2011 Lexus Rx 350 Base on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Lexus GX 460

The Toyota 4Runner has always held a special place in my heart for its boxy styling and off-road prowess, but until now, I never had the chance to drive its more luxurious cousin, the Lexus GX 460. Granted, the GX actually has more in common with the foreign-market Land Cruiser Prado, but all three SUVs ride on the same body-on-frame platform.
Originally an answer to the luxury SUV craze from the early 2000s, the GX hasn't changed all that much since its introduction more than a decade ago. It's a big SUV with plenty of space and crammed with just about all the luxuriousness Lexus could fit into a 12-year-old vehicle, but, more importantly, it still has the chops to go places many vehicles in its segment wouldn't dare venture. And just for good measure, Lexus tacked on its new signature spindle grille in what has to be its most pronounced appearance yet.
I've had a chance to drive most of the latest Lexus products (including the IS, ES and GS) to see just how competitive Toyota's luxury arm has gotten in recent years, but after spending a week with the 2014 GX 460, it's refreshing that, for now, Lexus has resisted the urge to follow some of its rivals in replacing rugged, body-on-frame SUVs with softer, car-based crossovers.

Toyota to enter modern turbo four-cylinder era with Lexus crossover

Toyota has sat quietly on the sidelines as many of its competitors have armed themselves in recent years with lower-displacement turbocharged four-cylinder engines in an effort to gain better fuel efficiency numbers and flatter power curves. It's a strategy largely shared by fellow countryman Honda, who turned away from offering forced-induction four-cylinder models in North America after its first-generation Acura RDX failed to find buyers. Toyota itself has no lack of experience with turbo fours, having built some humdingers for cars like the MR2 and Celica All-Trac back in the 80s and 90s. It's also offered factory-warranted turbos through its TRD performance parts division more recently.
Now, Automotive News is reporting that the world's largest automaker is finally poised to rejoin the turbo-four production-car fray in North America, but it won't be a sports car that delivers the first force-fed punch, it will be a new small crossover model for Lexus. We first showed you spy shots of the NX last week in mule form, and Automotive News says the small softroader will carry a 2.0-liter turbo four in its engine bay when it rolls on to world markets in 2014 or early 2015. That model, the NX 200t, will be joined by the NX 300h, a hybrid variant. It isn't immediately clear when US buyers will see the turbo model, however, it's possible that the hybrid could bow first - the story quotes an anonymous company source suggesting that Americans might not see the engine offering until sometime in 2015.
AN further posits that the new 2.0-liter will likely supplant the company's 2.5-liter V6 in the IS sedan and the same-displacement four-cylinder in the Toyota RAV4, but does not indicate where the new engine will be built.

2019 Lexus IS 300 F Sport gets Black Line treatment

Lexus is making the Black Line Special Edition treatment available again, this time offering it on the F Sport version of the 2019 IS 300 sports sedan. The package adds 18-inch, split-spoke wheels with the "black vapor chrome" finish that also appear on the flagship LS sedan, plus back side mirrors. Inside, you get black Nuluxe seats with red accents and contrasting red stitching, which also appears on the center console and armrests, plus red accent panels flanking the center stack. There's also a heated, black wood-trimmed steering wheel highlighted by what Lexus says is "distinctive shades of black that were created by a Japanese calligraphy shop dedicated to perfecting ink for more than 200 years." All Black Line versions are equipped with navigation and triple-beam LED headlights. The Black Line Special Edition will be available on both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, with choice of three exterior colors: ultra white, obsidian and atomic silver. Rear-wheel-drive versions use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and comes with an eight-speed automatic, while AWD versions are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that generates 260 hp and 236 lb-ft mated to a six-speed automatic. Black Line versions of the former will run you $45,825 including destination, while AWD versions will cost $47,875. Lexus earlier this month showed an NX F Sport Black Line edition at the Chicago Auto Show. For the IS 300 F Sport, Lexus will cap Black Line edition production at 900 units for 2019 and make it available in dealerships starting in March. Related Video: