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Lexus LC F prototype caught testing

The rumored Lexus LC F seems to be real based on these spy shots. A prototype was spied testing in Europe, and it shows a number of significant alterations from the regular LC 500 and LC 500h grand touring luxury coupes. In particularly, they seem to show a bit more of everything for the sporty edition. The nose bears some of the biggest changes compared with the standard models. While the center grille is mostly untouched, the outboard grilles have been cut wide open for more airflow. We can see the reason why, as there are heat exchangers in each of them. A particularly large one resides in the grille on the left side of the car. We can also see that the fenders have been extended over the wheel arches. Whether this is something to throw off observers or a final addition has yet to be seen, since the wheels and tires fitted to this car don't fill the added width, and the rear fenders aren't any wider, either. While nothing has changed to the sides of the car, we can spot the LC F's new brakes. They feature cross-drilled rotors and some beefy calipers. Moving around the back, we see that the LC F will get the signature stacked exhaust seen on the RC F and old IS F. Underneath, the tips will be matched with a wide diffuser that looks rather functional. Based on a previous report, it sounds like the LC F is still a couple of years away. Not much is known about the car, but it's safe to say it will make more than the 467 horsepower of the LC 500's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. It could possibly have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 or some sort of hybrid powertrain. To play in the same arena as some of the luxury performance competition, it will probably need at least 550 horsepower. Also expect it to cost significantly more than the LC 500h's low-$90,000s price tag. Related Video:

Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study

Autoblog Podcast #396

Episode #396 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Chris Paukert talk about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the 2016 Jaguar XE, and the 2015 Lexus RC. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #396:
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