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Did you think that just because the Super Bowl is over (I'm going to pretend it didn't happen at all) you weren't going to see any more Super Bowl Ad content? No such luck.
Do you want to see some behind-the-scenes footage of the new Lexus GS? No? Well how about a big dog in a fat suit? Thought so.
Lexus has just released their entry into the Super Bowl ad frenzy with this spot they're calling "The Beast."
Lexus says, "The all-new Lexus GS is showcased in this ad because it's the first model to feature the new look of Lexus and it's also the first of nine new or updated models we'll launch this year."
We say that this commercial is one of the more boring we've seen and is more suited to prime time TBS than the Super Bowl.
Youtube says "no description available" about this video of a Lexus IS-F Crashing at the Tokyo Auto Salon. We agree.
Why a Lexus? Well, the 2011 Lexus GX 460 is based on the Land Cruiser Prado, a smaller version of the Land Cruiser we know that Toyota sells elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, it comes with something called a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS,) a long way of saying it has front and rear stabilizer bars that automatically decouple to improve off-road articulation.
Standard on the GX since 2010 (and optional since 2004), KDSS is also found in the US on the Land Cruiser (2008-present) and the 4Runner Trail Edition (2010-present.)
Daily driving benefits greatly because such a system allows the GX to be fitted with much larger stabilizer bars than any off-road vehicle could otherwise tolerate. Indeed this Lexus GX460 corners far flatter than other SUVs of similar size and configuration.
KDSS is a hydaulic system that's fully automatic -- there are no switches on the dash because there is no need to turn it on or off. Instead, the front and rear stabilizer bars feature hydraulic cylinders on their left-hand sides, with piping connecting the two and a valve in between.
In a corner, both cylinders are squeezed (right turns) or stretched (left turns) in the same direction. Such "in-phase" loading produces front and rear pressures that are more or less equal, which holds the valve closed to keep those cylinders absolutely rigid so the stabilizer bars can deliver their full roll-resisting effects.
But frame twist off-road conditions -- and our RTI ramp -- produce positive pressure in the cylinder that's being compressed and negative pressure in the one being stretched. Such "out-of-phase" axle articulation causes the valve to pop open, which makes the cylinders go limp and take the stabilizer bars out of the picture.
The Super Bowl is an interesting experience. You watch it at home and you've got 50% of the people tuning in for the game and 50% tuning in to see what commercials they get to talk about at work the next day. In person it's even stranger, aside from the players, it seems only, oh, 10% off the people have actually heard of football.
Frequent Super Bowl commercial watchers will know that Lexus has avoided the uber-expensive ads until now. The star of the show is the all-new 2013 Lexus GS which hits dealers in February, but that's not all. "The spot also will convey that even more products are waiting in the wings and are anxious to hit the road." said Lexus in a statement.
With this announcement, Lexus joins Audi, Suzuki and Kia, all of whom have ads running at Super Bowl XLVI.
Presented in Detroit, the Lexus LF-LC Concept is a front-engine, rear-drive hybrid sport coupe with aspirations of 500 horsepower. But before you start pestering your local Lexus dealer about this beauty, you should know that it's only a concept. It's serving as a showcase for Lexus' design direction at the moment, but if this is where they're heading, we'll be following.
James Riswick let the design expert do the talking. Video after the jump.
Lexus didn't bother discussing the 2013 LX 570 during its press conference yesterday, and rightfully so given that the LX is only getting a minor refresh. Instead, the company's largest and most opulent luxury SUV is just sitting on the Lexus stand in Detroit between a GX 460 and a red LFA.
The changes to the front and rear fascia are pretty obvious compared to the 2008-'10 LX 570. Headlights are now HIDs (and with an $80K price tag, we're surprised they weren't standard before) and the grille has more chrome and a new GS-inspired look to it. There are also LED DRLs. In back, Lexus has cleared the lens for the amber turn signals. You're also looking at a new 20-inch wheel design for the LX and one of the two new paint colors (Nebula Gray Metallic).
Inside, there's a new TFT (that's thin-film transistor, of course) display in a new gauge cluster, and granny's bird's-eye maple trim gives way to more youthful mahogany inlays. Also seen here is the new Parchment interior decor in lieu of the former Cashmere. The 2013 LX 570 also picks up Lexus Enform, meaning that if you know how to use your smartphone and Bluetooth, you can use apps like Pandora and Open Table via the audio-navigation system.
Sales start in early February, and we're told pricing will be released in a couple weeks.
Informally, this may be our favorite car of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show so far. Indeed, the Lexus LF-LC concept looks every bit as good in the metal as in the photos, and after listening to Mark Templin gush over it, we'd be shocked if it hasn't already been given the nod for production -- though undoubtedly with a different name.
Not only does it preview the new iteration of the Lexus design language, the LF-LC has an all-new hybrid drivetrain, Mark Templin, group vice president, told the crowd. We might get a glimpse of what that will entail if the automaker is able to pull off its new LMP1 car in time for 2012 Le Mans.
Also, it turns out that the Lexus Remote Touch Interface (which uses a somewhat clunky mouse-style controller) will have a short lifespan. The LF-LC features an iPad-like controller mounted on the console that allows the driver to interact with a 12-inch navigation display. The gauge pack in this concept car is also a 12-inch LCD.
A few years ago, such hardware would have seemed far-fetched; now Lexus will have to come up with something at least that slick and cutting-edge for the eventual production car.
As an aside, Lexus announced it will release two more factory F-Sport models -- like the GS 350 F-Sport, as opposed to piecemeal accessories catalog stuff. A teaser video that played before the LF-LC unveiling (but which appears at the end of our casually shot video after the jump) suggests those new models will be CT- and IS-based. It also suggests the flagship LS will get a much-needed restyling.
"Conceived as a design exercise, the LF-LC is envisioned as offering Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive to deliver both driving performance and fuel efficiency."
And that bit of information pulled from this morning's press release is all we know about the LF-LC hybrid that Lexus is bringing to Detroit this year. Once again, Road and Track forced Lexus' hand here by publishing a full article on the car's design. R&T doesn't have any more real information about the car, but they do have some (small) interior shots that are pretty slick.
So the question is: Should Lexus build a hybrid, 2+2 LFA?
When it first came out, the Lexus IS-F could be summarized by the classic phrase "close, but no cigar," especially in the suspension and steering departments.
This 2011 Lexus IS-F (and the 2012, as well) incorporates numerous tweaks meant improve the handling and steering while making the ride less brittle. It worked well enough that the boys in the office pronounced the reworked IS-F cigar-worthy after driving this one around a few days and testing it at the track.
Much of what Lexus did consists of invisible suspension recalibration, but it's worth a look anyway.
And you've probably figured out by now that these are homemade photos taken before we installed our new Rotary 2-post lift.
Perhaps to take some attention away from a certain leaked sports car, Lexus has announced pricing on the all new, fourth-generation 2013 Lexus GS 350 and it is exactly the same price as the last generation: $47,775 including an $875 destination fee.
The 2013 GS 350 goes on sale in February and comes with bi-xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights and a 3.5-liter V6 making 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The all-wheel drive model will start at $50,325 -- a price hike of $600.
Pictured is the 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport which gets F Sport-tuned adaptive suspension, F Sport 19-inch wheels, F Sport badging and will add $5,690 to the price of the GS 350.
Other options priced out on the GS include a $5,750 luxury package which gives you variable suspension, adaptive lighting, espresso wood trim, 18-way power front seats, 18s and a wood-and-leather steering wheel; A $1,400 premium package with rain sensing wiper and heated/ventilated steats and; and a $1,735 navigation system.
No pricing was announced for the GS hybrid.
This should be shocking news for anyone who hasn't seen the internet in the past 12 hours, but Lexus will be bringing this stunner of a Sport Coupe to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
The new concept is "crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine. The clean lines of the vehicle emphasize motion, creating a distinctive look for this futuristic sport coupe." said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager.
The LF-LC was designed at Calty in Newport Beach.
We've seen teasers for this one for the past week and now, thanks to a slip-up by the good folks at Road and Track, we've got our first look at the new Lexus concept headed to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
The leak happened via R&T's YouTube page and it shows the entire car from multiple angles and previews the next cover of R&T. The video will surely be pulled down, but we've pulled the best stills and provided them (and the video) after the jump.
We weren't lucky enough to have an information break to go along with the unauthorized images so we have to go with name and what we see. Visually this is part LFA with an LF-Gh grille mounted to the front and some totally bitchin' Nike-swoop style accent lights. Then there's the name LF-Lc. We can follow the pattern of LF-Gh to GS 350 and drop the LF prefix and drop the lowercase c, too -- it could stand for concept or coupe at this point or nothing at all. What we're left with is a telltale L. It's easy to forget about the Lexus LS 460 and 600h, but a flagship coupe a-la SL-class could bring some new attention to them.
That or this is all just conjecture and this is the new SC (which, really, would be fantastic) or simply a hint at a refreshed LFA.
Last week Lexus teased the first image of a new concept vehicle that the luxury arm of Toyota will be bringing to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The image didn't show much; some tires that appear to be 265/35R21, headlights, and some neat accent lights that aren't the same-old row-o'-LEDs that's getting slightly boring. It was an interesting concept that had a lot of people speculating. This interior shot should spark that debate again.
It sort of looks like the inside of a whale's mouth. Or a fig cut in half. It's a fantastic design and the stitch work looks stunning. Chance of it making production this way: 0%.
On January 9 at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, Lexus will show off a new concept designed by Lexus' Newport Beach design center, Calty that "showcases the new design direction embraced by Lexus." And with that bit of information you know exactly as much about this new concept vehicle as we do.
IS seems all wrong. GS is freshly designed. ES is a worse guess than IS but better than GX, RX, LX or LS.
So we're either looking at an FR-S/BRZ in Lexus clothes or a 2014 Lexus SC that might actually capitalize on the Sport Coupe name.
What say you?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 accidents a year, leading to 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. And since more people have smartphones and other portable electronics riding shotgun with them these days, distracted driving while texting and tweeting only adds to this statistic.
While automakers are on a technology tear to bring smartphone integration to the dash to ostensibly make it less distracting to use the devices while behind the wheel, many luxury brands have also been perfecting nanny-car safety features to help protect occupants from themselves if they aren't paying attention while composing a text message, firing off a Twitter update or updating their Facebook status.
Now the Swedish company Tobii Technology says it's come up with a system that watches drivers' eyes to tell whether they're getting tired or are glued to a Twitter app. And the company claims that the technology can be integrated into vehicles inexpensively, so not just those who can afford a luxury vehicle will be protected from causing drowsy and distracted driving accidents.
Tucked in a nook way in the back of the Lexus booth was this insanely cool LFA stripped of all its bodywork to reveal the carbon fiber awesomeness within. But that's not all. There's also an incredibly detailed diorama of the LFA build process. A diorama!
Come across the jump and revel in the LFA OCD.
Not every sports car looks good in red. The Mercedes SL is a good example. I didn't expect the LFA to look very good either, but when I saw this I was impressed. Not bad, not bad at all.
For those of you who didn't see enough detail in yesterday's photos of the 2012 Lexus LS GS 350 F Sport, Lexus has graciously provided some 8 minutes of B-Roll footage for you to obsess over.
For those of you who just want to hear what the 2013 Lexus LS GS 350 F Sport and its performance exhaust sounds like accelerating, skip to 7:15.
Lexus has been teasing the 2013 GS 350 F Sport for what feels like forever and will finally pop the cork on the hot new GS next week at SEMA.
By "hot" we mean "mildly tuned." The F Sport Package adds 19-inch wheels running 235/40R19 all-season tires on AWD cars and staggered 235/40R19 and 265/35R19s on rear-drive cars, F Sport tuned adaptive suspension, bigger anti-roll bars, new bushings and larger front brakes with high-friction pads. Rear drive cars also benefit from variable ratio steering. The interior also gets a unique treatment with F Sport exclusive Cabernet Red leather. The GS F Sport also gets Lexus' new Dynamic Handling system with Dynamic Rear steering.
The 3.5-liter V6 still cranks out 306 horsepower and Lexus estimates this will get the 3,715 lb (3,890 with AWD) GS 350 F Sport to 60 in 5.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 142 mph.
Read our first drive of the 2013 Lexus GS 350 here. More on the GS 350 F Sport after the jump.
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