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Lexus considering V8 Supercars racing program

Just a few years ago, Holden and Ford were the only manufacturers competing in Australia's V8 Supercars series. But those days were left long ago in a cloud of smoke on the track, and are only disappearing even further in the rearview mirror as the latest intel suggests Lexus could be ready to enter the series as well. Speaking with CarAdvice.com.au at the local launch of the RC coupe, Lexus Australia chief Sean Hanley revealed that his office approached the race organizers to hold "very high-level discussions" about the Japanese luxury brand entering the series. The development is reportedly spurred by the warm reception the RC has enjoyed so far Down Under, and by an expected impending shift in the rules of the V8 Supercars championship. The series has been rumored to be shifting away from strictly eight-cylinder sedans to include coupes and other engine types – a move that would open the door to more manufacturers to participate, including Lexus with the RC F. Currently the field is made up of Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons, Nissan Altimas, Volvo S60s and privately-entered Mercedes E63 AMGs. Nissan, Volvo and Mercedes only joined in the past couple of seasons following the last round of rules changes. The series received "international" status from the FIA in 2011and in the past few seasons has held races in locations as far flung as Abu Dhabi and Texas to its principally Australia-based calendar. Lexus, for its part, has competed in Grand-Am, Germany's Nurburgring-based VLN series and Japan's Super GT series, but unlike parent company Toyota, has yet to embark upon a top-level racing program in Formula One, the World Rally Championship or at Le Mans.

Lexus GX and LX future may be in doubt

With the debut of an all-new RX, Lexus is in a position for continued strong sales in the luxury SUV arena. The fourth-generation RX has grown, making room for the new NX model beneath it. But further up the ladder, things could change for the GX and LX. In an interview with Autoblog at the 2015 New York Auto Show, Lexus executive vice president Mark Templin gave some hints at the future of his brand's SUV lineup. "With NX and RX, we have a really good one-two punch in the crossover segments, and we think we can cover most of the markets with that," he said. As for the larger, three-row GX and LX models, which are built on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, things aren't so clear. Templin noted the the success of both models all over the world – the LX is the best-selling Lexus in Saudi Arabia. The same is true for sales here, he said: "We do very well with those products in the United States – GX has been a great product for us in the US for the last couple of years since its initial introduction. But the future of those vehicles longer term is in doubt because of regulations that are being driven by governments all over the world." Don't start stockpiling LX 570s in anticipation of shortages just yet. Templin didn't give any specifics; he just notes that tightening fuel economy and emissions regulations could affect product planning. In our analysis, if and when GX rides off into the sunset, Lexus still needs a midsize, three-row SUV to fill that gap. The most likely candidate for that is some variation on the RX. Whether or not that's the case, don't expect a BMW-like proliferation of body styles from Toyota's luxury division. "It creates problems. It creates complexity, that's hard for every step of the process," Templin said, nothing that too many models stresses the design department, manufacturing, and even dealers inventory selection. As for the bottom end of the lineup, Templin wouldn't comment on a compact SUV below the NX, saying "I think there are more potential options for us in the future, but we're not trying to grow the number of models we have in our lineup. It's not really what our core business is about." For now, Lexus and Templin are focused on launching the RX, which accounts for three of every 10 Lexus models ever sold. The 2016 model, available in RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid versions, goes on sale by the end of the year. Related Video:

Lexus postpones 2021 IS debut indefinitely

The new 2021 Lexus IS sports sedan was scheduled to make its debut today, but Lexus has made the decision to postpone the digital unveiling indefinitely. Lexus cites respect for "the recent global situation" as the reasoning for the postponement.  This week, Lexus released a simple statement on the digital debut of the 2021 IS. "Considering the recent global situation, Lexus has respectfully postponed the premier of the new IS, which was originally scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time, June 10," it said. "Revised timing will be announced soon." With worldwide outpouring of civil protests in regards to the death of George Floyd, police brutality and the movement for police reform — all in the midst of a pandemic — it seems like a malapropos time to unveil a new car. Autoblog reached out to Lexus for further clarification on when the car would debut, and the company said it hopes to have more news at a later date. When it does debut, the next-generation sports sedan will utilize rear-wheel drive, and we expect all-wheel drive to be an option. According to a report from Motor Trend, the new IS will ride on an evolutionary modified version of its current "New N" platform, as opposed to an all-new setup, but that is unconfirmed. Like the current IS, the upcoming IS will likely offer both four-cylinder and six-cylinder powertrains options, though it is unclear what the power will look like. Related Video: