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Future Lexus products to feature heavier focus on performance and handling

There’s a sea change of performance occurring over at Lexus these days. At least, thatÂ’s what the Japanese luxury automaker claims. Lexus has made plenty of excellent performance cars in its past, but the brand has never been known for performance. Instead, Lexus has produced some of the most comfortable, reliable and serene automobiles to ever come out of Japan, and it's found success in doing so. The brand has a clear identity, but itÂ’s looking to massage that identity. “Moving forward, the efforts of the CE (chief engineer) will be focused on elevating the vehicles to a new standard of performance and handling as developed by Lexus International President Koji Sato and Chief Branding Officer Akio Toyoda,” Lexus said in a statement. “The ultimate goal is to deliver a new generation of Lexus vehicles that is more balanced, refined in control, and confident than ever before.” A new “standard of performance and handling” has definitely raised our eyebrows, and weÂ’re curious to know what that looks and feels like. Toyota has already shown clear signs of upping its performance gains with the GR brand and additional TRD models. ItÂ’s only the beginning, and it looks like Lexus is going to follow the parent brand into this performance space. The construction of a new testing facility in Japan was instrumental in this fight for more performance, according to Lexus. We wrote about the mini Nurburgring replica before. ItÂ’s called Shimoyama, and Lexus will be developing its vehicles at this facility for the foreseeable future. “More than merely a new test facility, this asphalt track signals a change in LexusÂ’ product development course and speaks to the brandÂ’s commitment to its human-centered nature,” Lexus says. What does that entail for the cars? Lexus has an answer there, too: “Linear steering, brake responses, and optimized handling with exceptional ride quality is the result of heightened focus on tuning of the chassis and its interactions with the control surfaces through diligent evaluation at a test facility unlike any other.” 2021 Lexus IS View 25 Photos The new 2021 IS is meant to be the first of many vehicles that exemplify LexusÂ’ new performance philosophy. This “cultural shift” is meant to build on what Lexus has already done with F-branded cars, in addition to the wonderful LC.

The Lexus LC 500h has a four-speed auto and that's a good thing

Lexus is sharing some powertrain details on the LC 500h ahead of the big hybrid coupe's debut in Geneva. Its new gas-electric setup strays from Toyota's tried-and-true system found in everything from the Prius to the Lexus GS. It's called the Multi Stage Hybrid System that's designed for performance vehicles, and it has an antiquated-sounding piece of equipment buried deep inside that's supposed to make it more enjoyable to drive. The basics: In the LC 500h, its first application, the Multi Stage Hybrid System will consist of a 3.5-liter V6, a hybrid transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid transmission has an electric motor for motivation (and we're guessing a second for charging) and a four-speed automatic mounted to its rear, which either means inside or aft and in series. Why add ancient tech to a new hybrid system? Lexus says it preserves the connection between throttle input and engine speed that gets lost in a CVT. And while four seems like an insignificant sum in the face of nine- and 10-speed autos, remember that it is an infinite increase in gear count compared to CVT-packing hybrids. Toyota has been using versions of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system since the first Prius debuted in 1997, and the same system is sold under the Lexus Hybrid Drive banner in most of the luxury brand's offerings. These systems use what Toyota calls an e-CVT – two electric motors paired with a planetary gearset. This lets the engine and electric motors share the job of propelling the car – one motor handles charging of the battery and the other is primarily used to drive the wheels but can also recoup energy through regen. Like a conventional CVT, the planetary gearset arrangement allows the gas engine to run at its optimal engine speed when called upon for motivation and/or charging. But that doesn't make for the most exciting or familiar driving experience, as it affects both power delivery and the sound of the power being delivered. This is where the four-speed auto comes in. Based on the limited details Lexus has shared, our hunch is that the hybrid transmission will meld some form of the existing Lexus Hybrid Drive system with two more planetary gearsets, or the basic guts of a four-speed auto. This will provide the four fixed ratios and the feeling of actual shifting gears – because there will be actual gears shifting.

Lexus LCs for SEMA inspired by Blue Morpho butterfly, Marvel's Black Panther

Lexus is bringing a pair of LC 500 coupes to this year's SEMA show, and they're thoroughly different vehicles to one another. The first is a production car, the Lexus LC Inspiration Series. It's a highly limited-edition car that is mostly stock except for a unique paint job. The other also has a special paint scheme, but it's a one-off show car designed around the upcoming Marvel movie, " Black Panther," in which an LC 500 will be featured. The LC 500 Inspiration Series, being a production car, should be of the most interest to consumers, but also because of its special paint. Looking at it, it's very clearly blue, but according to Lexus, there are no actual blue pigments in the paint. Instead, the blue hue comes from the way nano-structures buried in the paint reflect blue light. It works similarly to the wings of the Blue Morpho butterfly, which also lack any actual blue coloration, but the structure of the wings' surfaces reflect blue light. This paint is not easy to make, either. Lexus says it takes eight months to produce a batch, and only two cars with the coating can be built each day. So it's easy to understand why this is a limited edition car and color. Only 100 will be sold in the United States. To sweeten the deal, this Inspiration Series edition comes standard with 21-inch forged wheels, exclusive carbon fiber door sill plates, and, for some reason, a Barneys sommelier bar set with a design inspired by the LC. View 11 Photos As subtle as the Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series is, the Black Panther LC 500 isn't. The car features an extremely widened body. It's a fairly elegant design, except for the stuck-on claws on the side mirrors that are echoed by the silver panted fender vent strakes. The paint scheme is equally absurd. The dark indigo blue paint has an enormous Black Panther mask design on the hood. Under the car is blue underglow, and the interior is finished in black leather with blue Alcantara. Lexus also lists a number of fictional features for the car, since it is meant for the Black Panther superhero. Among them are a bulletproof, self-healing Vibranium body, systems controlled by a "Wakandan B-CPU (Brain/Computer interface) creating a symbiotic relationship between the vehicle and its driver," and side mirrors with "instinctual positioning technology" to automatically move to the right position for the driver.