 13.2 percent during the nine-month period (April 1– December 31, 2014) of the 2015 fiscal year. Global Financial Highlights: Global sales decreased by 45,365 vehicles to 6.73 million, with strong sales in North America and gains in Europe, offsetting decreases in Japan and other regions.