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Lexus planning second flagship alongside LS sedan

Lexus is planning to launch another flagship to slot alongside the LS sedan, but we don't know if it will be a coupe or a crossover. The coupe has been the persistent rumor. Lexus showed the two-door LF-LC concept in 2012 and a production model could borrow its underpinnings from the LS sedan. It's tipped to wear the letters LC or to revive the SC nameplate. The previous SC launched in 1991 as a fixed-roof coupe and offered inline-six or V8 engines. It was replaced in 2001 with the SC430 that had a V8 and a folding hardtop. While the coupe idea may seem like the leading candidate, the company's ambiguity is leading to speculation that the new flagship could adopt a different body-style altogether. "We need a flagship," Lexus general manager Jeff Bracken told Reuters. "It doesn't have to be a sedan." "In addition to the LS, there could be another flagship in our lineup," Bracken said. "We'll define what it is in January." The comments suggest something will be revealed at the Detroit auto show and could open the door to a new flagship SUV or crossover. That position is currently held by the LX 570, which is closely based on the Toyota Land Cruiser. However, sales of the LX have been less than stellar. From the 14,000-plus units Lexus sold of the original LX 470 when it launched in the US back in 2000, annual sales have dropped to just over 4,000 the last few years. Mercedes regularly sells over 25,000 of its GL-Class crossovers each year in the US alone. Last year Audi sold 18,000 Q7s here despite its imminent replacement. Land Rover sold nearly 13,000 Range Rovers last year and another 18,000 Range Rover Sports. Meanwhile, Cadillac typically sells between 20,000 and 30,000 Escalades every year, down from the 50,000-60,000 it sold a decade ago. A facelift is due for the LX that ought to spike sales a little, but Lexus will need more than a refresh to catch up with those rivals. In the meantime, it reportedly plans to roll out a three-row variant of the new RX before its lifespan is over. "We don't want to wait for a next generation" to give the RX the added seating capacity many customers are demanding, said Bracken. Related Video:

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.
CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).
Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.

2016 Lexus RX sharpens up for round four

Go back a couple of decades and no one would have heard of a luxury crossover. Most of the benefits of a luxury sedan and an SUV with few of the drawbacks? Unheard of. Then 1997 rolled around and two vehicles changed the face of the industry forever. One was the Mercedes M-Class. The other was the Lexus RX. And both have seen their successors unveiled at the New York Auto Show this week. The new Mercedes GLE that takes the place of the M-Class, we've already brought you from the floor of the Javitz Center. Now it's time for its Japanese rival. Now entering its fourth generation, the new RX is distinguished from its predecessors with a far more revolutionary design than that which separated the previous three: It's altogether more angular, more recognizable, more... Japanese – from the oversized spindle grille to the sharp taillights and at every pointy point in between. Of course it's not quite as edgy as its kid brother, the NX, but it has to appeal to a more conservative customer base. They'll get to choose once again between the RX 350 with conventional V6 and the RX 450h with its hybrid powertrain, both of which have been upgraded to produce 300 horsepower. The interior has likewise been updates as well, with more space and enhanced equipment. All of which ought to help the RX remain the top seller for Toyota's luxury division. Related Video: