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Lexus builds a one-off IS 350 with a record player in the glove box

The latest Lexus to undergo modification for the company's marketing efforts is called the Lexus IS Wax. That's because it's for vinyl lovers, and contains an actual car-mounted record player that, Lexus claims, does not skip. Earlier this month we saw a sneaker homage to the Lexus IS. It, and now the IS Wax, are part of Lexus's "All In" campaign that lets influencers in creative fields loose on a luxury sedan. The goal is to put the Lexus brand in front of others in that field, even if they are largely unrelated to anything automotive. Just last month, the company presented a gaming-themed IS built with input from the Twitch streaming community.  As such, the press release for the Lexus IS Wax does not once mention that the car was based on a Lexus IS 350 F Sport. We can only deduce that because it wears the more aggressive fascia, 10-spoke wheels and F Sport badge that comes with the higher performance version. On the other hand, the press release does mention the names MC Madlib and KAYTRANADA, which we guess have some meaning to people in the music world. Lexus claims that the record player will not skip, even on a bumpy road. The record player was partially 3D printed and modified with carbon fiber and machined aluminum. It had to be a custom job to fit into the car's glove box. Impressively, it actually plays a 12-inch record and emerges and retracts into the glove box with some sort of motorization. Very little is revealed about how they dealt with the skipping, except to say that a rotating stepper motor helps stabilize the turntable when the car' in motion, and a silicone cushion underneath it helps absorb some of the bumps.  Oh yeah, it was wrapped in matte black as well. Helpfully, Lexus provided a few quotes from its collaborators. Said Madlib, I take [music I've created] to the car, test it out. Every time. That’s the big test. To have the turntable in a Lexus? ThatÂ’s beyond.” Said KAYTRANADA, "When Lexus said they wanted to build this car, I didnÂ’t think it was possible. It was amazing to see and hear vinyl playing while cruising in a car." Presumably, the target audience will be more impressed with the 1,800-watt, 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system than the 311-horsepower V6 and 280 lb-ft of torque. If you're curious about how the Lexus IS Wax was created, you can watch the two-part video. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2022 Lexus NX gets new chassis, engines and even a PHEV

The Lexus NX is one of the more recent additions to the Lexus lineup, having made its debut for the 2015 model year. In that time, it's only received a couple of facelifts. Now, the small crossover is getting its first full redesign in the form of the 2022 Lexus NX. And while it may look evolutionary, it offers a load of new and welcome features. The new NX is now built on the TNGA-K platform, which also underpins the Toyota RAV4 and Camry and the Lexus ES among other small to midsize models. Lexus says it's structurally more rigid and offers a lower center of gravity. Fitted to this platform is a plethora of powertrains. The NX 250 gets a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It's available with front- or all-wheel drive. The NX 350h hybrid gets the same engine but with a couple of electric motors. That gives it all-wheel drive as well as 239 horsepower. The regular NX 350 gets a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, plus all-wheel drive. Topping the range is the NX 450h+ with the RAV4 Prime's 2.5-liter four-cylinder and larger electric motors making 302 horsepower. It's also only available with all-wheel drive and has a 36-mile electric range. The non-hybrid powertrains now come with an eight-speed automatic, but the hybrids continue to use CVTs. All of these new mechanical updates fit under a fresh but familiar-looking shell. It's short and taut with many curves and creases, but it's generally smoothed and softened compared to the previous model. The most distinct change is at the rear where the NX adopts a full-width taillight like the IS and UX. It also features the brand's name spelled out in letters just below the taillight. The inside is more significantly updated, and the focal point is undoubtedly the new infotainment system. The old touchpad and mouse designs are dead, and the NX will be the first to use this new touchscreen system. It was developed by a division at Toyota's North American headquarters, and seems much more intuitive, though we'll have to reserve final judgment until we try it ourselves. It uses either a 9.8-inch screen or optional 14-inch unit. The latter incorporates dedicated touch buttons for comfort controls and physical temperature dials blended into it. The smaller screen uses all physical controls for comfort functions. Both have a physical volume knob, too.

2022 Lexus LS pricing up by a little and a lot

In October of last year, Lexus announced its 2022 LS lineup with a sprinkling of finespun tweaks. There were retuned spring and damper rates for a more comfortable ride, larger anti-roll bars, an "enhanced" adjustable-ride-height function to improve passenger ingress and egress, reshaped piston tops for quieter engine operation and updated transmission calibration for more motoring in the meat of the power band. Plus, Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 came standard on every model in the range, a traditional Japanese foil treatment called Haku was available for the Luxury and Executive Packages, and the swish, 23-speaker Mark Levinson audio could be be optioned on the entry-level LS for the first time. At the time, prices weren't changed from 2021. Now they have. The entry-level LS 500 starts at $77,175 after the $1,075 destination charge, a $100 bump. The LS 500 F Sport also climbs just $100, to $80,775. Sending power to the front axle on either trim requires another $3,250. The LS 500h AWD hybrid now starts at $113,075, which reflects two price increases. Lexus removed the rear-wheel drive LS 500h from the lineup, so getting into the electrified LS stratum costs $21,500 more than it did for the 2021 model year. But Lexus also added more standard equipment to the AWD hybrid and boosted the price of the 2022 LS 500h AWD by $18,025 compared to the 2021 LS 500h AWD. The flagship sedan now gets Lexus Teammate Level 2 autonomy capability with Advanced Drive and Advanced Park standard. Advanced Drive invests the executive transport with the power to execute maneuvers like acceleration and braking to follow other vehicles, change lanes, pass slower vehicles and get through certain intersections. Advanced Park does just that. The Luxury Package is also standard, its features costing at least $17,000 to add on the entry-level LS.  The non-hybrid LS will offer a nine-strong exterior color palette, some of them a $500 or $595 upcharge: Atomic Silver, Caviar, Eminent White Pearl, Iridium, Manganese Luster, Matador Red Mica, Nightfall Mica, Obsidian and Ultra White. Ultra White isn't available on the LS hybrid. The 2022 LS is expected to reach dealers in late spring.   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.