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How Lexus, Infiniti plan to win back luxury buyers from Germans, Tesla

DETROIT — Japanese luxury auto brands Lexus and Infiniti have used the Detroit Auto Show to test new ways to regain momentum against Germany's prestige automakers and Tesla. The Japanese are fighting to gain ground in the U.S. luxury market as Audi and Mercedes-Benz have expanded sales and Tesla has provided a fresh alternative to established brands. Last year, Lexus suffered a 7.6 percent slide in U.S. sales. Acura's 2017 sales fell 3.9 percent from 2016. Infiniti pushed up sales by 11.3 percent — but by selling almost twice as many sport utility vehicles as cars. However, Infiniti's total 2017 sales of 153,415 vehicles put it behind the leading Germany luxury car brands, as well as Acura, Lexus and Cadillac. The Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept SUV model, with its futuristic looks and "Chauffeur mode" semi-autonomous hands-off driving capabilities, signals that Toyota's luxury brand may start to focus more on SUVs than traditional large sedans. The LF-1 also previews a futuristic navigation technology that anticipates where the driver is going based on driving habits and history, and provides hotel recommendations or other concierge services. View 13 Photos "We don't want to be the 'race car' brand; we don't want to be the 'quiet ride' brand. We want to be the brand which is emotionally connected with the customer," said Cooper Ericksen, vice president of U.S. marketing for Lexus. Lexus, Infiniti and Acura launched in the U.S. market in the late 1980s and took advantage of quality problems at Audi and a lack of innovation at the then-leading luxury brands, Cadillac and Lincoln. Now, the structure of the U.S. luxury market has changed. Four brands — Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Lexus — dominate. Tesla delivered 103,000 vehicles in 2017, its best year ever, though that total is still a small fraction of the overall luxury market. Tesla, meanwhile, is trying to overcome "production hell" and increase output of its more affordable compact Model 3 sedan. The highly anticipated car is just starting to reach customers — but with 400,000 preorders, 2018 could be a breakthrough year for Tesla. View 19 Photos In Detroit, Infiniti showed the Q Inspiration Concept sedan powered by a unique, high-efficiency variable-compression gasoline engine. While the prototype is not electric, its exterior might appeal to customers of the Tesla Model S.

2023 Lexus RZ 450e electric crossover unveiled with 225-mile range

Lexus, one of the pioneers of hybrid technology in the luxury segment, is ready to march into EV territory. It unveiled a battery-powered model called RZ 450e that was developed as an electric car from the ground-up and that blazes the path that several cars will follow. While the RZ isn't the first electric Lexus, that honor goes to the UX300e sold in Europe and in China, it's the first electric Lexus that was developed as a standalone model for global markets. There will not be a gasoline-burning or even a hybrid-powered RZ. The firm started with an EV-specific version of the e-TNGA platform developed by parent company Toyota and also found under the bZ4X, which explains why the crossover's proportions might look familiar. One of the most striking styling cues is that the Spindle Grille is gone: it has been replaced by a body-colored insert that Lexus named a Spindle Body. We're told that future EVs from Lexus will follow this design direction. The RZ stretches 189 inches long, 74.6 inches wide, and 64.4 inches tall, dimensions that make it about three inches shorter and 10 inches longer than the RX and exactly as wide. Its weight hasn't been released yet. It's also slightly longer, wider, and lower than the bZ4X. Inside, the RZ is characterized by a minimalist design that's elegant and inspired by elements of Japanese culture. Most of the few switches left in the cabin are grouped into two clusters on the steering wheel; they let the driver control features like the infotainment system and the optional head-up display. The center stack is dominated by a 14-inch touchscreen that the RZ borrows from the NX and the LX. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drivers will be able to count on the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suit of electronic driving aids, which includes a lane departure warning system and adaptive cruise control, among other features. Remote-controlled parking will be optional, and radiant heaters located below the steering column and on the bottom of the passenger's side of the dashboard will help warm the cabin without drawing too much electricity. Power comes from a pair of electric motors linked to a 71.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The motor installed on the front axle develops 201 horsepower while the one assigned to the rear axle generates 107 horsepower. This configuration gives the RZ through-the-road all-wheel-drive.

Lexus finally announces all-new twin-turbo V8, will race the Nurburgring 24H

In March 2013, Motor Trend wrote about rumors of Lexus bolting two turbos onto the high-revving, atmospheric 5.0-liter V8 in the RC F, the new engine for eventual use in an LC F super coupe. We heard the rumor again from multiple directions in 2017, and again in 2018. At last, the rumor gets official confirmation as an aside in a Lexus press release about taking the Gazoo Racing LC race car to the Nurburgring 24-hour for a third time next year. After two years of "unavoidable hours in the pit to resolve issues" with the LC in 2018 and 2019, the luxury carmaker said that next year it "[aims] to complete the race without any trouble by adopting a variety of new technologies, including a newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars." That's all we know for certain about what's coming. Predictions supposed Lexus has paired two of its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines with a 90-degree angle to create the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Estimates over the years guessed output as anywhere from 600 metric horsepower, 592 of our U.S. customary horses, to 620 hp, to 660 hp. The guesstimate torque figure comes in at "up to 506 pound-feet," arrived at by a Japanese magazine that figured Lexus was trying to outdo the Nissan GT-R. What's safe to say is that the engine – created with an emphasis on performance – will outdo the 471 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque from the Yamaha-developed, naturally-aspirated V8 currently powering the LC 500 flagship. The new engine might not outdo the 7,300-rpm redline. Since the press release mentioned "sports cars," plural, there's every right to expect the hi-po power plant to migrate to other offerings. In the press, the engine's been mooted for everything from the RC F and new GS F to an LS F and a super-potent SUV inspired by the LF-1 Limitless concept that would take on the Lamborghini Urus. Further changes to the LC F accompanying the new motor could include a great deal more carbon fiber, about 200 pounds trimmed from the curb weight, a stiffer structure, a "low-weight and high-rigidity suspension," and more refined software systems for tech like driver aids, traction control, and anti-lock braking.  Lexus will take the start line at next yearÂ’s Nurburgring 24-Hour weekend from May 21-24 in the SP-Pro class. Related Video: