2006 Lexus Rx400h Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.3l on 2040-cars

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Toyota's 'green bond' an industry first, quickly rises to $1.75 billion

Toyota is greasing the skids for more green car purchases with the announcement of a $1.75-billion bond designed to finance the purchase of high-efficiency Toyota and Lexus models. The Asset-Backed Green Bond is a first for the automotive industry and is making a lot of money available to buy or lease the following vehicles: any of the four Prius variants, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, RAV4 EV, Lexus CT 200h and Lexus ES 300h. Originally, the bond was set at $1.25 billion, but Justin Leach, manager of public relations for Toyota Financial Services (TFS), told AutoblogGreen that demand was high and it was quickly oversubscribed. TFS has been looking at more ways to diversify its portfolio after a Diversity & Inclusion Bond that was announced in early 2013 and, with the new Green Bond, TFS is offering something for the "number of investors out there who are looking for investment opportunities in green." The way the money from the bond is used, basically, is that TFS takes the $1.75 billion and uses it to finance the purchase or lease of the nine vehicles listed above. As of right now, all the eligible vehicles are plug-in or hybrids, but the rules simply say that the cars in the program have to meet certain "powertrain, fuel efficiency and emissions" criteria. That means: Minimum EPA estimated MPG (or MPG equivalent for alternative fuel vehicles) of 35 city / 35 highway California Low-Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) certification of super ultra-low emission vehicles (SULEVs) or higher, which would include partial zero emissions vehicles (PZEVs) and zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). TFS raises plenty of billions in other ways for the rest of the lineup, and got into asset backed securities in 2010, Leach said. Given the success of this first Green Bond, Leach said he expects TFS to keep this idea in its arsenal. "This one was so well received, I would be surprised if we didn't see it again," he said. "If anyone was going to do it, it should be Toyota, right?" Toyota Financial Services (TFS) Issues Auto Industry's First-Ever Asset-Backed Green Bond Bond Proceeds to Fund Consumer Loans and Leases for Toyota's Leading Portfolio of Green Vehicles TORRANCE, Calif., (March 24, 2014) – Toyota Financial Services (TFS) issued the auto industry's first-ever Asset-Backed Green Bond in the amount of $1.75 billion.

Next-gen Lexus RC will be a race car first

There has been one generation of the Lexus RC, the Japanese luxury maker's sports coupe meant to mix it with offerings like the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series, and Mercedes C-Class. Instead of doing that, it has hung back in the enthusiast consciousness with the Infiniti Q60, a car you remember — and remember is actually pretty good — when someone else brings it up. At least one exec at Toyota wants to change that for the next-gen RC, assuming we get one. David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development (TRD), spoke to Car and Driver at the recent 24 Hours of Daytona. C/D said Wilson "hinted" the coming RC will look at the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT3 concept revealed as last month's Tokyo Auto Salon for inspiration, the target being to create a better performing race car for global GT3 competitions, which will breed a better performing road car. "ItÂ’s fairly safe to connect the dots and suggest that [the GR GT3 concept] could be a precursor to the next global GT3 car for Lexus," he said.  As we wrote about the GR GT3 concept, Toyota believes it can provide more enjoyment for customers by commercializing race cars than by making customer cars racy. So instead of turning the next Lexus RC into a not exactly ripping IMSA and GT3 competitor, as it did with this one, the GT3 Concept could lead development of one or more Toyota Group race cars that, as required by GT3 homologation rules, become one or more road cars. Speaking to Motor1, Wilson and Lexus GM Andrew Gilleland affirmed the coming RC will be a racer first, Wilson saying, "Our Lexus RC F is a dynamite sports car, but I'll be candid and say that itÂ’s not a GT3 car. The current gen that weÂ’re racing right now was an afterthought to make it a GT3 car." That process gets reversed for the next coming, the president confiding to, "Before you put your first line on paper, you decide youÂ’re going to race that car and that shapes the design parameters, the performance parameters of that production car." Gazoo Racing said there'd be a prototype of the GT3 concept on track by the end of this year. We might learn then how Toyota and Lexus plan to push the sporty angle for track and road. As for when a new RC race or road car might debut, the TRD honcho would only say, "hopefully in a couple of years." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2014 Lexus GX 460

The Toyota 4Runner has always held a special place in my heart for its boxy styling and off-road prowess, but until now, I never had the chance to drive its more luxurious cousin, the Lexus GX 460. Granted, the GX actually has more in common with the foreign-market Land Cruiser Prado, but all three SUVs ride on the same body-on-frame platform.
Originally an answer to the luxury SUV craze from the early 2000s, the GX hasn't changed all that much since its introduction more than a decade ago. It's a big SUV with plenty of space and crammed with just about all the luxuriousness Lexus could fit into a 12-year-old vehicle, but, more importantly, it still has the chops to go places many vehicles in its segment wouldn't dare venture. And just for good measure, Lexus tacked on its new signature spindle grille in what has to be its most pronounced appearance yet.
I've had a chance to drive most of the latest Lexus products (including the IS, ES and GS) to see just how competitive Toyota's luxury arm has gotten in recent years, but after spending a week with the 2014 GX 460, it's refreshing that, for now, Lexus has resisted the urge to follow some of its rivals in replacing rugged, body-on-frame SUVs with softer, car-based crossovers.