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Lexus IS, new and old, and LFA to make splash at SEMA

Lexus has announced its Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show cars: a group of eight Lexus IS sedans spanning all three generations, and a 2012 LFA supercar. One of the show cars, a custom 2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport, is a creation penned by IS fan Rob Evans, the winner of a contest to design a Lexus SEMA show car.
The standouts in the group of Lexus IS show cars, in no particular order, are a 700-horsepower 2014 Lexus IS 340 (it has a heavily modified Toyota Supra inline six swapped in, which is stroked out to 3.4 liters, hence the nomenclature change) by Philip Case and a supercharged 2004 Lexus IS 300 by Maricar Cortez. Both cars prove that oldies can be goodies - the venerable Supra 2JZTE engine, which ceased production over a decade ago, lives on in a 2014 platform, and the 2004 IS 300 gets a supercharger and remains relevant through the use of electronics, such as a back-up radar sensor, upgraded headlights and more.
Of course, the LFA by Guy S. De Alwis will be a stand out on its own, but unfortunately Lexus only provided us with a couple pictures that don't do it justice. We'll have to take a closer look at it on the show floor. Same goes for the IS penned by contest-winner Rob Evans, of which only a rendering was provided.

5 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests for 5 new cars available in U.S.

Seven new cars have received a full five-star rating in the latest Euro NCAP crash tests. Of these, five are available in the United States: the Audi E-Tron, Lexus UX, Toyota Corolla, RAV4 and Mazda3. The Renault Clio and the Volkswagen T-Cross also took part, also receiving five stars. The Mazda3 hatchback was the fourth car in Euro NCAP history to reach an adult occupant protection score of 98%, after the Volvo V40 and XC60 and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. No NHTSA ratings for the Mazda3 or the Audi are yet available, but the Lexus and the Toyotas have all received five-star NHTSA safety ratings as well. Those three were tested as hybrid variants by Euro NCAP. Audi's first fully electric vehicle, the E-Tron, scored 91% in Euro NCAP's adult occupant rating, with unavailable knee airbags bringing down the score. The Mazda and the Toyotas offer them for the driver only, and the Lexus has the passenger's knees covered as well. The Lexus UX managed a 96% adult occupant score, close to the Mazda, and it provided better pedestrian safety (82%) than the Audi (71%), despite neither, or none, of the test vehicles having an active hood to catch pedestrians. As for the Toyotas, the Corolla, tested in both sedan and hatchback guises, scored 95% for adult occupant safety, with the RAV4 a couple notches down at 93%. Still, the five-star rating means all these vehicles are a very safe choice in their respective classes. Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP, states how important it is that even family hatchbacks perform well and have the latest safety tech available. "It is encouraging to see that all manufacturers did well, regardless of type of powertrain or class of vehicle tested," said van Ratingen. "New cars on the market continue to offer more advanced technology as standard, systems that were not even considered an option a few years ago." More crash test videos are available on Euro NCAP's YouTube channel. Audi Lexus Mazda Toyota Car Buying Safety audi etron lexus ux

2021 Lexus RC F Fuji Speedway Edition debuts, but only 60 will be built

This generation of the Lexus RC (launched as a 2015 model) can’t be long for the world, but itÂ’s coming back around for the 2021 model year with some fresh new gear. The biggest news is the introduction of the RC F Fuji Speedway Edition. ItÂ’s limited to just 60 units and takes after the RC F Track Edition that debuted last year. Just like the Track Edition, the Fuji Speedway Edition adds Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, a titanium exhaust and has gone through an extensive weight savings program that includes a big dose of carbon fiber. The hood, roof, wing, front spoiler, rear-seat partition and bumper reinforcement are all made of carbon fiber. All these weight savings help the 0-60 mph time fall to 3.96 seconds, down from the 4.2 seconds of the standard RC F. YouÂ’ll be able to tell itÂ’s the Fuji Speedway Edition by its exterior paint and interior colors. It only comes in Arctic Blast Satin or Cloudburst Gray. Lexus provided one photo of the car in Arctic Blast Satin, but weÂ’re not getting the full effect here. ItÂ’s a new semi-matte paint finish thatÂ’s debuting on this special edition car. The satin finish is similar to the matte paints weÂ’ve seen on Lexus cars previously, but now itÂ’s durable enough to be run through automatic car washes without issue. When we drove the GS F 10th Anniversary Edition (equipped with LexusÂ’ previous generation matte paint) last year, Lexus specifically told us that it canÂ’t be run through a car wash. With this RC F, you can skip the hand wash if you donÂ’t feel like it. Every Fuji Speedway Edition car will also come with a Circuit Red leather interior and Alcantara accents. Red carbon fiber trim is added to make the interior feel even more special. As a final touch, Lexus is including a limited production MSTR watch with each car. It has Fuji Speedway and F logos, and also features red stitching on its band to match the interior. Lexus has given the standard RC F a couple worthwhile upgrades, too. Android Auto is now in the picture, joining Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa. Additionally, Lexus has made blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert standard, alongside heated exterior mirrors and a memory driverÂ’s seat. Lexus also made parking sensors part of the Premium Package. Pricing is not yet available, but expect the Fuji Speedway Edition to come in around the $97,675 base price of the Track Edition. It might be even more considering the special paint Lexus added this year, too. Related video: