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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

Check out this awesome Lexus manga art with exploding cities and dragons galore

Lexus just did something a bit different, and it has to do with manga art. The headliner piece is the Lexus LC 500 with the masked warrior crouching on top of it, seen above. We think it's objectively awesome, as the car autonomously races away from an exploding city. The LC 500 was drawn by Bulgarian artist Daniel Atanasov. He says it's "heavily influenced by Japanese culture. The main character is wearing an oni mask, which in Japan are worn at festivals to protect from evil spirits. He is holding a nodachi sword (a type of Samurai sword), and the pose of the character has been influenced by martial arts." Atanasov says the LC 500 is self-driving, controlled by the character on top of the car. Next up is a drawing of a Lexus ES driving amongst dragons. We're not so sure how long the car will last in that landscape ... perhaps an LX 570 would be the more prudent choice for bombing through a rocky desert. This one blends manga with classical paintings from the west, making it more of a hybrid. It was drawn by Tim Kong — he says he chose to draw dragons in order to "highlight the brave design of Lexus cars." Lexus' last commission is of the UX. This one is much simpler, with fewer things going on in the background. There is simply a girl and her Lexus UX in the dunes as the sun sets. It's rather calming and warm in nature compared to the first two drawings. The artist, Yishan Li, says she drew the UX like this because this is where she envisions taking it if she owned one.

May Mobility announces A2GO autonomous shuttle in Ann Arbor, Mich.

PONTIAC, Mich. — Today, at the Motor Bella auto show, May Mobility announced it would launch its A2GO autonomous shuttle service in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the company is headquartered. The free service launches on October 11, and users can hail a ride through an app. The program will employ four Lexus RX 450h vehicles, servicing Ann ArborÂ’s downtown, Kerrytown district, the University of MichiganÂ’s Central Campus, and the State Street Corridor, covering a service area of 2.64 square miles. Each car will have a supervisor in the driverÂ’s seat to intervene if needed. The on-demand service keeps accessibility in mind with a wheelchair-accessible vehicle in the fleet. May Mobility and its partners will collect anonymous data to “help the city identify the weak and less safe zones in order to better plan infrastructures,” according to Bastien Beauchamp, CEO of !important Safety Technologies, a partner of the A2GO pilot. “Our vision is to transform cities through autonomous mobile to change the way people get around,” said May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson. “ItÂ’s especially exciting to be launching in our hometown. Ann Arbor is the eighth city to host a May Mobility shuttle service. So far, May Mobility has provided more than 285,000 autonomous rides globally. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Detroit Auto Show Misc. Auto Shows Lexus Transportation Alternatives Emerging Technologies Crossover SUV Autonomous Vehicles Hybrid