2007 Lexus Ls 460 Base on 2040-cars

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Lexus reveals more photos of its future electric sports car

Lexus previewed its Electrified Sport late last year amongst a gaggle of other EVs the company says is coming by 2030. However, photos of the two-door sports car were in short supply back then. That changes today. Now, you can see the battery electric sports car in all its glory with a number of images from different angles, in a fresh batch released by Lexus. Unfortunately, the new images are not accompanied by new information. This means we’re still dealing with the same set of details Lexus provided a couple of months ago. The EV is predicted to have a 0-60 mph time in the mid-2-second range, and its total range is going to be greater than 430 miles. The latter part of that spec breakdown is reliant on the use of solid-state batteries, so weÂ’ll just have to wait and see if that tech comes to fruition by the time this sports car launches. As for the photos, weÂ’re just as entranced by this Lexus as we were before. ItÂ’s meant to revive “the spirit of the iconic Lexus LFA,” and its two-door coupe body style with the extra-long hood is certainly working in our eyes. We canÂ’t be sure how much of this conceptÂ’s design will reach production, but if the final car looks like this, itÂ’s going to be a stunner. LexusÂ’ recent track record on two-door luxury sports cars has us thinking positively, too — just look at the LC 500 as proof. More details on the car and its timing are likely a long way out at this point, but at least there are some pretty pictures to look at in the meantime. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2014 Lexus CT 200h F Sport

The idea of the Lexus CT 200h F Sport intrigues me. A compact, premium, efficient hatchback with an added dose of sportiness? Sign me up. It's why I'm still crossing my fingers for Volkswagen to sell the Golf GTD on our shores (though recent reports on that front are bumming me out). And judging a book by its cover, this Lexus certainly looks like it could be an interesting proposition.
Lexus first launched the CT for the 2011 model year, and for 2014, the little hatch has been given a makeover, now proudly wearing the company's new spindle grille, for better or worse. When we reviewed the CT after its launch, executive editor Chris Paukert called it "handsome, well screwed together," and "one of Toyota's boldest offerings in years." That may have been true, but after a slight makeover and some fresh new F Sport duds, I'm wondering if the CT proposition isn't looking a little more unfortunate than before.
Driving Notes

Lexus LS mid-cycle refresh to restore V8-powered LS 600h hybrid?

When Lexus launched the fifth-generation LS at the end of 2017, the Japanese luxury maker predicted its once-brand-defining sedan would sell 12,000 units per year in the U.S., a threshold the model hadn't reached since 2010. The LS managed 9,301 transactions here in 2018, its first full year on sale, falling back to 5,528 units in 2019. Through the first three coronavirus-affected months of this year, Lexus dealers have sold 801 LS sedans, compared to 1,404 units in Q1 2019. There's a mid-cycle refresh supposedly due for release in the fall of 2021, and the June issue of Japanese magazine Mag-X (translated), via Lexus Enthusiast, claims we're due for a couple of big surprises that could jolt the sales figures. The first shock is that Lexus is supposedly bringing back the LS 600h moniker for an LS with a V8 hybrid powertrain.  Lexus debuted the LS 600h L in 2007 for the 2008 model year, retiring the hybrid trim in 2016. Its heart was a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8, and when combined with an electric motor, combined output came to 439 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. The fifth generation introduced the LS 500h that switched to a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6, producing a combined 354 hp and 369 lb-ft., taking second place in output to the twin-turbo V6 in the non-hybrid LS 500 with 416 hp and 442 lb-ft. If Lexus were to double back to a V8 after experimenting with a V6 hybrid for four years, some question which V8 would get the nod. The old V8, codenamed 2UR-FSE and still in use in the Lexus LC as the 2UR-GSE, dates back 14 years and is scheduled to retire in two years when the LC-F introduces Lexus' new twin-turbo V8. According to leaked dealer information, that's the same year Toyota and Lexus will stop offering V8 engines in any model with an MSRP under $90,000. Toyota has shied away from turbocharged hybrids, but the next-generation Tundra could change that if rumors of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 i-Force Max engine come true. A twin-turbo V8 LS hybrid would rocket the model back to the top of the range in performance and price, and we could see it breaking the "F" seal on the LS lineup, since it would run counter to everything the German competitors are doing with their standard flagship sedans. Or Lexus could remove the turbos for a better compromise of potency and frugality.