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Lexus and Fender build a gleaming blue Stratocaster guitar

Car-themed guitars are nothing new, but they can sometimes be a little corny. They can look odd, having been shaped to be reminiscent of the car they're related to, or just have too much branding. But this Lexus LC Fender Stratocaster uses its automotive inspiration to its advantage and is a stylish instrument, regardless of whether you care about cars. Right off the bat, the guitar is refreshingly free of Lexus branding, save for the plaque on the back that also bears the instrument's serial number. But most every part of the guitar is based on the Lexus LC. Most prominent is the blue paint, which is the same Structural Blue that was offered on the LC. It gets its name from the fact that there are no blue pigments in the paint, but the materials used reflect blue light, giving it its hue. It's used on the body as well as the head of the guitar. The body also features a carbon fiber pick guard with a weave that matches the carbon fiber used on an LC spoiler. Even the knobs were machined to look like those used on the LC's sound system. It all comes in a case wrapped in carbon-fiber-patterned vinyl with leather ends. There are other elements that aren't specifically automotive. The neck is a light-stained flame maple with a dark blue fret board Fender used to complement the colors of the guitar. The fret board also features cool white inlays that glow blue in the dark. Only 100 of these LC Stratocasters will be made. Each is priced at $6,000. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Production Lexus NX leaked in Jim Lentz presentation?

Before kicking off the Detroit Auto Show, the Society of Automotive Analysts had Toyota CEO Jim Lentz come on stage to say some words about the future of the auto industry, as well as what's coming for Toyota. While this type of information would normally stay off our radar, a video of his speech likely gives us our first look - albeit low-res - at the production version of the Lexus NX compact crossover.
In the video recorded by AmericaJR, Lentz refers to the turbocharged LF-NX Concept that was on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, but comparing this image to our gallery from Tokyo, there are clear differences between the two vehicles. These include the toned-down shape of the spindle grille, lower fascia crease and door mirrors as well as a headlight design that more closely resembles that of the 2014 IS sedan and the newly introduced RC coupe. From what we can see of the rest of this image, the NX should retain some of the LF-NX's angular side body creases. The vehicle you see above basically looks ready for production.
If this is in fact the NX, then reports of a Geneva debut for the luxury crossover seem even more accurate. The entire video is posted below, but the NX comes on screen around the 10:40 mark.