2018 Lexus Is 300 on 2040-cars

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Lexus spotted testing LF-LC coupe for production

Lexus has been preparing a production version of the LF-LC concept for some time now. The coupe would fill at least part of the void left by the culmination of the LFA's production run, albeit at a much lower market position. And judging by these latest spy shots, it looks like it's finally getting down to it. Spotted undergoing testing in Germany around the neighborhood of the Nurburgring, this camouflaged prototype provides us with our first glimpse at what the production LC will look like. It's still hard to tell with all those swirls encircling its bodywork, but the production version looks poised to adopt a form derived from the concept first seen at the Detroit Auto Show way back in 2012. Just don't expect the details to be quite as extreme as those on the show car. It may also be too early to determine what's under the hood, but the signs point towards implementation of the 5.0-liter V8 from the RC-F. A twin-turbo version of the same engine in the form of an LC-F could follow with even more power, while a hybrid V6 is also said to be in the cards. If you're having trouble imaging what it would go up against in the marketplace, though, our spy photographers on the ground inform us that Lexus has been benchmarking this prototype against a BMW 6 Series, Porsche 911, and Maserati GranTurismo. That'd put it in good company, and we're looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Related Video:

Lexus made an LX ride-on for a child with cerebral palsy

Ride-on vehicles, or Power Wheels as many know them, are a perfect way for young children to experience driving and cars for the first time. Unfortunately, certain congenital disorders can prevent some children from having that from experience. Lexus, in collaboration with Givewith and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF), wanted to help reduce the barrier of access to fun mobility, and has created an LX ride-on specifically customized for a girl with cerebral palsy.  Six-year-old Finley Smallwood has the most common motor disorder that affects children, cerebral palsy. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cerebral palsy is "a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture." Because of this, she is unable to use ride-on vehicles the way they are currently built. Lexus was inspired by Finley to design and develop solutions that could get here into a car. The ride-on, which has the looks of a topless LX SUV, has several custom features. Finley has a tough time sitting for a long time, so Lexus added waist-high side padding and modified the seat. The LX ride-on also has an adjustable headrest, and a five-point harness to keep the driver safe, stable, and secure. Ingress and egress on current ride-ons can also be difficult, so Lexus lowered the vehicle and increased the size of the doors.  The largest change is the method of control. Because some children with cerebral palsy might not be able to use a foot pedal or have the strength to use a steering wheel, this ride-on doesn't have either. Instead, Lexus configured an armrest joystick to control the vehicle's direction and acceleration.   Lexus delivered the LX to Finley in March, which is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. For a video profile of Finley and a behind-the-scenes look at the vehicle's development, visit Givewith.com. Related Video:     Featured Gallery Lexus CPF Power Wheels Auto News Toys/Games Lexus

Lexus RC F glows with your heartbeat

It's not uncommon to see all manner of sensors being installed inside new cars these days, monitoring everything from ambient noise to our levels of alertness. The question is what the automakers will do with the information gathered by those sensors, and we've seen some fairly novel innovations. This latest solution from Lexus may not be the most useful, but it's definitely one of the most interesting we've seen to date. The Japanese luxury automaker's Australian division cooked up this special RC F show car with a heart-rate monitor and a special electroluminescent paint job. The sensors detect how fast the driver's heart is beating, and displays it accordingly down the side of the car's flanks. In daylight it looks like it's painted plain old ordinary silver, and otherwise it's the same luxury muscle coupe we know, with a 5.0-liter V8 churning out 467 horsepower in resolute defiance of the downsizing/turbocharging trend that's sweeping the industry. The project was cooked up by creative agency M&C Saatchi and uses glow-in-the-dark paint from American specialist Lumilor. The vehicle is set to be unveiled over the weekend, but you can scope it out now in the images below and the preview video above. Is it pointless? Almost entirely. Does that make it any less cool? Of course not. 22 July 2015 LEXUS GETS PULSES RACING WITH WORLD'S FIRST HEARTBEAT CAR Lexus Australia has developed the world's first vehicle to display a heartbeat on its exterior in a demonstration of advanced technology and the connection between man and machine. The Japanese luxury marque collaborated with creative agency M&C Saatchi to produce a one-off RC F V8 coupe that integrates a series of technologies to display a person's heartbeat in the vehicle's bodywork. The first stage of the system works by transmitting the heartbeat of a connected person from a heart rate monitor to a bespoke electrical system in the RC F. The on-board system captures and processes the data before sending an electric charge through the RC F's body panels that are painted in electroluminescent paint developed by US-based specialist Lumilor. This innovative paint finish glows when the electrical charge runs through it and displays the person's heartbeat via a real-time animation sequence. Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley said the heartbeat car comes in the wake of other innovative brand activities in 2015 and an ongoing commitment to the development of high performance Lexus F vehicles.