Lexus Confirms BMW X1 Rival, Concept Coming to 2013 Tokyo Show, Production Model in 2014

Japanese carmakers may have been the ones to kick start the SUV and crossover craze in the mainstream segments, but it’s the Germans that applied the recipe in the premium categories, leaving the former to simply follow in their footsteps.

Lexus currently offers three SUVs, the popular RX (pictured above), now in its third generation with both hybrid and regular engine offerings, and the larger GX and LX that are related to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Land Cruiser 200 Series respectively.

Read more »

Lexus Official Confirms Production Version of LF-LC Sports Concept

Lexus has stopped contemplating and has now given the green light (finally) for the development of a production version of the LF-LC Concept after the very warm reception it received in a number of motor shows around the world.

The confirmation comes from Lexus’ vice president-marketing Brian Smith, who broke the news to WardsAuto during a recent media event.

Read more »

New Lexus IS 300h Hybrid and Refinished LF-CC Concept Heading to Geneva

European consumers will get their first taste of Lexus' all-new premium compact IS sedan at the Geneva Motor Show, where the Japanese company will also display its LF-CC sports coupe concept finished in a fresh shade.

Following its debut at the Detroit Motor Show last month, the new sedan will be presented in full-hybrid trim as the IS 300h.

Read more »

Lexus LF-CC Concept Reportedly Coming in Coupe and Roadster Flavors in 2015

The moment the last LFA rolled off the production line of Toyota’s Motomachi plant last month, Lexus was left without a sports car in its line-up.

It may have lost money on every one it made, despite its US$375,000 price tag that made it the most expensive Japanese production car in history, but the 562HP V10 exotic did for Lexus’ image more than probably any other car since the original LS that launched the brand in 1989.

Read more »

DAMD's Lexus LFT-86 is a Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S in Disguise [w/Video]

Even if you wanted to, you can't ignore all the customized and conceptual Toyota 86 sport coupes that are on display at this week's Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan.

We don't know whether Toyota should worry, but a great number of tuners focused their efforts on altering the appearance of the rear-wheel drive coupe that's marketed as the Toyota GT 86 outside of Japan and the Scion FR-S in North America.

While the students at NATS gave the 86 an Audi R8-esque look and Toyota's own Original Accessory sub-brand a classic feel, the always-imaginative crew from Japan's DAMD decided to turn their 86 into a mini-me Lexus LFA calling it the LFT-86.

The cosmetic transformation begins with a new front end that keeps the 86's headlamps but adds a newly styled bumper that mimics the LFA with triangular-shaped side vents, and continues with the side skirts.

Read more »

Toyota Believes in Driver-Assistance Technology, Not Self-Driving Vehicles

Autonomous vehicle systems are one of the technologies that are being developed not only by automakers such as Audi, but by companies like Google, as well.

Toyota and its luxury division, Lexus, are of a different mindset; namely, that the aim to reduce and if possible, eliminate traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities can be achieved not necessarily by self-driving vehicles but by active-safety features.

Read more »

CarScoop Wishes You a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Some say that editors and contributors on this site have petrol instead of blood flowing in their veins and that they’d rather show you the new Ferrari F150 or the Corvette C7 than spend a night with a bunch of Victoria’s Secret angels.

All we know is that everyone here at CarScoop wishes you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and that we will be taking some time off today (don't worry, we've planned some stories) before resuming normal operations.

Before we bid thee farewell and warn you to drive safely and, in case you intend to have a drink or two, designate a driver or just leave your car keys at home, there’s some breaking news we’d like to share with you.

Read more »

TMG TS-650 Concept is a Lexus LS on Some Crazy Steroids and We Like It

We all know that automakers and custom shops alike often overdo it with their tuning concepts at events like the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and the Essen Motor Show in Germany, but once in a while, you see some pretty nifty creations like the TS-650 Concept made by Toyota's motorsports division and Lexus Europe.

The only thing that looks out of place on the TS-650 that made its world premiere today at the 2012 Essen Motor Show are the Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) logos that replace the Lexus badges on the car.

We would also have preferred to see TMG base the TS-650 on the recently facelifted Lexus LS with its more sculpted body, but still, the Japanese brand's European designers deserve praise for turning a dull luxury limo into a fully fledged sports sedan.

The muscled up concept gains a wider body with blistered wheel arches along with matching front and rear bumpers, and a carbon fiber aero kit comprising a front lip spoiler, extended side skirts, rear diffuser and boot lid wing. The same lightweight material is also used on the roof and the front fender air vent trims.

Read more »

Lexus LF-LC and LF-CC on Display at the LA Auto Show; Which One Do You Like More? [Poll]

They may be what you call "old news" in the motor show circuit, as the blue LF-LC was displayed at October's Sydney Motor Show, and before that, at the Detroit show in January (albeit in a different color), with the bronze LF-CC appearing in Paris in September, but there's no denying that the two Lexus coupes are amongst the most impressive cars at this week's LA Auto Show.

The bigger LF-LC is a pure sports car featuring a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain producing 499-horses (506PS) and all-wheel drive. Lexus officials have admitted that they are considering a production version, though no final decision has been reached yet.

Lexus' second study is the LF-CC for a coupe model based on the underpinnings and mechanical hardware of the next IS sedan.

In concept trim, the Japanese carmaker's BMW 3-Series Coupe-rival sports a hybrid systems comprising a 2.5-liter four-pot and an electric motor delivering somewhere around 200-horses to the rear wheels.

Read more »

New Lexus LS TMG Sports 650 Concept Featuring a 641HP Twin-Turbo'd V8

So you think that the Lexus LS is a traditional luxury sedan for customers ripe in age with deep pockets who don't care about race tracks and performance numbers?

Well, that may hold true for the regular LS, which was recently redesign adopting a more modern appearance, but that's definitely not the case with the concept pictured here and which was prepared by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG).

Based on the pre-facelift Lexus LS, the TMG Sport or TS-650 Concept is a track ready, high-performance saloon fitted with a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged engine capable of reaching 9,000 rpm while delivering 641hp (650PS) and a peak torque of 710Nm (524 lb-ft).

An eight-speed transmission drives the car's wheels (we still don't know if the concept is all- or rear-wheel drive).

According to the Japanese carmaker's motorsport division, "its aerodynamics were developed in TMG's wind tunnels and significant development has been dedicated to handling."

Read more »

Toyota Motorsport GmbH Teases Lexus LS TS-650 Ahead of Essen Motor Show Debut

Remember the muscular Lexus LS prototype prepared by Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) that our spies nabbed racing around the Nürburgring track last year?

Well, Toyota's motorsport division has finally made the decision to reveal the car in front of the public for the very first time at this month's 2012 Essen Motor Show in Germany, which runs from November 30 to December 9.

Read more »

2013 Lexus GS350 F Sport Supercharged by VIP Auto Salon

For the past six years, Lexus has been present at the SEMA show and the 2012 edition of the aftermarket fest in Las Vegas that kicks off on October 30 will be no exception.

One of the highlights at the Japanese luxury brand's stand will be a 2013 GS350 F Sport prepared in partnership with VIP Auto Salon.

Read more »

Five Axis Puts a Little More Sport Into the Lexus LS460 F SPORT

To be honest, we cannot say that we have seen any change in demand for sported up Lexus LS models, but the Japanese carmaker is sure trying to create the impression that there is.

After adding the first ever F Sport edition to the range of the latest LS, which was recently followed up by the release of a cosmetics package for said model from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Japan, Lexus has now partnered up with Five Axis to present a more heavily tuned version of the car at the 2012 SEMA Show.

Read more »

Lexus LF-LC Concept gets the Blues for the 2012 Sydney Auto Show

As it turns out, what Lexus meant to say when it announced back in August that it plans to reveal a "further development of a vehicle shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year" at the Australian Auto Show in Sydney, is that it would display the LF-LC in a different shade.

Lexus tells us that the LF-LC Blue concept's new hue is inspired by the glossy base color found in the naturally occurring semi-precious opal stone of outback Australia.

Read more »

Lexus LF-CC Concept: This is What an IS Coupe May Look Like

If you have not noticed, Lexus doesn't have a coupe model for the masses. The LFA is a technical tour-de-force, but it comes with a ridiculous price tag and a production run of only 500 units, making it essentially a halo car that displays the brand’s capabilities. The only other two-door model is the IS CC, which is a hardtop convertible.

Now this space will be filled with the production version of the LF-CC concept that premiered at the Paris Auto Show.

Building on the very positive reaction that the LF-LC received at January’s Detroit Motor Show, the LF-CC is a more down-to-earth, almost production-ready model, that will inspire a coupe version of the next IS series to compete against the BMW 3/4 Series Coupe.

The front-engined, rear-wheel drive concept also features a hybrid powertrain, which according to the company, will eventually power other models, too.

It consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with direct injection that operates on the more efficient Atkinson cycle, a compact electric motor, a generator, a battery, a power split device and a central control unit that manages the internal combustion engine-electric motor-battery operation modes.

Read more »

Lexus LF-CC Hybrid Concept Heads to Paris, Previews New IS Coupe

At the upcoming Paris Auto Show, Toyota's luxury brand will bring a new concept coupe named the LF-CC that not only previews the styling language of the next generation of the IS but also a new addition to the range that will go heat-to-head with the BMW 4-Series and Audi A5 Coupes.

The Lexus LF-CC is more compact than the LF-LC concept and also looks more production-ready. It features a less steeply raked interpretation of the trademark Lexus “spindle” grille and its headlamps, while not as futuristic as those of the LF-LC, feature 3 LED projectors each and are set quite back compared to the grille creating what Lexus says is a “3D form”.

The proportions of the LF-CC are those of a typical front-engined, rear-wheel drive coupe, with a long front bonnet, a passenger cabin set rearwards and a stubby tail. In fact, its side profile sort of reminds us of the Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S coupes – or it could just be our blurry eyesight…

Read more »

World Premiere of New Lexus Concept at Paris Motor Show Along with Euro Debut of LS 600h F Sport

Lexus is planning the world premiere of a never-before-seen concept study at the upcoming 2012 Paris Auto Show, which opens for the press on 27 September and for the public, from September 29 through October 14.

The Japanese automaker, which as you may remember, is also going to show an evolution of the LF-LC Hybrid Sports Coupe Concept at the Australian International Motor Show in late October, said it will reveal more details and possibly the first images of the new study on September 17.

Read more »

Lexus LF-LC Coupe and New Compact SUV Reportedly in the Cards for 2016

Looks are an important attribute for any kind of car – and de rigueur for coupes, where styling plays a much more important role than other factors such as space or fuel economy.

At this year’s Detroit Motor Show, the Lexus LF-LC concept received raving reviews for its looks, which were created by the company’s Calty design studio in California. At the time, Calty president Kevin Hunter said that the aggressively styled concept “embodies our vision of what a premium sports coupe could be”.

Read more »

Lexus Teases New LF-LC II Concept with AWD and Around 500HP Ahead of Sydney Motor Show Debut

We knew that Lexus is seriously considering a production version of its well-received LF-LC concept, first displayed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and it looks like the company is nearing a decision.

On Monday, Lexus announced that it will debut a further development of the hybrid sports coupe, this time complete with a powertrain, as a world premiere at the Australian International Motor Show that takes place in Sydney from October 19 to 28.

"The Lexus concept is an absolutely stunning vehicle and is set to be one of the drawcards of the show," commented Lexus Australia Chief Executive Tony Cramb. "The concept will highlight Lexus' design and engineering expertise - marrying design with function to deliver a glimpse into the future of supercars," he added.

Read more »

Lexus LFA Meets Up with LF-LC Concept Study for a Photo Shoot

Two of the most talked about Lexus-branded sports cars of recent years came together for a unique photo shoot that was also captured on film by the Japanese carmaker for our enjoyment.

The LFA, Lexus' first ever attempt in the supercar segment, boasts a high-revving 4.8-liter V10 engine mounted up front that generates 552bhp in standard trim and 562-horses for the Nürburgring Edition model. Lexus built only 500 examples of the LFA.

Read more »