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Toyota may put Mirai hydrogen fuel cell powertrain into a Lexus

Toyota is hoping to define the world of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with its uniquely styled Mirai sedan in a fashion similar to the way the Prius pops into people's minds when they think of a hybrid. The Japanese automaker believes it can sell about 700 FCEVs worldwide in the first year alone and build rapidly from there to an estimated 3,000 sales in the US by 2017. Of course, not everyone is completely enamored with the Mirai's design. Toyota is rumored to have an alternative in the works to quell some of those naysayers, possibly taking flagship form with a new Lexus LS powered by fuel-cell tech. The LS FCEV could be unveiled by 2017 to sit at the very top of brand's lineup. According to an inside source speaking to the Australian website Motoring, the front end would feature larger air intakes to cool the electrical components. The fuel cell would reportedly be positioned under the front seat, and the hydrogen tanks would be located under and behind the rear seat. Somehow, Motoring claims that all of this might be lighter than the current LS600hL hybrid, to the tune about 440 pounds. The model is also claimed to offer a range of about 239 miles, just a bit shy of the Mirai's roughly 300 miles. Assuming this vehicle actually exists, the cost for buyers of this flagship would almost certainly ring up at more than the LS600hL's $120,440 base price. Autoblog has reached out to Toyota for any further info about this rumor, one way or the other. If we hear back, we'll update this story with the details. Featured Gallery 2016 Toyota Mirai View 15 Photos News Source: MotoringImage Credit: Toyota Green Rumormill Lexus Toyota Alternative Fuels Hybrid Luxury Sedan lexus ls toyota mirai rumor fcev Lexus LS600h

Lexus LC F prototype caught testing

The rumored Lexus LC F seems to be real based on these spy shots. A prototype was spied testing in Europe, and it shows a number of significant alterations from the regular LC 500 and LC 500h grand touring luxury coupes. In particularly, they seem to show a bit more of everything for the sporty edition. The nose bears some of the biggest changes compared with the standard models. While the center grille is mostly untouched, the outboard grilles have been cut wide open for more airflow. We can see the reason why, as there are heat exchangers in each of them. A particularly large one resides in the grille on the left side of the car. We can also see that the fenders have been extended over the wheel arches. Whether this is something to throw off observers or a final addition has yet to be seen, since the wheels and tires fitted to this car don't fill the added width, and the rear fenders aren't any wider, either. While nothing has changed to the sides of the car, we can spot the LC F's new brakes. They feature cross-drilled rotors and some beefy calipers. Moving around the back, we see that the LC F will get the signature stacked exhaust seen on the RC F and old IS F. Underneath, the tips will be matched with a wide diffuser that looks rather functional. Based on a previous report, it sounds like the LC F is still a couple of years away. Not much is known about the car, but it's safe to say it will make more than the 467 horsepower of the LC 500's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. It could possibly have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 or some sort of hybrid powertrain. To play in the same arena as some of the luxury performance competition, it will probably need at least 550 horsepower. Also expect it to cost significantly more than the LC 500h's low-$90,000s price tag. Related Video:

Lexus building just 650 Black Line RC coupes

Lexus has yet another limited edition line of cars on the way, following up on its special RC F and GS F models. The new edition is the RC F Sport Black Line, and it's actually not available on the V8 RC F. It's only for the turbocharged four-cylinder RC 300 and naturally aspirated V6 RC 350. What the package adds is either gloss black or silver paint accented by black chrome trim on the grille and windows rather than the standard shiny silver chrome. Other exterior details include matte black wheels and brake calipers in either orange or black. The black and orange theme continues inside, where orange stitching stands out against a black interior. The steering wheel is unique to the special edition and has black-stained wood trim. The special edition goes on sale this spring. Only 650 examples will be built. In addition to being available on either the four-cylinder or V6 models, it can be had with rear- or all-wheel-drive. The base prices start at $52,725 for the rear-drive four-cylinder and go up to $57,115 for the all-wheel-drive V6. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Lexus RC F Sport Black Line: New York 2018 View 13 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com New York Auto Show Lexus Coupe Luxury lexus rc