Lexus cars

Production Lexus LF-CC Could be the LF-A’s Successor

Now that production of the Lexus LF-A has come to an end, the Japanese automaker is left without a sports car in its lineup. While it’s a hard to replace a “halo car” like the LF-A, Autocar is reporting that the LF-CC Concept, the same one that made its debut at the Paris Auto Show last September, could take the reins from the LF-A as the company’s next sports car.

According to the report, steps are already underway to begin development of a production LF-CC. This stems from a Lexus source saying that the objective this time around isn’t to showcase a limited-edition supercar the way they did with the LF-A, but to build a car that was “exciting and emotional,” and one that reflects Lexus’ intended future image as a “sporting” brand.

The new sports car will wear both coupe and convertible guise, and will carry styling cues from the concept LF-CC. A rear-drive platform is also likely to be used, similar to the setups Lexus used on the new IS and GS models. But most importantly, the production LF-CC is poised to carry a hybrid powertrain.

We have no illusions that the production LF-CC will eventually supplant the LF-A as Lexus’ fabled supercar, but we do understand the latter’s impact in giving Lexus some sports car chops, something it hasn’t had in a long time.

Here’s to hoping that the production LF-CC can carry that tradition when it makes its reported debut by 2015.

2014 Lexus IS F-Sport

Lexus will unveil Show the new IS sedan next week at the 2013 Detroit Auto and, as no surprise to anyone, alongside the standard sedan, we will also see the F Sport version. To wet our whistles a little, Lexus has dropped the first official images on the new generation IS and, surprisingly, they reveal the F-Sport version.

When compared to a standard version, the F-Sport variant will add a more aggressive look, featuring special grille and front bumper design, an enhanced three-dimensional mesh grille, larger cooling openings, a black grille surround and, of course, an exclusive set of wheels. The model will also be equipped with a tuned chassis, a lowered suspension and a sportier interior with sports seats made using an integrated foaming method that ensures there are no gaps between the upholstery and the filling.

Under the hood, the IS F-Sport will keep the same engines found in the standard IS, meaning a choice of 2.5-liter and 3.5-liter V-6 engines.

Full details will be unveiled during the car’s official debut in Detroit.

Lexus LF-A is Gone, but its Technology May Move into Other Models

Toyota has invested lots of money in the carbon-fiber structure used for the Lexus LF-A, so, despite the car’s huge price tag of $375,000 and the total of 500 units produced, it still was impossible for it to recover its entire investment. So, now the company is consideration the possibility of using this structure for more affordable cars but there is no possibility to see a successor for theLF-A.

Lexus never expect the LF-A to turn into a profitable car and was built only to show off, but the current soaring Japanese yen has killed any possibility to see a roadster version of the famous supercar.

In the upcoming models, carbon fiber will be used for hoods, roofs, trunk lids and aerodynamic parts. This doesn’t mean, however, that we should expect such models on the market in the near future. The company did confirm that carbon fiber will be used for both Toyota and Lexus models, but for now this process is still too expensive.

So, when will we see carbon fiber used in those affordable cars? The answer is quite simple: when the cost for carbon fiber goes down.

Lexus of Poland Celebrates First Sold LF-A Supercar

Either the Lexus LF-A is that awesome of a supercar that’s worthy of celebration or the folks over at Lexus of Poland are relieved to have finally sold one.

We’d like to believe it’s the former after the aforementioned Polish Lexus dealership held a celebration after officially selling the 447th production LF-A, the first Lexus supercar to be sold in Poland.

The LF-A is a quite a doozy, as it was limited to only 500 units and it’s even rarer in a place like Poland where there aren’t as many of these exotics around. We’ll give credit to Lexus of Poland for understanding the significance of the occasion and to that new owner of the LF-A, you have one of the most awesome supercars in the world.

Congratulations on the purchase and please don’t wreck your new baby. It feels a little better knowing that you’re going to take real good care of this red/burgundy LF-A. It deserves as much.

Lexus Needs a New Halo Car to Replace LF-A

Production of the Lexus LF-A supercar ended on December 14th after only two years of production and 500 hand-built units. The LF-A has been a "the ultimate expression of Lexus quality and performance" and left in a period when Lexus was trying to "to reinvent itself as an emotional, pulse-pumping brand."

In a recent interview, Lexus Executive Vice President Kazuo said that Lexus needs a new halo car if the company really wants to "build a more emotional brand." However, this new halo car won’t have anything in common with the LF-A, and will be much cheaper than it.

However, Kazuo said that in the post-LF-A era, Lexus has different ideas for generating youthful excitement from the traditionally boring premium marque. This means the company wants to develop cars you may actually spot on the streets and are aimed at "mere mortals."

Lexus is currently interested in drawing in those young buyers who have just entered the luxury market and that are not interested in buying models from Lexus’ German rivals.

The only question is whether a new halo car fit Lexus’ new profile or not? Kazuo said that at this point there are no plans to replace the LF-A, but at the same time "If we want to build a more emotional brand, then we need a halo car."

2013 Lexus IS-F Race Cars by Mauer Racing

Lexus of Brisbane recently made a pretty important purchase to bolster its standing as one of the premier Lexus dealerships in Australia. This all-important purchase was three IS-F race cars built by Mauer Racing of Switzerland.

Bought initially to become demonstrators and customer experience racers, Lexus of Brisbane is also thinking of unleashing these three bad boys out on a race track in the future. And why not, especially when you consider that Mauer Racing built these cars to serve that sole function.

For one, these cars are powered by the same TRD-developed, 600-horsepower, 4.7-litre V-8 engines that powered several Daytona prototype race cars in the United States. In addition, the race cars have also been given a slew of new race-specific features, including Motec engine management systems, ZF Sachs dampers, H&R springs, AP racing clutches and AP airlocks.

Other design details of the IS-F Race Cars include a wide-body cage monocoque that significantly helps in cutting down the car’s weight to just 1,290 kg (2,843 pounds). A six-speed, rear-mounted Hewland transmission was also installed, as were a set of 18-inch BBS wheels – 11-by-18-inch center-lock fronts and 12.5-by-18-inch center-lock rears - wrapped in racing tires.

Considering the history of how Lexus Brisbane purchased these three cars — a customer made the suggestion, and it went out and sealed the deal — there’s no telling what the plans are for it, apart from what it’s already mentioned.

Santa’s new ride: Lexus Flying Luxury Cruiser

Rudolph and the rest of the merry band of reindeers are all headed to Hawaii where it is going to spend this year’s Christmas. Why? Because Santa has found a better solution to deliver gifts this year, dropping his usual sleigh in favor of a new Lexus Flying Luxury Cruiser (LFLC).

What makes the new LFLC better than his usual sleigh? The answer is quite simple: while his usual sleigh is being led by nine reindeers, the new LFLC features an advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive system with 800 reindeerpower and in the same time delivers fewer emissions than even a single reindeer.

Lexus’ new sleigh is also being equipped with an EV mode to allow Santa to stealthily land on every rooftop. And to make Santa’s journey even more pleasant, the LFLC is also being equipped with Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Advanced Pre-Collision System, Lexus Navigation System with e-Destination and Lexus Enform with a Pandora playlist that includes all of Santa’s favorite songs.

The new sleigh is also replacing Rudolph’s red nose with a large, red LED and infrared light with stereo cameras that makes it safe to drive on a foggy night.

Can’t say we argue with Santa’s ride-of-choice this year. And perhaps Rudolph and his buddies don’t mind either seeing as they’re probably enjoying the Hawaiian sun today.

Lexus Builds its Last LF-A

Everyone knows that all good things eventually come to an end. Well, the end for the amazing Lexus LF-A supercar has come, as the last of the 500 units set to be produced rolled out of the Motomachi Plant, Aichi Prefecture. The model — a white LF-A Nürburgring Package — was produced on December 14th and marks the end of production for Lexus very first supercar.

The manufacturing, vehicle assembly and painting of the LF-A supercar required a total of 170 hand-picked takumi workers and only one unit was built each day. The model was priced at $375,000 for the base version and at $445,000 for the Nürburgring package. This price makes the LF-A into the most expensive Japanese road car ever built.

For those of you that do not remember, the LF-A is powered by a 4.8-liter V-10 that delivers a total of 560 horsepower and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and up to a top speed of 202 mph.

LF-A chief engineer, Haruhiko Tanahashi, said "I’ve lived and breathed supercars for the past decade. Specifically one supercar, LF-A. Very few people have the opportunity we had to create a world-class supercar from a blank sheet of paper."

Now that Lexus is done building the LF-A Coupe, can we hope for a production version of the LF-A Roadster?

Video: Jay Leno Gets an Exclusive Look at the 2013 Lexus IS

Obtaining exclusive access to test mules is an opportunity that manufacturers grant once in a blue moon. Some would consider it for the lucky few while some would simply snare at the idea. Lexus, however, was kind enough to let celebrity car collector, Jay Leno, take a look at the unannounced 2013 Lexus IS. Looks like beat every other journalist to it...

Though the car is wrapped in camouflage, it does show some elements of the final design that were inspired by the LF-CC concept. Jay also reveals some facts like the longer wheelbase and the 8-speed automatic gearbox, which was only available on the previous gen IS-F. Nothing more can be said. So we will have to stay mum just like the engineer in the video. At least until its 2013 unveil!

The mule Jay got to drive was powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that produces 306 horsepower. What’s surprising is the noise it makes. For a modest V-6 engine, it sure sounds like a V-8 engine. Lexus used to be famous for completely deleting the engine noise, but now it’s the other way around. Lexus sure is going in the right direction when it comes to driver-oriented cars. Watch out BMW!

With the LF-CC concept in mind and a picture of this mule, you can render what it would look in full metal and wait to see if you’ve rendered it correctly when Lexus officially unveils it at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

2012 Lexus LF-CC Concept

A few days ago, Lexus announced that they would be headed to the 2012 Paris Auto Show with a new concept car, and as promised, the company has released the first details and images on this new concept ahead of schedule. The new LF-CC is an evolution of the LF-LC 2+2 Sports Coupe Concept which debuted at the Detroit show earlier this year, but the new concept comes with rear-wheel drive and full hybrid power.

The new Lexus LF-CC Concept displays the latest evolution of Lexus’ L-finesse design language and it also previews a new premium mid-size Lexus coupe set to be unveiled in the near future (aka the successor to the SC sports coupe). The concept features the same powertrain that will be used in the eventual production version, which is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine combined with a compact, high-output electric motor which takes its power from a high-performance battery. Specifications for the new hybrid system will be announced at a later date.

UPDATE 09/20/2012: Following the release of the first official details on the new Lexus LF-CC Concept, the first promo video of the concept has been released. Stay tuned as all of the official details will follow at the 2012 Paris Auto Show next week!.

UPDATE 11/30/2012: In a recent interview with AutoCar, a senior Lexus engineer confirmed that the company is indeed planning a production version of the LF-CC and it will arrive on the market in 2015. The LF-CC will fill the gap left by the previous SC model, which was discontinued in 2010. The production version of the LF-CC will be offered in both coupe and convertible versions, and will be built on the same platform as the new IS and GS models. We’re not too sure if the LF-CC will look identical to the concept model, but we anticipate that it won’t be too far from it. (AutoCar)

Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Lexus LF-CC Concept.