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2019 Lexus NX F Sport gets the Black Line treatment

Lexus is debuting a limited-production NX F Sport Black Line edition at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. Set to be sold for the 2019 model year only, the Black Line is essentially an appearance package with some added equipment as well — Lexus previously made a Black Line version of the RC coupe with similar results. The package takes a normal NX 300 F Sport and jazzes it up a bit. The NX in this spec is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Forged 19-inch chrome wheels and a faux carbon bodyside graphic are the main exterior changes. Only three colors will be available for the Black Line, including black, silver and the white you see here. The interior gets colors to complement the exterior, with two-tone white and black seats. A black headliner is standard, as are unique Black Line floor mats, cargo mats and key fob gloves. Extra equipment comes in the form of a new Mark Levinson 14-speaker, 835-watt audio system. This audio setup isn't available on any other version of the NX crossover. Beyond that, the Black Line is a fully-loaded NX with nearly all of the available option boxes checked. Notable upgrades include navigation, blind-spot monitoring, heated/cooled seats, an auto-dimming mirror and moonroof. Lexus is limiting production to 1,000 units for this special edition, which will be arriving in dealerships in February — as in, right about now. It's available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The front-drive version goes for $49,600, while all-wheel drive will run you $51,000 including destination charges. Related video:

Vice chronicles Okinawa's illegal street racing scene

We all know that street racing is dangerous, and that motorsports are best left on the track or drag strip. However, that doesn't mean that there still isn't some outlaw allure among enthusiasts of racing on public roads. In this video, Vice Japan profiles Eikichi Nagayoshi of Japan's island of Okinawa. He is a used car dealer by day and an illegal racer by night.
Nagayoshi has a deep love for his highly customized Toyota Aristo (better known to us as a first-generation Lexus GS) that he claims produces over 1,000 horsepower and has hit 205 miles per hour. He races his car both on drag strips and in drifting competitions, but says that he often has to ship the car to mainland Japan to compete. In the absence of those opportunities, he sometimes gathers friends and takes the racing to the public roads. While we're not down with street racing, this Vice video is an intriguing personality piece, as well as a look into Japan's fabled underground racing scene. Scroll down to check out the video, but make sure you have the "CC" button clicked, because several portions are subtitled.

2014 Lexus GS gets eight-speed auto, other enhancements

The Lexus GS was totally redesigned for the 2013 model year, but Lexus is already tweaking its midsize luxury sedan. While a handful of small changes are being made, the big news for the 2014 model year is that rear-wheel-drive GS350 models will be getting a new eight-speed automatic transmission for improved fuel economy and performance.
Official EPA estimates have yet to be released, but Lexus expects this new transmission to return 19 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway - an improvement of 1 mpg highway. The GS450h still uses a continuously variable transmission, but Lexus says that it has been optimized to mimic the shift points of an eight-speed automatic. The final powertrain change made to the 2014 Lexus GS include tweaks to the GS350's engine intake and exhaust systems, which should help give the sedan a sportier feel.
Inside, Lexus has added Siri Eyes Free inside both the GS350 and GS450h, which allows drivers to use their iPhone's Siri voice assistant simply by pushing a button on the steering wheel. Other changes include a new full-color head-up display, and an available power trunk opener. A new Luxury Package adds LED fog lights, 18-inch "superchrome" wheels on the GS350 and 18-inch graphite-finish wheels on the GS450h. Interesting, the optional Lexus Night View system has been dropped.