2011 Lexus Es 350 Black On Black Salvage No Reserve 21,000 Miles on 2040-cars

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Lexus' December to Remember reshaped by the pandemic

After spending the summer convincing consumers to take socially distanced breaks from grim reality, advertisers are now returning to the pandemic as the central focus in holiday shopping campaigns launching this month. U.S. companies from carmakers to retailers are under pressure to make the shopping season a success after retail sales crashed 21% earlier this year as millions of Americans lost jobs and cut their budgets. They face the challenge of convincing consumers to open their wallets for the holidays even as the coronavirus pandemic rages anew across the United States and Europe. As new campaigns roll out, brands feel it is their responsibility to inspire optimism for the coming year, but also empathize with “the hurt that people have,” said Jason Schragger, chief creative officer at ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Carmaker LexusÂ’ iconic “December to Remember” campaign, which features cars wrapped in giant red bows on picturesque snowy driveways, will focus on the different role that driveways have played this year, as people sought ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones despite stay-at-home orders. New TV commercials launching on Monday feature family and friends doing a drive-by graduation party in their Lexus vehicles as a student in a cap and gown waves from her driveway. In another, a man greets his children and grandkids from a distance as they drive by, waving a homemade “Happy Birthday, Grandpa” sign. "We wanted to make sure we weren't showing large gatherings of people," said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of marketing at Lexus, owned by Toyota. "But it's nice to have a live interaction, and that can happen when you're safe in the car and waving from the driveway." Staying connected during the pandemic is the message behind ads for the department store MacyÂ’s, whose window displays and Santaland attraction have been hallmarks of the holidays since the late 19th century. At a time when flying home or hosting big family gatherings can be dangerous, Macy's is focusing on how finding and giving the perfect gift plays an even bigger role in connecting with people you can not see in person this year, according to Macy's chief customer officer Rich Lennox. A similar theme underpins Etsy's commercial, in which a woman who longs to see her grandson opens a gift of a handmade doll that matches a picture he had drawn.

See the resemblance? This sneaker is inspired by the 2021 Lexus IS

We can all rest easy at night, now that one of the world's great questions — What would a Lexus IS look like if it were a shoe? — has been answered. Lexus has collaborated with streetwear brand RTFKT to make a sneaker inspired by the 2021 Lexus IS. The project is part of a Lexus campaign called "All In" that celebrates people who are passionate about their craft. For the cynical, you can read this as a campaign that uses influencers in non-automotive fields to put the IS in front of a new audience and attract younger customers to the Lexus brand.   RTFKT calls themselves the first sneaker company to spring from the world of gaming. Their footwear leans towards the fanciful and futuristic styles typically found in video games, and a quick glance at their website presents the shoes as digital items of varying rarity that you might find in a game. RTFKT's creative director Chris Le said, “We wanted to make sure when the audience looks at the sneaker they instantly know it is the IS.” We're not so sure about that, though. If it weren't for the Lexus F Sport logo on the side, Lexus badge on the Velcro strap and the model name embossed across on the back, we'd have a hard time guessing it had anything to do with a now-472 hp Japanese sports sedan. RTFKT explains that certain design elements inspired by the car. The chunky sole in black evolved from a tire, for example. The front of the shoe is said to be a version of Lexus's trademark spindle grille (though we're not really seeing it). A 3D-printed carbon fiber-pattern "spoiler" on the back of the sneaker gets closer to the Lexus's actual decklid wing.  The sneaker's sides use the Black NuLuxe material of the car's interior with light gray stitching from the seats. The middle silver stripe was "inspired by the details of the headlights," though given the "L" shape of the "L" DRLs on past Lexus IS sedans we're surprised the collab isn't with Nike. To be fair, the new IS's DRL integration is much more pleasant to look at. Lastly, the Grecian Water blue color, one of the signature paints on the new IS, features throughout the shoe. “All the intricate design elements come together, and at a first glance itÂ’s a neckbreaker,” said RTFKT CEO Steven Zaptio. We are probably in no place to comment the veracity of that statement, but then neither is anyone else. As it turns out, no one will ever wear it, because it's a one-off that will never go on sale. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Lexus' LFA Works now making carbon fiber bicycles... kind of

The LFA Works that produced the Lexus LFA hasn't had too much to do since the 500th example of the V10 supercar left the plant on December 15, 2012. So what are a bunch of carbon fiber experts meant to do with their time when they have some of the world's most advanced CFRP machinery but no engine to wrap it with? Why, make a bicycle, of course - and not just any bicycle, but the kind that costs one million Japanese yen ($10,000 US) and of which only 100 will be made.
Only they didn't really "make" it - the carbon fiber frame was sourced from Takumi, in Taiwan. On the face of it that's a shame, but it makes sense; when you've got a company like McLaren assisting bike manufacturer Specialized produce a road bike, it's clear that 'pushies' have got so advanced that a company can't just hop in and mold a $10K bike in six months. Beyond that frame it's got a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 group with electronic shifters, and it weighs 15 pounds.
However, the Lexus crafstmen did polish each frame for three hours, and the bike is said to embody the "principles and philosophy" of the supercar, while the brochure for the bike says it represents "a new chapter in Lexus history." That chapter is still all about rarity, though, since there's only one bike headed for Canada and two for the US.