2018 Lexus Rx 450hl Hybrid Executive - Htd/cooled Leather, Hud on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Are you the 2015 Lexus RC F?

With less than two weeks before the start of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, we're starting to get a better idea of what some of the hot debuts are for this year's installment of America's premiere auto show.
The latest leaked image to hit the internet is what purports to be the Lexus RC F, the Japanese premium brand's long-awaited return to the coupe market and the latest challenger for the upcoming BMW M4, a model that will also be arriving in Detroit. This image was reportedly originally leaked by a Chinese magazine, and was then picked up by our friends at AutoExpress.
The image fits with the teasers and spy shots we've seen of the car so far, meaning that this could very well be the real deal. As we've previously reported, Lexus is expected to offer the RC F with a 460-horsepower V8, while a lower-power RC 350 with two fewer cylinders will also be available. We'll have the full set of details on the RC F when it hits the stage in Detroit.

Lexus sails the seas in luxury with its first-ever yacht

Lexus is taking its pursuit of luxury lifestyle offshore with a production version of its LY 650 yacht, revealed in Boca Raton last week. Now one can have an oceangoing Lexus to go with the LC 500 parked in the garage. Based on its Sport Yacht Concept revealed in 2017 and announced for production last year, the 65-foot yacht was developed with and built by Marquis Yachts LLC, which also adopted Toyota's latest manufacturing and quality assurance methods. The LY 650's styling was cooperatively penned with Nuvolari Lenard, which designs luxury yachts. Lexus and its partners designed the LY 650 with a high-tech hull that's a combination of lightweight but rigid CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced plastic) and GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced plastic), to reduce weight without sacrificing structural integrity. The LY 650 is powered by dual Volvo Penta IPS1350 marine engines making 1,000 horsepower each, or buyers can choose 800 or 900 hp engines instead. The ship's master can even operate the LY 650 with a new LY-Link smartphone wireless connectivity system that controls the boat's functions and uses real-time information to assist navigation. Keeping seafarers entertained is an integrated Mark Levinson Surround Sound audio and entertainment system designed specifically for the LY 650 to offer "concert hall-like" acoustics in the main deck's salon. There are three decks: topside with secondary controls, salon on the main deck, and three cabins below that sleep six. "The LY 650 symbolizes the challenge taken by Lexus, which aspires to be a true luxury lifestyle brand, to venture beyond the automobile. A collaborative team between Toyota and Marquis Yachts introduced the Toyota Production System to the boat manufacturing facility to improve productivity and quality,” President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. “This allowed the Lexus "CRAFTED" philosophy of anticipatory hospitality and meticulous attention to detail to become a reality in the form of a luxury yacht. I am truly looking forward to seeing the advanced, high quality LY 650 display its beauty on the oceans across the globe. As a mobility company, we are pursuing new possibilities for mobility even on the sea." Lexus is not the only luxury automaker to hear the call of the sea: Porsche created a yacht, and there's a Bugatti Chiron sister ship along with the Mercedes Silver Arrow. Even Henrik Fisker has dabbled with yacht design.

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