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Toyota amalgamates motorsports divisions under Gazoo Racing

Toyota has more racing divisions than we could wave a checkered flag at, with the company's various motorsport activities all coordinated by different operations. But the Japanese industrial giant is now bringing most (if not all) of them under one roof. From here on in, any racing that was done under the Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing or Gazoo Racing banners will now be united under the latter. That includes the LFAs it races around the Nurburgring, the TS040 Hybrid it fields at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, the Yaris it will soon throw at the World Rally Championship, the Lexus racers that compete in the Super GT championship back in Japan... the works. The move does not appear to affect Toyota Racing Development, the automaker's American arm that handles its NASCAR racing activities, but from here on out, any Toyota or Lexus you see racing on most anything but a speedway will be competing under Gazoo Racing. The move appears to be more than symbolic and semantic, putting its racing vehicle development, technical support and marketing activities in the hands of the new Motor Sports Group. In announcing the consolidation, Toyota highlights in particular the benefit its various racing programs bring to its talent pool, if not the direct effect they have on the company's vehicles themselves. Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing and GAZOO Racing Unite Under GAZOO Racing Toyota City, Japan, April 9, 2015-Starting April 11, Toyota will unite all motorsports activities under GAZOO Racing. The move will clarify the role of Toyota's motorsports in its efforts to make ever-better cars and foster new generations of car enthusiasts. Until now, Toyota has participated in competitions around the world-including the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Super GT in Japan, and the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race-through the separate Toyota Racing, Lexus Racing and GAZOO Racing teams. Of those, GAZOO Racing in particular was created to expand the role of promoting motorsports beyond that of traditional automakers, and carry out grassroots activities aimed at creating new and ever-growing generations of car enthusiasts. Concerning today's announcement, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: "Our founder Kiichiro Toyoda once said that motorsports are vital to the evolution of car making and the entire auto industry.

2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport First Drive | A charismatic outlier

For 2022, the Lexus IS is getting a V8, the first time since the last IS F was built back in 2014. But instead of an uncompromisingly sporty successor to the IS F, Lexus has created something a little softer and more civilized, and given it a similarly watered-down name: IS 500 F Sport. And in our time with the sedan, it's an apt name, since it's not a real competitor for the M, AMG, RS and Blackwings of the world. But what it is isn't bad, either. It's a characterful sport sedan that makes for an interesting alternative to similarly softer and more civilized choices like the BMW M340i or Audi S4. It is hampered by some familiar Lexus problems, but it has enough to like that the right buyer can happily overlook the shortcomings. Before diving too deep into the driving impressions, let's go over what was done to create the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport. The lynchpin is the 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8. It's a unique feature for a class full of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines. It sends 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque to the rear through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a standard limited-slip differential. Lexus clocks the 0-60 time at 4.4 seconds, which is on par with the rear-drive M340i. Of course, the BMW has 90 fewer horsepower. It sits on a sport-tuned adaptive suspension and gets bigger brakes with better cooling, but that's about it for mechanical upgrades. It's all wrapped in a body that looks almost exactly like the IS 350 F Sport except for the quad exhaust, exclusive Enkei wheels and the power bulge that raises the hood by 2 inches. It's great for keeping a low profile, but nodding quietly to those in the know that, yes, this is the fast one. The interior also gets leather and faux suede upholstery, a thick F Sport steering wheel and other F-related trimmings. As with every Lexus so equipped, the IS 500's V8 is a true treat that makes up for whatever disadvantages it might have on paper with endless character in person. It's spectacularly smooth and demure most of the time, but when asked, it delivers a raucous intake growl and a just right amount of exhaust noise. And it does so without needing to have the artificial sound enhancer turned on (it's adjustable from nothing to 100% via a scroll wheel on the dash). It's eager to rev and will do so to a little past 7,000 rpm. Peak power lives up there, but it has enough mid-range grunt to keep it entertaining even when you're not making the most of every gear.

2021 Lexus IS First Drive | A model remodel

The Lexus IS has now been with us for more than two decades. First introduced in 1999, it celebrated its 21st birthday this year and, to mark the occasion, Lexus hit the compact sedan with a significant overhaul, including a revamped powertrain lineup, an updated interior, and a much-needed tech update in an attempt to keep the sporty four-door relevant in a market that craves crossovers and SUVs. So, first things first: The 2021 Lexus IS is not actually new. In fact, Lexus still refers to it as a third-generation car internally, despite the “redesign” and repositioning for 2021, which is ultimately more about the products elsewhere in the Lexus lineup, rather than the IS itself. WeÂ’ll come back to that. Unveiled in June, the 2021 IS model range has been pared down to just two models, the IS 300 and IS 350 F-Sport. The highlight of the standard equipment sheet is an 8-inch touchscreen that's nearly 5.5 inches closer to the driver than the outgoing modelÂ’s. A 10.3-inch touchscreen is available as an upgrade, and perhaps most notably, the IS is finally available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration suites. Despite the common name and number, however, the IS 300 is in fact offered with two very different engines depending on how many wheels are driven. Power for the rear-wheel-drive IS 300 comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, which develops 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. With the IS 300 AWD (pictured below), all-wheel drive is paired with a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 good for 260 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, and a six-speed automatic transmission. Nothing confusing about that, is there? 2021_Lexus_IS_300_AWD_Blue_004 View 9 Photos Thankfully, things are a bit more normal with the IS 350 F Sport. Its high-output V6 is alive and well, with its naturally aspirated displacement of 3.5 liters and an output of 311 horses and 280 pound-feet of twist. It's the same engine regardless of drivetrain, though rear-wheel drive is still tied to the eight-speed automatic while all-wheel drive gets the six-speed. The quickest variant is the RWD model, which will crack off a run to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The AWD variant is intended to be an all-weather option, not a performance enhancer. The observant reader will note that we keep referring to the IS 350 F Sport, rather than simply the IS 350.