2001 Lexus Ls430 Base Sedan 4-door 4.3l on 2040-cars

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Did BMW really win the luxury car sales race?

As anyone who follows our monthly By The Numbers series already knows, the luxury car sales race in the United States was close all of last year as BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz seesawed up and down for sales supremacy. At the end of the year, it was BMW on top of the standings with 346,023 total sales. Or was it? According to data released by Polk, comparing the actual number of vehicles registered between the three top luxury players in the US paints a slightly different picture. Polk's data suggests that only 335,259 BMWs were registered in 2015, compared to 340,392 Lexus models. Why the disparity? It's all a matter of timing. Actual end consumers buy new cars, in almost all cases, from a franchised dealer. BMW delivered 346,023 vehicles in 2015, but only 335,259 of them were registered by their new owners. Presumably, those 11,000 BMWs did (or will) end up registered in the driveways of consumers, but they hadn't before January 1, 2016. Lexus General Manager Jeff Bracken wrote in an email to Automotive News, "Luxury sales leadership as measured by vehicle registrations is important to Lexus as it represents actual consumers engaging directly with our dealers." Of course, it goes without saying that we'll be paying keen attention to the 2016 luxury car sales race as it unfolds. If it's anything like it was in 2015, it'll come down to the wire, and even then may not be entirely clear. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty BMW Lexus Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Car Dealers Luxury luxury cars

Lexus asks fans to help name new orange shade for RC F

Flip through the catalog for most Lexus models and you're bound to see an array of different shades of beige and gray. But even Lexus has its wilder side, denoted by the letter F, and those models can wear brighter hues.
The IS F, for example, offered an electric shade of blue which Lexus called Ultrasonic and a deep red called Matador, along with the usual silver, gray, white and black. But for the new RC F, Lexus is preparing to offer an even more vibrant shade of orange. It just doesn't know what to call it. That's why it's asking fans on Facebook to help it name the color - similar to the crowd-sourcing SRT did for the Viper's bright blue and Chevy did for the Volt's pale green.
Top suggestions currently include Tangerine Flame, Solar Flare, Outrageous Orange and Fiery Orange. Given how similar the shade looks to that which adorned the track-tuned LFA with the Nürburgring package, we can't help but wonder if LFA Blaze or Nordschleife Blur might not be more suitable. Or, if we're being honest, McLaren Orange or Arancia Borealis... though we know some guys in Woking and Sant'Agata Bolognese who might object.

Lexus LC 500h | Autoblog's 2018 Technology of the Year winner

Each year, we here at Autoblog review and test hundreds of cars from dozens of automakers, but only a few show the kind of technological advancement (whether that's infotainment, active safety features, advanced engine or transmission designs, or novel suspension) required to compete in the Technology of the Year award process. We award an automaker for bringing to the market features, components or an entire vehicle that we feel pushes the industry forward and sets the stage for things to come. For 2018, the Autoblog Technology of the Year award goes to the Lexus LC 500h and its Multi-Stage Hybrid System. For years, hybrids have sacrificed engaging dynamics in favor of improved efficiency. A few high-end models bucked that trend, but nothing truly mainstream felt quite right. Lexus' Multi-Stage Hybrid System is different, marrying an e-CVT that has six virtual gears to a conventional four-speed automatic, resulting in 10 effective ratios. It's as complicated as it sounds, though in practice the difference between it and a standard automatic is nigh imperceptible. You get the benefits of a hybrid — fuel efficiency, part-time all-electric driving — without sacrificing driver enjoyment, all packaged inside a stunning, fun-to-drive grand tourer. We feel the new hybrid system really gives the LC 500h a leg up on the competition, particularly because it pairs long-distance comfort, high performance, and efficiency in a way we feel will really resonate with consumers (and competing automakers, too). Our editors were impressed by just how well the LC 500h passed off duties between the internal-combustion engine and the electric motors, the only real tell that it was in EV mode being the tachometer needle resting at zero. And the regular Lexus LC 500 is also a wonderful car. It's also a step forward for Lexus as a whole. For years, the Japanese automaker was known for solid luxury vehicles that were sedate to a fault. The LFA was a worthy halo car, but it was also basically unattainable to an average well-off buyer. The F performance vehicles (IS F, GS F, and RC F) gave a much-needed kick to the brand but were a bit rowdy and rough around the edges. The LC 500h strikes a more perfect balance that feels truer to Lexus' brand values: It's quiet without being boring, and exciting without offending. It's also green without punishing the driver for it. Lexus paid great care to get the balance of this car right.