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Lexus LX to get diesel engine?

Australian consumers appear poised to get another diesel-burning luxury SUV in the near future, and word is it's coming from Lexus, of all automakers. Sean Hanley, chief executive of the company's branch in Oz, recently told Aussie website Drive that he's "pretty confident" that the new engine for the LX is getting the green light.
Like in the US, the LX in Australia is currently only offered with a 5.7-liter, gasoline-burning V8. However, sales of the big SUV are presently minuscule Down Under, with Drive reporting just 153 LX570s sold in all of Oz last year. Hanley is negotiating with Japan to get the new diesel in hopes of boosting flagging sales. If his efforts are successful, it would be the first diesel engine offered in a Lexus there. Hanley didn't specify exactly which mill the SUV would get. However, given the LX's close relationship with Toyota Land Cruiser, the diesel 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 already available in the Toyota in markets outside of North America seems like a natural choice.
Don't expect the variant to be hopping across the Pacific, though. Lexus spokesperson Allison Takahashi tells Autoblog she has heard "nothing" about an oil-burning LX coming to the US. That's not a huge surprise, though, because neither Toyota nor Lexus offer any diesels in their lineups today. Also, Lexus has only sold 1,981 LX570s through June, which only placed it ahead of the LFA supercar in the brand's sales. It's probably just not worth certifying the engine for such a low-volume model.

Jaguar E-Type with Supra's 2JZ debuts at SEMA looking fly and fast

We hope you’re not bored of seeing Toyota 2JZ engine-swapped cars, because this one sure does capture our attention. The 1969 Jaguar XKE 2+2 youÂ’re looking at here is unlike any E-Type youÂ’ve seen before, and while it still has a straight-six under the hood, pretty much everything else about the coupe has fundamentally changed. In a nod to just how beautiful the E-Type is to begin with, its design is only different in this Eneos build because it needs to be. Fender flares were designed and 3D-printed by Illumasthetic, and they were then strengthened with carbon fiber. Why did it need the flares? Well, thatÂ’s because the 2JZ-GTE 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six from the Supra produces far more power than the E-Type ever did, requiring a lot more rubber to keep things straight. Of course, the Supra engine isnÂ’t stock, as itÂ’s been modified with Deatschwerks injectors, a Nuke Performance fuel system, CP-Carillo pistons and rods, a Borg Warner EFR 8474 turbo, Vibrant Performance intercooler Â… the list goes on forever. Output is estimated at about 750 horsepower. The Frankenstein theme continues with the E60 generation 535i rear subframe suspension and differential out back. Meanwhile, it uses the five-speed manual transmission from an E36 generation M3. The front suspension is custom, and while BMW brakes are used in the rear, Eneos chose brakes off a 2003 Chevy Corvette up front. The 17-inch Rotiform STL wheels are wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza RE-71 RS tires. Inside, this Jag-yota gets a full roll-cage, Tillett seats, an OMP steering wheel and a whole lot more. Eneos credits Faruk Kugay as the carÂ’s builder – Kugay previously built some rather creative cars, like a 997 Porsche 911 GT3 with a Subaru Impreza STI EJ25 engine and an E30 BMW 3 Series with a Honda S2000Â’s 2.0L engine. This Jaguar takes the wild engine swaps and engineering to totally new heights, though, and we canÂ’t help but simply love the way itÂ’s been executed. Related Video

Ford barely edges surging Chrysler for Canadian sales crown in best year ever

The auto industry in the US showed strong results through much of 2014 with sales regularly growing year-over-year for many brands. That same trend carried over in the Great White North, as well. Canada posted its best numbers ever with 1.85 million units sold, up about 100,000 vehicles over 2013. The country nearly had a new market leader, too. The big winner among our neighbors to the north in 2014 was Ford with 291,951 vehicles sold, up 3 percent from 2013, according to Reuters. That success also handed the company the sales crown for the fifth consecutive year. In large part, the strong result came from the company's popular trucks, which represented about 80 percent of overall sales. "Ford moved into the number one position in September and didn't look back," said a note to clients by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants quoted by Reuters. However, the Blue Oval didn't exactly take an overwhelming lead for the year. The company nearly had to hand over the sales trophy to FCA after the company rallied in the latter part of the year. The Italian-American conglomerate had its best results ever to nip at the Ford's heels and move 290,004 units for 2014, a 12-percent improvement from last year. Jeep especially helped the bottom line with over 50-percent growth, according to Reuters. Only two other brands were able to break the 200,000-vehicle barrier in Canada for 2014. General Motors came in third place overall with 249,800 sales, up 6.3 percent. The combined Toyota and Lexus also barely jumped the hurdle with 200,851 units moved, a 2.8 percent improvement.