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The Lexus LF-A appeared at the 2009 SEMA Show.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
LOS ANGELES--Lexus has a plan to head off speculators when its limited-edition LFA sports car goes on sale in January 2011.
The company will offer only two-year leases for the $375,000 two-seater, said Brian Smith, vice president of sales and dealer development for Lexus division. Lexus will hang on to the vehicle's title.
"If someone buys it the first month and then decides to sell it, that could be damaging for the ownership experience," Smith said. "If it is not controlled and hits the speculation market, all bets are off."
Only 500 units of the 552 horsepower LFA will be built during the two-year period that begins in December 2010. No car will be built until it is ordered.
"You can personalize it right down to the stitching in the car," Smith said.
He said Lexus wants each customer to pay about the same price for the LFA, which will be powered by a 4.8-liter 10-cylinder engine. At the end of the two-year lease, customers can opt to buy the cars.
"We want people out driving the car and not just parking it in a museum or selling it at an inflated price," Smith said.
About 15 Lexus employees will get extensive training on the car before they start meeting with prospective customers in March. The LFA specialists will be stationed at each of Lexus' four regions around the country--West, Chicago, New Jersey, and Atlanta--and at Lexus headquarters in California.
Customers can choose their own dealer for delivery.
Dealers will not have to invest in special tools or training. Lexus will purchase the tools and hire trained technicians to perform the service at the stores.
(Source: Automotive News)
A couple of weeks ago, Lexus made headlines with the unveiling of its first official "supercar" at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The Lexus LFA that debuted at SEMA is a performance vehicle that the automaker thinks will set the standard for sports and performance cars that have a high luxury quotient. Lexus has also updated its LX 570 utility vehicle for the 2010 market, and it has bells and whistles galore. It's a good thing you get so many extras with this LX, because you definitely won't get what you bargain for in gas mileage. That's why the Lexus LX 570 makes the cut for this week's video blog look at the Gas Guzzlers of 2010.
This Web clip focuses on the positives of the 2010 Lexus LX 570, making it sound like the SUV of the century. Cosmetically speaking, it is basically the definition of a luxury utility vehicle and carries that air of class that most Lexus vehicles reek of. It has all sorts of neat features like electrically folding back seats, side and back camera monitors, and parking assist in case you aren't aware how close you are to hitting that other car. Hell, it even has a feature referred to as "crawl control," just in case some ritzy white collar couple decides they want to push their nearly $80K SUV up a mountain. I'm sure that occasion comes up all the time.
While the makers of this video clip mention the 5.7L V-8 engine that can kick major horsepower ass, they conveniently neglect that the 2010 Lexus LX 570 has a gas mileage average of roughly 15 mpg between highway and city driving. The fact that the LX 570 weighs nearly 3 tons doesn't help it either. On the other hand, if your wallet's that tight that you're worried about your gas mileage, chances are you're probably not getting in line for this fancy but pricey luxury SUV.
This last week saw yet another big auto show in the form of the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show ran from November 2 to Friday November 6, and boy, was there a ton of eye candy for us car enthusiasts. However, the SEMA Show was not open to the public--only auto industry insiders were allowed inside these doors full of what SEMA refers to as "automotive specialty products." This video is a teaser of some of the many automotive delights that were on display at this year's event.
Here we go with another quality highlight video from the folks at Inside Line courtesy of Edmunds.com. This highlight reel features Camaros galore, plenty of Ford mods, and the stateside debut of the $375,000 Lexus LFA. Other notable vehicles include the Hyundai Genesis (with the midcar engine), Kia's first foray into racecars, and the Brooks & Dunn sponsored Toyota Tundra with an onboard barbecue grill--yummy.
The Lexus LF-A looked good enough to lick in matte black.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
Lexus' booth at the SEMA show was very small and very hard to find, but it was well worth seeking for one very good reason: the $400k, 550-horsepower Lexus LF-A.
We've already had a look at Lexus' official photos and perused the stats and details, but we just couldn't turn down another opportunity to take a peek the world's most expensive Toyota. Check out our photos of the Lexus LF-A from the 2009 SEMA Show.
Automatic parking systems are becoming more common, and some automakers are offering several 2010 models with the convenience feature.
Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are leaders in the commercial introduction of automatic parking systems, which allow vehicles to identify and steer themselves into parking spaces.
VW offers the system in six Volkswagen models and the Audi A3. Ford's 2010 Lincoln MKT crossover and MKS sedan have it as well. Both worked with Valeo SA to develop their own ultrasonic-based systems. The Valeo technology, called Park 4U, won a 2008 Automotive News PACE Award.
Toyota's Advanced Parking Guidance System will be an option on 2010 versions of the Lexus LS 460, LS 460 L and hybrid LS 600hL and the Toyota Prius hybrid.
The Toyota version, from Aisin Seiki Co., started in 2003 as a camera-aided visual system on the Japanese-market Prius. But Toyota and Aisin Seiki have added ultrasonic sensors from Denso Corp. to develop the system into a more sophisticated feature that also allows the vehicle to back itself into perpendicular parking spaces.
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Treating gasoline as fine whiskey, the hybrid Lexus RX450h sips rather than gulps. This luxury vehicle turns stereotypes of SUVs on their heads, getting excellent fuel economy while offering Lexus' latest cabin tech. It pampers occupants with interior and ride quality that rise above most luxury vehicles today.
Although the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show just kicked open its doors for the public this last weekend, industry insiders got a head start on sampling the bevy of automobiles that are debuting. One of these lucky insiders included Alistair Weaver of Inside Line fame, courtesy of Edumunds.com. Here, Alistair gives us all a teaser on the many new vehicles presented at the Tokyo Motor Show, and this is merely the tip of the iceberg.
In this video clip, Inside Line cherry shows a few more cars worthy of Web airtime. While the show seems to be short on American and European brands, there are plenty of interesting production models and concept cars to check out. Edmunds.com makes room for a couple of the forward-thinking "E-cars" that will undoubtedly be only available in limited quantities, as well as hybrid cars from Honda, Mitsubishi, and the Subaru that has doors straight out of "Back to the Future." And if you think it's all hippy-dippy cars on parade, wait till you check out the badass Lexus at the end of the clip.
Lexus is about to put the V-10 LFA into production; Ford puts batteries in the Focus; Nissan swears that goofy Land Glider is for real; we discuss why your cell phone may not work worth a damn in your next new car; and we take a ride in the luxury crossover that started it all.
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EPISODE 141
SHOW NOTES• Lexus' first supercar is reality: The LFA
• Honda CR-Z coming to the U.S.
• California energy rules could hamper in-car cell phone reception
(Credit:
Lexus/Toyota)
When the name "Toyota" is heard, these days most thoughts jump straight to Prius or Camry, but that hasn't always been the case. There once was a time when all-wheel drive Celicas, midengined MR2s, and twin-turbocharged Supras could be found at your local Toyota dealer and gracing adolescents' walls in poster form. Toyota used to be fun. Perhaps it still can be.
Witness the dramatic return of the Toyota Supra, only this time it's not a Supra. Heck, it's not even a Toyota. It is the Lexus LF-A.
While the LF-A may not share a name with its spiritual predecessor, it does share a vision. The slick profile and front-engined, rear-driven configuration definitely pay homage to the previous ultimate Toyota. However, instead of a twin-turbocharged V-6, the LF-A is packing a 4.8-liter V-10 twists its crank to the tune of 560 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Lightweight titanium valves and connecting rods along with forged aluminum pistons, help the LF-A's engine achieve its lofty 9,000rpm redline. Power is transmitted to a Torsen limited slip differential that splits torque between the back pair of 20-inch wheels.
Runs from 0-62 mph will happen in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 201.94 mph. A 48/52 weight distribution and meaty tires at all four corners mean that this big boy should be able to dance like Warren Sapp.
It may not be called a Supra, but it certainly looks like one.
(Credit: Lexus/Toyota)
The LF-A's gauges cluster around a single large tachometer.
(Credit: Lexus/Toyota)The original Supra was no bantamweight and neither is the LF-A; it tips the scales at 3,263 pounds. All things considered, that's still pretty light for its size, thanks to gratuitous usage of carbon fiber in its body's construction. The power to weight ratio places the LF-A right on the tail of Audi R8 V10 and the Lamborghini Gallardo, and within shouting distance of the Ferrari 599. To say the least, watching the LF-A versus Nissan GT-R shootouts that are bound to pop up over the next year should be interesting.
Being Car Tech, we can't overlook what's happening inside the LF-A's cabin. Tucked deeply into the center console is a large LCD screen that we assume is connected to something similar to Lexus' current Enform interface. We also gather that it is not a touch screen because of the presence of Lexus' Remote Touch joystick with haptic feedback. While we're speculating, it would be nice if Lexus threw in some sort of customizable performance computer a la Nissan GT-R.
The instrument cluster is very cool looking, placing emphasis on the huge centrally-mounted tachometer with integrated digital speedometer. An LED shift light ring is hidden in the tach's bezel and illuminates red at redline and amber at a user adjustable shift point.
So let's run through the checklist. Exotic engine? Check. Greater than 200 mph top speed? Check. Impractical two-seat configuration? Check. Extremely limited production? Only 500 units being produced, so check. Exorbitant price tag? At a little under $400k, we can safely say double check.
What do you think readers? Do we have a bona fide supercar on our hands? Let us know in the comments.
Lexus scores well with the model update to its RX 350. This luxury SUV gets new cabin tech for the 2010 model year, a suite of electronics long overdue for the brand, adding important capabilities such as traffic integrated with the navigation system, dial by name with the Bluetooth phone system, and iPod integration.
We've already seen this equipment in the HS 250h and the IS 350 C, and look forward to seeing Lexus refresh its other models similarly.
