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NHTSA may investigate new Toyota unintended acceleration case

After paying a $1.2-billion settlement to the US government last year, Toyota largely put the unintended acceleration recall behind it. Although, there were still some civil lawsuits to handle. A new case where the owner of a 2009 Lexus ES350 is petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open another analysis could draw the issue back to the forefront. Investigators are still deciding whether to research these claims further, though. According to this petition, the owner's wife was driving the ES350 in February 2015. While pulling into a parking space, the sedan allegedly surged forward, and there was a low-speed accident. The claim asserts there are at least two other similar cases in NHTSA's database: one in a 2009 Camry in 2009 and another in a 2010 Corolla in 2014. Specifically, this person wants an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed," according to the agency. NHTSA will do further research into this person's claim and will decide whether to conduct a full investigation into the alleged issue. This won't be the first reappraisal of unintended acceleration in Toyotas by the agency in recent months, though. Between September 2014 and May 2015, NHTSA evaluated a similar petition with allegations covering 2006-2010 Corollas, and the government body decided to deny that one because the problem couldn't be replicated. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Low-speed surging Date Investigation Opened: JUL 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: DP15005 Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) LEXUS ES350 2009 Details Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation SUMMARY: In a letter dated June 19, 2015, a consumer petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for an "investigation into low-speed surging in different models of Toyota automobiles in which the car starts accelerating and the engine RPM increases even when the accelerator pedal is not depressed." The petition was prompted by a February 2015 crash involving a model year (MY) 2009 Lexus ES350, which allegedly surged as the petitioner's wife was pulling into a parking spot.

Lexus LFA II could get TTV8 from LC500 endurance racer

We are thought to be three years away from the successor of the Lexus LFA arriving in showrooms. We are thought to be less than a month from the debut of a pre-production version of Lexus' coming supercar, which could take place at next month's Monterey Car Week. Persistent reports say Lexus is preparing two versions, one with a hybridized twin-turbo V8, one with a battery-electric powertrain; the former is thought to be the one on show in California in August, the latter not ready for primetime until around 2030. One of the many questions has been, "Where is that V8 coming from?" CarBuzz had its feelers out in Japan, picking up a report from Japan's Mag-X (translated) that Lexus will use the 5.0-liter TTV8 in the LC500 endurance racer for the super coupe being referred to as LFA II. This particular engine has been a specter, rumored for ages to make production but never seen. Way back in 2014, rumors that were already a year old posited a trio of engine options for the coupe still known as the LF-LC concept. Paramount among the powerplants was a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 with around 600 horsepower. The scuttlebutt continued even after the LC launched in 2016, we saw no truth of it on the street. Even when Lexus launched an endurance racing program with the LC500 in 2018, no one knew what was under the hood. It wasn't until a year later that the brand officially announced the TTV8 engine with a release that included one aim being "to complete the [Nurburgring 24-hour] race without any trouble by adopting a variety of new technologies, including a newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars." At the time, almost everyone expected the "sports cars" reference to indicate the coming of an LC F.  That could still be the case. But Mag-X says the racing engine will be used in the LFA II.

2022 Lexus NX 450h+ Road Test: A notch better than good enough

At first glance, you may think the spec sheet and its position in Lexus’ lineup tells the prospective buyer almost everything they need to know about the marqueÂ’s mid-level crossover. And a short stint behind the wheel of a heart-of-the-lineup model confirms it: the NX is exactly what it needs to be to fill a profitable hole in the Lexus lineup. But there's a bit more nuance to the NX nameplate that bears closer inspection. There's one version weÂ’d suggest is best to simply avoid, and that's the base-level NX 250 with its meager 203-horsepower engine, which serves adequately for the Toyota RAV4 that shares much of its mechanicals with the NX but isnÂ’t befitting of a luxury badge. Which brings us to the one real standout model that weÂ’d recommend above all others. The NX 450h+ (a truly clunky naming convention that will come up again) adds a plug and an extra dose of power to the NX that pushes this one particular version across the good-enough line and into actual desirable territory. ItÂ’s an awfully nice little crossover. And we literally mean little, but more on that later. The 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ is comfortable, boasts all the modern technology youÂ’d expect from ToyotaÂ’s premium brand, and is pleasantly powerful while also managing to be efficient. With its plug-in powertrain, a full battery results in an EPA-estimated 37 miles of electric range, and we found that figure just about spot on in our own testing. To our eyes, it looks better than the last NX, though in a nondescript blobby sort of way in every direction other than straight ahead, in which case itÂ’s pinched and spindly just like every other Lexus youÂ’ve seen in the last decade. With 304 total horsepower, the plug-in NX 450h+ is quite a bit more powerful than the 240-horsepower NX 350h hybrid (as opposed to the gasoline-fueled and turbocharged NX 350 minus the lowercase h). ThatÂ’s power you can truly feel from behind the wheel. The torquier plug-in powertrain of the 450h+ scoots the ‘ute from 0-60 in in 6.0 seconds flat, according to Lexus. The 350h does the deed in a comparatively leisurely 7.2 ticks (in case youÂ’re wondering, Lexus says the non-h 350 scores a 6.6). Mid-range power from the 450h+ is quite satisfying as well, again buoyed by the strength of its powerful electric motors front and rear. Even with its strong powertrain, the NX 450h+ is no performance vehicle.