2003 Lexus Es300 Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Lexus LF-Z Electrified previews future Lexus hybrids and EVs

While the company has yet to release a fully electric car or even plug-in hybrid in the U.S., the company is adamant that it's ramping up electric plans. One way it's doing this is with concept cars, and the latest is the Lexus LF-Z Electrified, just in case you forgot what powers it before the middle of this sentence. It's not a specific preview of any particular model, but is meant as a hint of a series of, well, electrified Lexus models coming in the next few years. The LF-Z is a clear evolution of the LF-30 Electrified concept from the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. Like that concept, the front of the car effectively inverts the current Lexus grille design, with the "spindle" section in the middle being solid, and the area on either side covered with dark translucent panels that evoke open areas. The whole body is more crisp and creased than the LF-30, and it looks a little more grounded in reality. It has four conventional doors with actual door handles, the proportions are closer to a sedan or fastback, and a seemingly conventional taillight bar. But getting up close reveals many intricate details such as the cubic shapes in the front fascia, the frilled edges of the front fender flares, and the narrow breaks in the lighting. The interior is ultra-minimalist, with all the display systems placed around the driver, and a simple dash that wraps around to the doors and the rear seats. The seats themselves have a similarly geometric design to the exterior, and the choice to highlight the driver seat in a contrasting upholstery is interesting. Likely because the LF-Z doesn't preview any specific upcoming model, Lexus offered nearly no details about what powers the concept beyond electricity. It has the batteries mounted in the floor, and it features dual motors, one for the front wheels and one for the rear wheels, which isn't particularly remarkable. No range or power numbers were given. Steering is done by-wire, kind of like what you'll find in certain modern Infinitis, and the car features other bits of technology that are already available or coming soon to production cars such as augmented reality displays, a smartphone key system, electrochromic roof glass and reclining rear seats. Still, we think it's a distinctive concept car that could spawn some similarly distinct production cars. Lexus announced that between now and 2025, it will launch more than 10 new electrified models as conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids or fully electric cars.

2021 Lexus ES adds AWD and Black Line Special Edition to lineup

Toyota engineered a Camry with all-wheel drive, so transferring it over to the Lexus only makes sense. The 2021 Lexus ES 250 AWD debuts today, adding all-wheel power to the ES for the first time. Lexus teased the possibility of an all-wheel-drive model at this generation’s launch, but it hasnÂ’t been officially announced until now. Just like the newly-available Camry AWD, this one is exclusively paired with a four-cylinder engine. Besides the Hybrid model, the ES was only offered with a naturally aspirated V6. Now the 2.5-liter four-cylinder migrates to the Lexus with 203 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. ItÂ’s a shame that Lexus hasnÂ’t paired the all-wheel-drive system with the more powerful V6, but it was a task and a half to re-work the Camry with this system already.  You can read all about the engineering behind it in our Camry AWD First Drive. The Lexus uses the same “Dynamic Torque Control” system thatÂ’s found in the Camry to dole out the power rearward. ItÂ’s scanning for front wheel slippage, driver steering input and throttle input, then sending up to 50 percent of the power rearward when needed. The “Torque Control” part of it is not true torque vectoring, but ToyotaÂ’s system can pinch the brakes of the inner wheel when cornering to create the sensation of torque vectoring. Lexus says the ES 250 AWD has the same legroom, trunk room, ride comfort, cabin quietness and vehicle agility as any other Lexus ES. The Camry AWD has its rear seats raised by 10 mm, but thatÂ’s not the case for the ES, as Lexus claims it has the same rear hip point as the front-wheel-drive car. ThereÂ’s a small benefit in fuel economy dropping down to the slower four-cylinder, as the 250 AWD gets 28 mpg combined, whereas the 350 returns 26 mpg combined. If you want more performance, Lexus is making an F Sport version of the ES 250 AWD. 2021 Lexus ES 350 Black Line Special Edition View 8 Photos The 2021 Lexus ES 350 Black Line Special Edition also debuts today. ItÂ’s a limited-run ES based on the F Sport model that essentially amounts to a fancy appearance package. Lexus adds black F Sport wheels with black lug nuts, a black rear lip spoiler and blacked-out side mirrors. There are three exterior colors to choose from: Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0, Obsidian and Ultra White. Pictured in the gallery above is the Blue Mica and Ultra White. We like the blue. You also get a two-tone interior, mixing Obsidian and Ultra White with gray stitching.

Lexus to replace GX SUV with new TX crossover

There's been a lot of news regarding future Lexus products recently, including spy shots of new RC coupe and NX compact crossover, and reports that a 2+2 coupe based on the LF-LC concept is heading for production. Now, Automotive News says that Japan's #1 luxury automaker is planning to replace the fullsize, body-on-frame Lexus GX SUV with a three-row crossover called the TX.
The article says that the GX, which is based on the foreign-market Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, will get a styling update for 2014 before being phased out in 2016. In a similar move as Infiniti made with its new three-row JX/QX60, the new TX will be car-based, but details are still unknown as to whether it will be front-wheel-drive riding on the Toyota Avalon platform or rear-wheel-drive using the Lexus GS platform. Either way, this new luxury crossover could join the Lexus lineup as soon as late 2016.