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2019 Lexus LX Inspiration Series is relatively uninspiring

We're a whole month away from the Los Angeles Auto Show, but Lexus is already showing us a special edition LX it plans to debut at the show. Called the LX Inspiration Series, it's an appearance package for the already opulent Lexus SUV. It starts with black paint and black wheels, then adds black trim to the headlights, fog lights and windows. Its grille gets a new dark chrome surround — as though it needed to be any flashier. The headlamp lenses are smoked black as well. Around back there's more black chrome accents around the taillights, license plate surround and back door. Then for what we can only assume is for balance, Lexus gave it a white leather interior. The white leather is complemented by plenty of black leather to create a two-tone appearance. It looks expensive and classy and all of the things that a $100,000 Lexus should be – this special edition climbs over the century mark at $101,715 including destination charges. You do get a fully-optioned version of the LX with the four-zone climate control, heated/cooled rear seats and projector door lamps, but this version is still significantly more expensive than the base Lexus LX which comes in under $90,000. The Toyota Land Cruiser-based LX is ancient at this point, and frankly this doesn't do much to move the needle. No other updates appear to be in the works for now, so you better really like this traditional SUV to go grab one up. Only 500 of these "Inspiration Series" special edition models are planned if the blacked-out exterior strikes your fancy. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Lexus LX Inspiration Series View 12 Photos Lexus SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles toyota land cruiser 2018 LA Auto Show

Judge halts Toyota unintended acceleration cases, triggers time for settlement negotiations

So far, the lawsuits brought forth against Toyota for unintended acceleration have gone both ways: the automaker was found not at fault in a 2009 California crash and liable for a 2007 crash in Oklahoma. Both cases involved a Camry and resulted in fatalities. With a big chunk of these UA cases (around 200) set to his the docket of US District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, Bloomberg is reporting that the judge has halted the lawsuits until March after Toyota and its lawyers have had extra time to try and settle the cases.
According to the article, Toyota is looking to take care of the cases out of court with an "intensive settlement process." Having already paid out $1.6 billion in "economic loss" suits, this latest settlement process is aimed at the wrongful death and personal injury cases allegedly associated with unintended acceleration. A hearing for the settlements will be held on January 14 with conferences on the matter commencing in February. There is no word as to when lawsuits may start back up if settlements can't be agreed upon.

Japanese dealer petitioning Lexus for luxury van [w/poll]

Used to be that if you wanted a luxury automobile - especially one to be chauffeured around in - your choices were basically limited to a sedan. It could be bigger or smaller, more or less expensive, depending on your needs and budget, but it was always going to have four doors and a trunk. But these days the rich and famous are looking elsewhere for their commodious forms of pampering transportation. There are, of course, the crossovers and SUVs, which only seem to be getting bigger and more expensive thanks to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Range Rover L and upcoming Bentley sport-ute. But luxury vans are becoming the new big thing.
That's the point that one dealer in Japan is trying to make to Toyota. The dealership owner himself reasons that if he's going out on the town, he's likely to take his chauffeured Lexus LS. But if he's taking a few friends along, even the biggest sedan isn't going to cut it. So he takes a Toyota Alphard (pictured above, also known as the Vellfire), a JDM van that's even bigger than a Voxy/Noah or Sienna but hardly a high-end affair. That's why he's asking Lexus to make a luxury van.
The idea may seem a little far-fetched, but isn't without precedent. It didn't take much for Lexus to transform the Land Cruiser into the LX and thus create its first luxury SUV. And as Mercedes has shown with pimped-out versions of the Sprinter and now with the debut of the new V-Class in Geneva, there's clearly a market for it... in some countries, anyway. The only question in our minds is how long it's going to take other luxury automakers to catch on, because let's face it: the Chrysler Town & Country ain't gonna cut it for those used to be driven around in a Maybach.