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Did Lexus make a BMW? Or did BMW make a Lexus? This and other 2017 surprises

It's that time of year again. The calendar is about to reach its end, Star Trek Cats 2018 is about to take its place, and I'm reflecting about all the cars that graced my driveway this year or summoned me to exotic places. You know, like Stuttgart or Phoenix. In 2017, I drove at least 57, and as I perused the list of them, I started to notice a common refrain: "This car surprised me." Most were pleasant surprises, but there were a few head scratchers and facepalms for good measure. In both cases, it was generally the result of car companies seemingly trying to break out of an existing mold. Nowhere was that more apparent than the pair of Lexuses slathered in Infrared paint: The LS 500 that left me this week and the LC 500 that was my favorite car of 2017. Though Lexus has been trying to shake its crusty, gold-packaged reputation for some time now, its efforts always seemed like an old man choosing Hollister to redo his wardrobe after realizing it hasn't been updated since 1987. I fell in love with the LC, genuinely floored by its near-perfect take on the GT. It's characterful in sound, appearance and tactility. It was at home in the city, in the mountain and on the open road. It was both comfortable and thrilling, and after driving the mechanically related LS 500, I can report that the LC's talents aren't an outlier. The LS 500's turbo V6 may make different noises than the LC's naturally aspirated V8, but it nevertheless invigorates the cabin when the car is placed in Sport+ mode. The steering is truly communicative, body motions are kept in miraculous check, and I absolutely forgot I was in an enormous luxury limo ... and a Lexus one at that. It was everything that the BMW 530e was not. I drove that on the exact same roads and was utterly bored the entire time. Generally doughy, lifeless steering, more distant than Planet 9. And no, the plug-in hybrid powertrain had nothing to do with that. At least it shouldn't. The Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid I also drove this year proves that, as do the Hyundai Ioniqs, which are surprisingly adept and fun little cars regardless of what powers their wheels (Hyundai + hybrid = fun really blew me away). I would drive that Lexus LS F Sport over the BMW 5 Series any day of the week, which seems like a shocking thing to say in relation to either car. While Lexus is seemingly breaking out of its old crusty mold, BMW seems to be climbing into one.

Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo concept coming to Frankfurt

Hyundai will be using the Frankfurt Motor Show to tout its N Performance sub-brand and the future possibilities it could create. A purely conceptual extrapolation comes via the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo, which joins the expanding list of carmaker-created superfast racers for Sony's Playstation game. The company's 2016 World Rally Championship entrant will grace the stand, previewing the car Hyundai will use to try to dethrone Volkswagen. It is a completely new racecar based on the next-generation five-door i20, still undergoing testing now but planned for competition at the 2016 Monte Carlo Rally. The RM15 concept shown at the Seoul Motor Show will be the third demonstration of Hyundai's enthusiast intentions. The carmaker says the mid-engined, Veloster-based coupe is about "suggesting how N driver-focused technologies could come into production," but we imagine that won't mean installing a 296-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo-four where the rear seats are. All three cars are intended to rework perceptions of the South Korean company, which is working to "create striking and pioneering high performance cars" and make "real and emotional connections with customers." There's a press release below with more details, and a gallery of the N 2025 concept above that will be arriving in GT6 soon. Hyundai Motor's New High Performance Sub-brand 'N' Takes Center Stage at Frankfurt Motor Show - The sub-brand N will build new momentum for an exciting driving performance and provide emotional driving experience for customers - The latest motorsport challenger and two dynamic concepts will also be introduced at the Motor Show August 26, 2015 – Hyundai Motor will showcase its high performance sub-brand N at the Frankfurt International Motor Show 2015. The result of intensive testing and product development, the sub-brand N builds on Hyundai Motor's successful motorsport experiences and technology capability to drive future performance-oriented and race-track-capable models forward and bring 'the most thrilling winding road' fun to customers who truly love cars. The N builds on not just Hyundai Motor's continued advancement as a primary competitor in World Rally Championship (WRC) but also on the company's dedication and investment to create striking and pioneering high performance cars.

Is this the new Hyundai Elantra?

Hyundai's future models have a tendency to leak out of the South Korean market before they are shown elsewhere, and that appears to be the case with the next-gen Elantra. According to Indian Autos Blog, the official unveiling isn't scheduled in South Korea until April, but at least one shot of the upcoming sedan is online a few weeks early. Based on this single photo of the front of the car, Hyundai's designers are vastly altering the Elantra's styling for its latest generation, moving it closer to the current Sonata. The grille receives the wide, trapezoidal shape from the latest members of the brand's lineup, and the headlights wear a more angular look, as well. This image also barely shows an arching crease running up the side through the door handles. According to Indian Autos Blog, the powertrain range for the future Elantra might include the new 1.6-liter turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder from the recently unveiled Tucson. In European trim, the engine makes 174 horsepower and is paired with either a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual. If you're wondering why it's worth caring about a Korean-market Hyundai, it's because the automaker often only lightly tweaks designs (if at all) before bringing them to the US. So, this is quite likely an accurate preview of the next-gen Elantra in North America, as well.