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2021 Lexus LC gets modest updates including less weight, new colors

The Lexus LC is already one of our favorite cars, and the 2021 Lexus LC aims to be even a little better. The luxury automaker has made a number of minor changes to the suspension, infotainment and color schemes. Starting under the skin, Lexus found some weight savings in the wheels and suspension. In fact, the new LC has 22 fewer pounds of unsprung weight thanks to lighter rear wheels, aluminum lower control arms, high-strength steel springs, and tubular anti-roll bars rather than solid ones. Lexus says that these improvements along with retuned shocks should give the new LC a softer, smoother ride. That's not all, as Lexus is now including its Active Cornering Assist technology to the stability control system, which brakes the inside wheels in turns to improve cornering ability. Lexus also adjusted the shift logic for the transmissions in both the V8 LC 500 and hybrid LC 500h to be smoother and more responsive. Users of Android phones will also be pleased to know that Android Auto will be standard equipment on the 2021 LC. Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration will also continue to be standard. So however you like to interact with your phone and media, you'll be covered. There are a few color updates, too. Cadmium Orange and Nori Green Pearl have been added as exterior colors. The latter you may remember from the limited edition 2020 Lexus Inspiration Series model. Inside, black and tan interiors stick around, while the Rioja Red option is replaced by Flare Red. Sadly, the Bespoke White interior, which featured indigo and orange leather and suede has been discontinued. Pricing and availability for the 2021 Lexus LC has not yet been announced.

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:

2020 Lexus RC F Track Edition First Drive Review | Not the hardcore machine we deserve

THERMAL, Calif. — It's been more than 10 years since Lexus launched its high-performance F models. Ten years. After a full decade you'd think Toyota's luxury division would have it figured out by now, but the 2020 Lexus RC F Track Edition isn't the hardcore machine we were hoping for. Maybe our expectations were too high. We saw its lackluster specs at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but you just never know until you get behind the wheel. And while there's a lot to like here — this is the most powerful and track-capable Lexus since the LFA supercar was launched in 2011 — it's quickly apparent that Lexus' engineers were held back from making the RC F Track Edition what they wanted to make. The RC F Track Edition uses the same naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 (2UR-GSE) that powered the IS F sedan in 2008 and the standard RC F since 2015. It's the engine Lexus also uses in the LC 500 coupe and the GS F sedan. The company's strict warrantability standards mean this engine is limited to 500 hp, said Yuuichi Tsurumoto, the chief engineer on the RC F Track Edition and the man responsible for all Lexus F models. So supercharging the engine was out of the question. Increasing the V8's displacement to 5.5-liters or more was explored, but then the RC F Track Edition would have been subject to a gas guzzler tax, and that too was deemed unacceptable. The frustration in Tsurumoto's voice was clear. And while the 5.0-liter's output has been increased slightly for 2020, up to 472 horsepower (+5) at 7,100 rpm and 395 pound-feet of torque (+6) at 4,800 rpm, the RC F Track Edition doesn't get any more power than the standard RC F. Both versions of the coupe also continue to use an Aisin-supplied eight-speed automatic, which is essentially unchanged. Lexus is only going to build "around 400" RC F Track Editions, and it will import just 50 into the United States. That's all. Just 50 cars. And they're going to cost $97,675 including a $1,025 destination fee. Who cares about a gas guzzler tax on such an extreme limited run of a $100,000 factory hot rod? In the age of 797-hp Redeyes and 640-hp Cadillacs, the 472-hp RC F Track Edition may not sound like it would be quick, but it is. With its new launch control and shorter 3.13:1 rear-end ratio, Lexus says it can sprint to 60 mph in 3.97 seconds. That's just a tenth or two off the performance of the LFA. Unfortunately, it's also only two tenths quicker than the standard RC F, which Lexus says now hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.