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Lexus F label to become even more performance oriented

Lexus has plans to take its F performance label to even greater heights, according to officials. That's one of the key reasons the IS 500 F Sport Performance wasn't a full-blown IS F, Lexus executives said. Speaking before a gathering of Lexus enthusiasts at the IS 500 Launch Edition's, uh, launch at Sebring Raceway, group vice president and general manager of the Lexus division Andrew Gilleland reaffirmed that the IS 500 F Sport Performance is the first in a line of high-performance but sub-F cars (at 5:11 in the video below). "There will definitely be more vehicles. There's a lot more coming where this came from," Gilleland said, eliciting cheers from the gathered crowd of enthusiasts. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Gilleland then pointed at Lexus product planner Cooper Erickson and told the fans, many of whom had brought their own tuned F cars to the event, "If you want to see more of this," gesturing to the IS 500, "Go bug the s--t out of him." Erickson himself then took to the stage and discussed how the IS 500 came to be and the future of the F designation (at 6:17 in the video). First, he acknowledged that sedan sales are challenging. He also described the 2021 IS's chassis as a combination of the GS and RC platforms, which grew the track 1.4 inches wider. "If it's part GS and part RC, then why can't we drop a big-ass V8 in it?" Erickson wanted to know. "Nobody's doing that. But, we can," Erickson continued, "Because we do an amazing job with our hybrid products. So from a CAFE, greenhouse gas and emissions standpoint, we can manage having a V8 in a car like this when nobody else can." However, it still required approval from the mothership in Toyota City. So during an event at Pebble Beach, Erickson told Lexus chief engineer Koji Sato that he wanted to bring back the IS F. "Let's put the V8 in it, Let's do an IS F," he told Sato. At first, Sato's reply seemed like a no. "We have new plans for F," he explained. "F will be higher. Only Akio [Toyoda] can approve F [cars]." The CEO is known for being one of the few carmaker heads that actually moonlights as a racing driver. Erickson said that even if the IS F was off the table, he still wanted a V8-powered IS. "So what if we call it IS 500 F Sport? Who can approve that?" Sato's reply: "Cooper-san, I can approve that." Apparently the rest is history. This content is hosted by a third party.

Japanese earthquakes send ripples through auto industry

The earthquakes since April 14 in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are having aftershocks on the US auto industry, particularly for Toyota. The company shut down most of its factories in the country due to parts shortages, and the plants will be closed at least through April 23. "Decisions regarding recommencement of operation at plants in Japan will be made on the basis of availability of parts," the company said in a statement. According to Automotive News, Toyota's closed factories include a vast range of popular models in the US, including the Toyota Prius, Mirai, RAV4, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus ES, LS, IS, GS, RC, NX, RX, GX, and LX. The company's only sites in Japan that are still open build Hino trucks, Daihatsu models, and the Toyota Century limo. Toyota isn't yet sure whether these shutdowns could lead to vehicle shortages in the US. "As you can imagine, we are still reviewing the situation and working to learn more," company spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. "While we know that production will be suspended in stages at most of our vehicle assembly facilities in Japan between April 18th and the 23rd, we do not know if they will continue production suspensions. Also, any effects to our inventory and/or sales have yet to be determined." He expects the automaker to know more in the coming days. Many of the affected Toyota plants aren't even in Kumamoto Prefecture, but major suppliers have factories in the region. For example, Aisin Seiki and Renesas Electronics both had to shutdown operations at plants in the area, according to Automotive News. Toyota isn't the only automaker affected. Nissan experienced a brief slowdown but was back to work on Monday, and Honda has suspended a motorcycle plant in the region until Friday. Mitsubishi had to close a production line due to the parts shortage, according to The Japan Times, but it didn't affect US models. "A supplier to our Mizushima plant has been impacted but they only supply an engine part for our mini car line. That line has been temporarily shut down due to that situation," spokesperson Alex Fedorak told Autoblog. "That same plant builds the Lancer and i-MiEv and there has been no impact to that line and production continues uninterrupted." Two major quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture around Kumamoto city in the past week. The first on April 14 measured 6.4 magnitude, and a second on April 16 measured 7.3.

2019 Lexus ES First Drive Review | Entry-level luxury that wants to have fun

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For 2019, the Lexus ES is all new and marks the seventh generation of the Japanese nameplate's entry-level luxury four-door. We're happy to report that the redesign brings some very welcome attributes, and the 2019 Lexus ES does everything you'd want an entry-level luxury vehicle to do. Performance, no matter which of the two drivetrain options you choose, is respectable, interior comfort is on par with a Restoration Hardware sofa you'd spend real money on, handling is communicative, and most important for a Lexus, it's serenely quiet inside. While these are great attributes, there are a few places we wish Lexus had spent more energy revamping. Through the humid hill country just outside Nashville, on a mix of the congested city arteries and the flowing switchbacks of Tennessee's forested interior, we put the ES through its paces. The 2019 ES is based on Toyota's TNGA platform, which underpins both the latest Avalon and Camry models. Perhaps that'd constitute a knock in a previous era, but the new Camry chassis is a rollicking peach compared to some others in its class. It's rigid enough for a windy road dance, but compliant enough for daily-driver duties. Even better, Lexus engineers improved the TNGA platform for use in the ES. A 200 percent increase in stiffness over the previous ES is due in part to a liberal use of structural adhesives and laser-welded screws. The front strut towers are reinforced, and topped with a brace between them. This extra attention to detail pays dividends that include a smoother ride and better handling. New adaptive Dynamic Control Shocks quietly smooth out bumps and undulations, allowing us to wind through the rural backcountry roads confidently, and the steering gives better feedback than we'd expect from a vehicle like the Lexus ES. Pushing the big sedan into one of the many hilly, and often blind, corners along our route elicits only a minute amount of body roll. But chassis improvements aren't the only upgrade from the previous model. The 2019 Lexus ES comes standard with a 3.6-liter V6 delivering 302 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 267 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. This represents a bump of 34 hp and 19 lb-ft from the previous generation's V6. The engine is coupled to Lexus' new eight-speed automatic transmission, which is encased in a housing smaller than the brand's previous six-speed automatic.