2013 Lexus 4dr Sdn Awd on 2040-cars

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Fascinating if true: Toyota GR 86 could spawn Lexus variant

Neither the Toyota GR 86 or its Subaru BRZ platform twin are out yet, but there are already whispers of a third variant for the lightweight sports coupe. Japanese media are reporting that the GR 86 will spawn a Lexus variant, and that there's already a name for it, the Lexus UC. According to Japanese site Spyder7, the UC will stand for Urban Coupe, fitting in nicely with the Lexus UX nomenclature. It might measure slightly larger than the GR 86. The upcoming GR 86 has a length of 168 inches, but the report says the the Lexus UC could be almost a foot longer, with a total length of about 177 inches. That doesn't mean there will be any more interior room. The extra length will likely come from a heavily redesigned front and rear fascia, much more different than the GR 86 and BRZ are from each other. Lexus Enthusiast has a spy shot of the vehicle allegedly undergoing testing. The car in the photo wears a version of Lexus's trademark spindle grille. Meanwhile, Creative Trend reports that the UC's 2.4-liter boxer engine could be mated to a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Subaru does not currently have a PHEV system attached to that engine. The Crosstrek PHEV uses a 2.0-liter engine for its gasoline half, so if these rumors prove correct it would be a first for the 2.4-liter. The report also states that the interior might take on the new Lexus interface that debuted recently with the NX. That would differentiate the Lexus even more from the Toyobaru twins, which have almost identical cabins. While all of this still resides in the realm of rumor, Toyota did make one official announcement regarding the GR 86. It will make its driving debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the GR Supra made a similar appearance in 2018. We'll be looking for it when the event opens July 8. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2013 Lexus GS450h [w/video]

An Unlikely Star in the Lexus Stable
Think about Lexus for a second. Odds are your gray matter is busy regurgitating images of the company's middle-aged RX crossover or possibly the midsize ES sedan. As the volume movers for Toyota's luxury fleet, the two are the default ambassadors for everything with an italicized L pinned to the grille, and that's a damned shame. As the 2013 GS450h is so willing to point out, Lexus engineers are busily crafting models that offer drivers more than a safe luxury choice.
As the master of fuel-sipping battery propulsion, Lexus has brought the impressive width of Toyota hybrid engineering to bear on the GS450h. The result is a vehicle that manages to sneak its hybridness by you with buttery acceleration, stone quiet operation and brakes that don't feel like you're trying walk around the house in Velcro socks. The drivetrain doesn't feel the need to beat you over the head with its battery pack or announce to the neighborhood that you're saving the world one whispery mile at a time. Both driver and passengers get to enjoy a luxury car that just so happens to be a hybrid instead of the other way around.

2023 Lexus ES gets new touchscreen infotainment, F Sport packages

Toyota might be finished with the Avalon but Lexus isn't finished with the ES. The 2023 ES sedan acquires features to please a range of buyers, from a new infotainment system to new F Sport packages similar to those added to the IS sedan range. The benefit for every buyer will be Lexus Interface infotainment with touchscreen and voice controls. Oddly, Lexus didn't include a photo of the reworked interior, said to get a redesigned center console, a new sunglass holder, a new cup holder location, and an "available wireless charger." We believe the redesign jettisons the trackpad previously used to control the infotainment system, placed on the center tunnel next to the shift lever. If other recent Lexus offerings are the guide, we'll expect the cupholder to move to next to the shift lever instead of behind it — and hope Lexus forgot to make "cupholder" plural instead of giving front-row occupants two receptacles. The ES already offered a wireless phone charger, so we expect the news here is that it's also moved.   The touchscreen will be easier to control and also comes with a higher resolution. The system can be controlled by voice when given the "Hey Lexus" command to attention, and features dual microphones, seat detection, and speaker location capability. The standard screen continues to be eight inches across, the optional screen maxes at 12.3 inches. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included. For sedan shoppers seeking a bit more spice either cosmetically or dynamically, the ES adopts the F Sport Design Package and the F Sport Handling Package that came to the IS last month. Any ES (250 AWD, 350, and 300h) optioned up to Premium trim can add the F Sport Design bundle with its unique front bumper and grille surround, rear spoiler, and exclusive 19-inch, gloss black split-five-spoke alloys. It also adds Intuitive Park Assist to the convenience feature list.   ES 350 and ES 300h buyers who stump for the F Sport Design Package can further add the F Sport Handling Package. This gets two extra drive modes, Sport+ and Custom, to manage the F Sport adaptive suspension, plus a heated F Sport steering wheel, Hadori aluminum trim, aluminum pedals, and a black headliner.