2008 Lexus Is F Premium Sedan 4-door 5.0l, Only 15k Miles, Ca Carfax One Owner on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1997 Lexus LS 400

When Toyota introduced the Celsior to the world in 1989, followed shortly by Lexus LS 400-badged versions appearing in showrooms (as 1990 models) around the world, automotive-industry executives from Stuttgart to Yokohama broke out in the shaky sweats. Here was a designed-from-scratch (at the cost of over a billion bucks) luxury sedan with a six-bolt-main DOHC V8 engine, all manner of futuristic gadgetry, a super-quiet interior, intimidating build quality … and a sticker price 44% lower than that of the Mercedes-Benz 420SEL, 30% cheaper than the BMW 735i, 26% cheaper than the Audi V8, 12% cheaper than the Jaguar XJ6, and 8% cheaper than the Infiniti Q45. Sales were brisk, and the early LS 400s are finally starting to wear out in sufficient quantities that I see quite a few in the self-service wrecking yards I frequent. The second-generation LS was built for the 1995 through 2000 model years, and these machines have held together so well and depreciated so slowly that it's tough to find discarded examples (we saw the same process with the sturdy Toyota Cressida a decade or two earlier). Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those second-generation cars, now located in a Denver car graveyard. I admired the LS 400 so much that, about 10 years ago, I bought a '97 Coach Edition in Jade Green Metallic paint and (2018 LS 500 shown for scale). Because I am a hopeless car nerd, I had a Celsior grille and set of badges shipped over from Japan and installed them on my Lexus. When the 1997 Toyota Century — the first year with the ultra-smooth V12 engine — becomes import-legal in the United States next year, I plan to obtain one. My LS 400 has been extremely reliable and still hasn't reached the 150,000-mile mark, but I like to know that I can find junkyard parts for it if necessary. I went to visit this car because I was hoping to find a good set of factory wheels for my winter tires; the Blizzaks roll on some much-rashed ugly LS wheels at the moment. I passed on these Vision alloys, in part because there were only three on the car. The interior appears to have been thoroughly worn-out even before junkyard shoppers tore it apart. I don't know how many miles were on this car (because I'd have had to connect a battery to get the digital odometer to show me anything) but I'm guessing the final total would be impressive. The 1UZ-FE V8 displaces 4.0 liters and was rated at 260 horsepower.

Toyota recalling 1.67 million vehicles worldwide in 3 campaigns

Toyota is issuing three separate recalls covering 1.67 million vehicles worldwide with most of those models in Japan. It looks like the campaigns' impact on the US may be smaller, though. According to Reuters, Toyota isn't aware of any accidents, injuries or fatalities affecting the models. Some yet-unnamed Lexus models might also be affected.
The largest of the campaigns does not currently affect any US-market vehicles. About 802,000 units of the Toyota Crown Majesta, Crown, Noah and Voxy in Japan are being repaired to replace a seal that could leak in the brake master cylinder. Those already leaking get a new brake booster, as well, according to Reuters.
The only recall currently believed to affect the US is due to a problem covering approximately 759,000 vehicles with 423,000 of them here. The repair is to fix a faulty fuel delivery pipe that could cause a fire if the fuel leaks out. Unfortunately, we don't know which models it covers. Autoblog spoke to Toyota spokesperson Mona Richard and was told the information was still "under embargo." When exactly that embargo will lift isn't yet known, but we're on the case.

Lexus GX 460 SUV gains technology on the road, and off of it

Lexus has updated its GX 460 SUV for 2020. The GX 460 is one of the longer-running SUV models on the market, as it was originally unveiled around a decade ago and it's still based on the sturdy Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which is a touch more compact than the U.S. market Land Cruiser. The refresh gives the model some new touches to keep it in line with other current Lexus products, including a more contemporary spindle grille and new headlights, but it's restyled along the same moderate lines as the previous updates the GX 460 has received during its tenure. There are color and trim adjustments, including the addition of very red leather, but the powertrain remains the same: the 301-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 with 329 lb-ft or torque. But still, the ladder-frame GX 460 has off-road agility thanks to its Prado DNA, and those capabilities are now enhanced with a new Off-Road Package made available on the Luxury trim level. Cameras feed to multi-view and panoramic monitors to give the driver a better idea of the vehicle's surroundings off the beaten path, and Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select make it easier to handle the surfaces underneath the GX 460. Crawl Control keeps the vehicle progressing steadily in low range, also utilizing what Lexus calls "virtual" locking diffs. The GX 460's drivetrain comes with a Torsen limited slip differential, too. Multi-Terrain Select regulates wheelspin and can be automatically set to perform best in mud, sand, loose rocks or other driving surfaces. There's also downhill assist and hill-start assist as well as active traction control and vehicle stability control. As for on-road safety, Lexus has made its Safety System+ suite standard, and it comprises a Pre-Collision System together with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beam control and high-speed dynamic radar cruise control. Our test of the 2018 model lamented the lack of the latter in standard specification, but that matter has now been addressed. For on-road comfort, there's also the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, or KDSS, and an available adaptive variable suspension that has electronic control instead of just a fluid-based setup as in the KDSS. Any pricing adjustments have not yet been announced.