2010 Lexus Ls 460 Silver Sedan on 2040-cars

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2015 Lexus NX offers bold design, compact luxury

Meet the all-new NX, Lexus' entry into the space occupied by the likes of the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Based off the LF-NX Concept and sharing much of the design language seen on the polarizing IS sedan, the NX looks to be a rather sporty Lexus crossover.
The big news here is under the hood: the NX will be the first Lexus to use a turbocharged engine. That's right, a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder can be found in both the NX 200t and NX 200t F Sport. There will also be an NX 300h, and if Lexus' nomenclature remains consistent, we already know all about that one. As of right now, there aren't a lot of details on either powertrain, although with the NX's Beijing debut still over a week away, here's hoping we know more soon.
As for that design... well, we're waiting to see it up close. The initial reaction from the Autoblog team has been mixed so far. Like the IS, there are plenty of sharp angles, while the front is dominated by the brand's spindle grille. Lexus' designers have refined the shape of the headlights, giving them a cleaner overall look than on the pioneering IS. In back, LED taillights come standard. According to Lexus, 17-inch wheels are the base rollers, while 18s are optional.

Dear rich people, skip the SUVs and big sedans. Buy a coupe!

Pretty much from the first time I drove a Lexus LC, I fell in love with the car (and most of us on staff have similar feelings). And having spent a week recently in a 2022 LC 500h variant, I'm still as fond of it as ever. It is, in many ways, a near perfect grand tourer. It's got stunning good looks (confirmed by various strangers asking about it) with details at home on a concept car. I'll never get tired of the infinity mirror taillights. The interior does the same with leather and suede over nearly every surface and even more styling flair from the grooves in the doors to the floating handles. And finally, it's lovely to drive. Even with the hybrid engine, it's smooth and fairly swift, and the ride and handling are just on the sporty side of comfortable: great to commute in, and happy being pushed a little bit. It's a car that's so good, that I found myself wondering, why aren't there more of them? And I'm not just talking about LCs (even though the LC is so good it really deserves to be selling in massive numbers). Why aren't there more personal luxury coupes and grand tourers? It certainly wasn't always that way. The mid- to late-20th century was the heyday of the luxury coupe. America led the way with enormous Cadillac and Lincoln hardtops with as much sheet metal on either end as it had in the middle. But later in the century, as more luxury automakers jumped in, we got more svelte GT-style cars from BMW (8 Series), Lexus (SC), Acura (Legend) and more. Classy two-door luxury was a thing. But now the number of high-end coupes are dwindling not just in sales, but in offerings. Mercedes killed its S-Class coupe a few years ago, and it's been ages since we've seen anything of the sort from Cadillac, Lincoln and others. Ok, so I literally know why they're not much of a thing anymore, at least to an extent. Coupes just aren't the popular body style. That crown goes to SUVs. Just look at BMW's sales for proof. It sold around 1,400 8 Series models in the first quarter of this year, and that's including convertibles, coupes and the Gran Coupe four-door hatchback. In contrast, it sold more than 6,400 X7s, the effective SUV equivalent to the 7 and 8 Series cars. And I have no doubt that there's more going on than the desire for the big, truck-like shape. There's also the practicality of having an SUV.

Judge halts Toyota unintended acceleration cases, triggers time for settlement negotiations

So far, the lawsuits brought forth against Toyota for unintended acceleration have gone both ways: the automaker was found not at fault in a 2009 California crash and liable for a 2007 crash in Oklahoma. Both cases involved a Camry and resulted in fatalities. With a big chunk of these UA cases (around 200) set to his the docket of US District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, Bloomberg is reporting that the judge has halted the lawsuits until March after Toyota and its lawyers have had extra time to try and settle the cases.
According to the article, Toyota is looking to take care of the cases out of court with an "intensive settlement process." Having already paid out $1.6 billion in "economic loss" suits, this latest settlement process is aimed at the wrongful death and personal injury cases allegedly associated with unintended acceleration. A hearing for the settlements will be held on January 14 with conferences on the matter commencing in February. There is no word as to when lawsuits may start back up if settlements can't be agreed upon.