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Toyota settles first wrongful death suit related to unintended acceleration

Toyota's sales seem to have rebounded from the unintended acceleration issues from 2009 and 2010, but the automaker is far from done dealing with this situation. Following a settlement worth up to $1.4 billion for economic loss to affected vehicle owners, Toyota has settled rather than going to trial in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an accident in Utah in 2010 that left two passengers dead. This isn't the first case in which Toyota has settled, but it was the first among a consolidated group of cases being held in Santa Ana, CA.
According to The Detroit News, this case was scheduled to take place next month, and it was for a November 2010 incident in which Paul Van Alfen and Charlene James Lloyd were killed in a Camry when, based on findings by the Utah Highway Patrol, the accelerator got stuck causing the car to speed out of control and hit a wall; the terms of the settlement were not announced.
The article says that while Toyota will settle on some cases, it doesn't plan on settling on all of them as it still wants to be able to "defend [its] product at trial." This will probably be the case in suits claiming that software for the drive-by-wire accelerator was the cause of an accident in a Toyota or Lexus vehicle. The question of whether or not the electronic accelerator played any role in this problem has been a hot-button topic since the beginning. Toyota has issued recalls in the past to attempt to prevent unintended acceleration caused by trapped floor mats and faulty accelerator pedals, but it also says driver error was to blame in some instances.

2020 Lexus RC F adds hardcore Track Edition and lots of carbon fiber

There's a shortage of high-performance naturally aspirated V8 engines in the United States these days. Fortunately, Lexus sees fit to keep its 5.0-liter V8 in production for the foreseeable future, updating it for 2020 and packaging it inside a revised RC F sports coupe. In its latest guise, the 5.0 spins out 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, increases of 5 ponies and 6 lb-ft over the previous version. The RC F gets slightly revised styling for 2020 that includes minor updates to the headlights, taillights, and front and rear fascias. Underneath the skin, the coupe benefits from hollow half shafts, aluminum suspension bits, a lightened intake manifold, and a smaller air conditioning compressor all in a bid to save weight. Custom Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, a numerically higher rear axle ratio and the addition of a simple launch control system – press the brake, floor the gas, drop the brake – allows the 2020 RC F to hit 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds. 2020 Lexus RC F Track Edition View 30 Photos The biggest change for the RC F is the addition of a Track Edition for 2020. It's immediately recognizable by its massive carbon fiber rear wing and lower front spoiler. That fixed rear wing is lighter than the active spoiler of the standard RC F while simultaneously adding up to 58 more pounds of downforce and reducing drag. The hood, roof, rear-seat partition, and a bumper reinforcement are also made from carbon fiber. Other lightweighting bits include a titanium muffler and tailpipes, carbon ceramic brake rotors from Brembo, and 19-inch forged wheels from BBS. It all adds up to a 176-pound weight loss compared to the current RC F. Although the engine is unchanged from other 2020 RC F models, the weight reduction drops the 0-60 time down to 3.96 seconds. We don't yet have pricing for the 2020 RC F or the upgraded Track Edition, but Lexus says production will begin in the second quarter of 2019. Check out both versions of the 2020 RC F in our high-res image galleries above. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The new 2018 Lexus LS 500h hybrid V6 makes V8 power

With hybrids en vogue in Geneva, Lexus has taken the opportunity to debut the all-new 2018 Lexus LS 500h. The V6 is paired to two electric motors for a healthy total of 354 horsepower, just not far off the a V8-powered LS 460. It is down quite a bit from the outgoing 438-horsepower LS 600h but still enough to send the LS 500h to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds. The hybrid system is similar to the one in the new LC 500h coupe, which combines the traditional Toyota hybrid two-motor CVT with a 4-speed automatic for better responsiveness, less of the "rubber band" CVT sensation, and (of course) greater efficiency. It should also help keep the LS 500h relatively quiet at full bore, keeping it in line with the "whisper quiet" mantra of the new LS. The new lithium-ion battery pack is 20 percent smaller than the outgoing nickel-metal battery, though Lexus claims power density has been improved. Styling changes to the hybrid are minor. It still features the love-it-or-hate-it spindle grille that's permeated throughout the Lexus lineup, but other than a handful of hybrid badges and the typical blue ring around the badge, it's hard to spot the difference between the models. The interior appears to have a few minor trim changes, including some new reptile scale-like door panels. While fuel economy hasn't been announced, expect improvements over the outgoing model's 19 city/23 highway rating. Look for more news on fuel economy and pricing in the next few months. Related Video: