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Lexus LC 500 coming to Detroit Auto Show

Believe it or not, it's been nearly four years since we first saw the Lexus LF-LC Concept. Its swoopy style and spindle grille kicked off a big design revolution for Lexus, and we saw a number of LF-LC design elements work their way onto production cars. But now, rumor has it a full-on production version will see the light of day, and soon. Motoring.com.au says the LC 500 coupe will show its face at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January, and we have little reason to doubt this. In fact, it's kind of been a long time coming. The LC was reportedly approved for production in 2013, and though we were told it might resurrect the SC name, Lexus filed copyright applications for "LC 500" and "LC 500h." Oh, and a prototype of this car was recently spotted testing. The LC 500 will arrive with – no surprise here – Lexus' naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8, plucked from the RC F and GS F. That said, Motoring says it could arrive with a new, 10-speed automatic transmission from Aisin. As for the LC 500h, Motoring thinks it'll be powered by a, 3.5-liter V6-based hybrid drive system that could produce something like 470 horsepower – not the current V6/hybrid unit from the GS 450h. A hotter LC F should follow in a couple of years, and earlier reports suggest it could make something like 600 horsepower. Of course, Lexus refuses to comment on future product speculation, so we don't have any official proof that this is actually happening. But it all makes a lot of sense. Watch this space in two months' time for more details.

2019 Lexus UX now the most affordable Lexus

The 2019 Lexus UX subcompact crossover now has official pricing, and it makes it the most affordable Lexus model available. The standard, non-hybrid Lexus UX 200 starts at $33,025, and the hybrid Lexus UX 250h starts at $35,025. This means the base UX is roughly $4,000 cheaper than the next most affordable Lexus, the compact NX 300 crossover. Not only that, but the UX 200 undercuts some of the little crossover's main rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 and BMW X1. The former starts at $34,945, and the latter starts at $34,895. With the basic Lexus UX 200, you get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that's also found in the new Toyota Corolla hatchback. It makes 169 horsepower, 151 pound-feet of torque, and it goes solely to the front wheels via the same kind of CVT as the Corolla, complete with 10 selectable ratios and a special short-ratio gear for takeoff. If you want all-wheel-drive, you'll have to opt for the UX 250h hybrid. That model features 175 horsepower and a rear electric motor to provide power to the back wheels. Notably, both of these UX models are significantly down in power and torque compared with the aforementioned German rivals. The Mercedes GLA 250 makes 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and the BMW X1 makes 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Regardless of whether you pick the basic UX 200 or the UX 250h, you'll get at least a six-speaker sound system with a 7-inch infotainment screen. It also comes with Apple CarPlay, though Android Auto is not available. The UX models can be optioned with larger infotainment displays all the way up to a 10.25-inch example. All models also come standard with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and forward collision prevention with pedestrian detection. The UX 200 will be the first on sale starting this December, and the UX 250h hybrid will become available the following month. Related Video:

Autoblog Minute: UAW and FCA avoid strike, Clarkson teases new show

FCA avoids a worker strike, a former Top Gear host teases us with a picture from Amazon's new car show, and Toyota predicts autonomous cars by 2020. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] FCA avoids a worker strike, a former Top Gear host teases us with a picture from Amazon's new car show, and Toyota predicts autonomous cars by 2020. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. A UAW strike of FCA was avoided thanks to a zero-hour tentative agreement reached this week. Worker concerns that were renegotiated in the new [00:00:30] deal include adjustments to the two-tier wage scale, health care costs, and production outsourcing. Now check-in with Autoblog as we update our reports on this evolving story. Shooting began on Amazon Prime's new automotive show starring the former Top Gear crew. That's Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Now Clarkson threw out a tweet from day one of filming on location at Algarve Motor Park in Portugal. The picture features the show's [00:01:00] three stars and crew posing with the holy trinity of hyper cars. That's a McLaren P1, a Ferrari LaFerrari, and a Porsche 918 Spyder. This Prime show is being called Gear Knobs though the name is unofficial. Now if a tweet is any indication of what we can expect, who cares what it's called this is gonna be awesome. (Eds Note: Clarkson tweeted Friday that the show will not be called Gear Knobs.) Toyota predicts drivers could be obsolete on highways as early as 2020, with technology dubbed the Toyota Highway Teammate or THT. Toyota is using a modified [00:01:30] Lexus GS to show what this is capable of. THT is already able to create a driverless freeway car that's capable of changing lanes, making passes and taking curves. Plus, it can keep safe distances from other vehicles. Toyota is currently testing this on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday. And I'll have some added insight on the BMW M4 GTS. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. [00:02:00] Show Logo Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.