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What effect did Super Bowl ads have on online car searches?

Lexus's Super Bowl ad Let's Play starring an RC version of the RC 350 sliding around wasn't really a big hit among Autoblog readers, with a pretty miserable 13 down-votes as of this writing, compared to the winning Nissan spot with 52 up-votes. The Japanese luxury brand doesn't need to feel blue about the results, though, because in at least one metric the commercial ranks as the most popular of the night. According to Adweek analyzing figures from Kelley Blue Book, the Lexus coupe saw an astounding 1,820-percent increase in searches on the auto pricing site, more than any other vehicle advertised during the game. Viewers were apparently intrigued by the BMW i3 because the EV came in second place with a 1,131-percent jump. Third place went to the Mercedes-AMG GT with a 950-percent boost from its whimsical ad. The lowest growth for the night was from Toyota with a 20-percent upswing for the Camry. In terms of brand searches, the Kia James Bond-inspired spot brought a 68-percent increase in searches to KBB's website, according to Adweek. Dodge scored a close second with a 62-percent bump, and Fiat's humorous ad apparently resonated enough for third place and a 52-percent jump in searches. Despite the RC 350's popularity, Lexus actually ended up at the bottom of the list with just 6 percent more visitors looking for the company. To explain the weird discrepancy, a Kelley Blue Book analyst explained to Adweek that visitors came to the site specifically looking for the RC 350 and to a lesser extent the NX, which saw a 48-percent jump in queries, but that interest didn't extend to the whole brand. Related Video: News Source: Adweek Marketing/Advertising Lexus Coupe Performance Videos lexus rc lexus rc 350

Lexus LF-LC approved for production

On the sidelines of a press drive for the 2014 Lexus IS, the company's vice president of marketing in the US told Ward's Auto that the honchos in Japan have approved the Lexus LF-LC concept for production. He wouldn't offer any other details on how the luxury coupe might be transformed into a vehicle for the buying masses, and that has led to a bag full of speculation.
The show car was hybrid-powered and rear-wheel drive, a beautifully executed stab by Toyota designers in Newport Beach at redefining Lexus, but even with the concept, the point was to keep it "within reach for premium buyers." The report says the odds are on limited production and higher pricing than Lexus' "mainstream products," and other sites have speculated on what kind of powertrain it might end up in showrooms with.
GT Channel posits that the LF-LC will be the inspiration for a coupe in the Lexus LS price bracket with a choice of either the 4.2-liter V8 or the hybrid powertrain from the LS 600h, further speculating it will be called LC 550 and cost more than $100,000. It then says that there would be another coupe created beneath that one to replace the SC 430. Lexus Enthusiast, however, calls those "warmed-over rumors" and says that the marque probably won't deviate from its engine-capacity-naming scheme - labeling a car with a 4.2-liter V8 an LC 550. Nor does it think Lexus will use the letters LC after the company has trademarked "RC" in the US and Australia.

Lexus teases 2022 LX 600 flagship SUV

Like so many things at the moment, the Lexus LX debut got pushed back, but it's nearly upon us. Toyota's luxury brand began the teaser campaign for the 2022 Lexus LX 600 today, in preparation for an online debut October 13 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern at the same time the vehicle is unveiled live in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. We can glean a few things from the teaser, the first being the same Lexus design language we recently saw on the 2022 NX transferred to what will be the automaker's flagship SUV. That means an LED light bar connecting two hockey-stick taillamps above a spelled-out "LEXUS" instead of the Lexus logo. The chrome accents of the LX 570 are history, the rear license plate placed in an unadorned trapezoidal recess. The rear bumper is now nearly flush with the tailgate and loses its stanchions at the edges.    And then there's that LX 600 badge, officially signaling that numbers aren't about engine displacement. Depending on market, the LX is expected to get the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that launched with the 300-Series Toyota Land Cruiser in June and puts out 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in that model. Japanese outlet Creative Trend says this mill will eventually get hybrid assistance to create an LX 750h trim with 480 hp and 642 lb-ft. of total system output. The 3.3-liter diesel V6 with 305 hp and 516 lb-ft. could end up in places like Japan and Australia, and it's possible a base version with the naturally aspirated V6 finds its way to market.  Toyota said putting the new Land Cruiser on its TNGA-F platform saved about 440 pounds. We won't be surprised if the Lexus loses some weight as well, but we also expect a lot of new tech in the LX 600, and luxury is heavy. Features like the Multi-Terrain Select system and Multi-Terrain Monitor seem like shoo-ins, as does the 360-degree camera system. An option for fingerprint authentication to start the vehicle might bow as well. We'll know next week when the 2022 LX livestream kicks off. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.