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Lexus LS 500 Inspiration Series is a limited extra-luxe edition of the flagship sedan

Lexus is continuing its trend of making its “Inspiration Series” of cars, and the latest model to get the treatment is the LS 500. Just like all the others before it, this one is mainly an appearance package meant to set it apart from other LS 500s on the road.  The first unique touch is its Deep Garnet paint that isnÂ’t available on the normal LS 500. Then you get 20-inch black chrome wheels that go quite nicely with the paint color. Lexus didnÂ’t forget the Inspiration Series interior, either. Standard is the ultra-luxe Kiriko glass trim you can get as an option on the regular LS 500. It looked stunning on that car, and itÂ’s going to look great combined with the white leather seats on this one, too. Lexus is also giving the Inspiration Series blue LED dash lighting and “Lexus” puddle lamps below the doors. There are only going to be 300 LS 500 Inspiration Series cars sold in America, and theyÂ’re going to be available to buy this fall. Mechanically, itÂ’s exactly the same as a regular LS 500 with the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 making 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. As for pricing on this limited-edition model, Lexus isnÂ’t saying quite yet. A regular LS 500 similarly equipped is around the $100,000 mark, so look out for something in that range when we do get a price. Related Video:

Lexus RX replacement to debut in Detroit?

The 2015 Detroit Auto Show is shaping up to be a big one for Lexus, with Group Vice President Jeff Bracken confirming to Ward's Auto that the Japanese luxury marque will have at least one, and possibly two, all-new-model introductions. Ward's seems to think that one of those vehicles will be the new RX crossover, one of the brand's most popular (and oldest) offerings. The complete and utter lack of spy photos of the new RX doesn't necessarily support Ward's argument, although if the new CUV ends up being based on the JDM Toyota Harrier, as previously reported, the absence of camouflaged images might make some sense. As for that other vehicle, it's hard to say what we might see. Were we to put our money on it, though, the long-awaited GS F would be a strong contender for a Detroit debut. The high-performance challenger to the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG has been spotted almost completely undisguised as recently as October. On top of that, Detroit's reputation as a performance-focused show (last year's show saw debuts of the Ford Mustang, BMW M3 and M4, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Volkswagen Golf R and Porsche 911 Targa) makes the GS F's appearance there a fair bet. One thing we can count on at least hearing about when Detroit rolls around is Lexus' strong sales position. The company's 2014 sales should crest 305,000 units by the end of the year, marking the first time the company had passed the 300,000-unit mark since 2007. Bracken told Ward's that should be an easy task, particularly with the brand's "best month of the year," December, still to come.

Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video]

While Google and Audi explore the possibilities of autonomous vehicles, Toyota and its Lexus division are studying the intermediate step of vehicles equipped with a deep suite of technology that help drivers make the best decisions. Introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Lexus advanced safety research vehicle is an LS sedan fitted with three high-def color cameras to detect objects up to almost 500 feet away, 360-degree Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers that can detect objects up to 220 feet away, three radar units to keep track of other vehicles at intersections, a precision odometer on the rear wheel, GPS that estimates orientation and an accelerometer.
Currently testing at a purpose-built 8.6 acre urban testing ground at the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Japan the Toyota research vehicle is being used to study how to make better drivers, as well as figuring out how to reduce crashes as the industry's journey through passive and active safety systems progresses. In the event of a crash, new rescue systems are also being tested.
Further investment is being put into the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that would use shortwave signals to harness information from the car and from other vehicles on the road, as well as roadside infrastructure and even pedestrians. Toyota reasons it could then build a picture of interactions and, for instance, alert the driver to a potential collision at a blind intersection.