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Lexus LF-LC approved for production

On the sidelines of a press drive for the 2014 Lexus IS, the company's vice president of marketing in the US told Ward's Auto that the honchos in Japan have approved the Lexus LF-LC concept for production. He wouldn't offer any other details on how the luxury coupe might be transformed into a vehicle for the buying masses, and that has led to a bag full of speculation.
The show car was hybrid-powered and rear-wheel drive, a beautifully executed stab by Toyota designers in Newport Beach at redefining Lexus, but even with the concept, the point was to keep it "within reach for premium buyers." The report says the odds are on limited production and higher pricing than Lexus' "mainstream products," and other sites have speculated on what kind of powertrain it might end up in showrooms with.
GT Channel posits that the LF-LC will be the inspiration for a coupe in the Lexus LS price bracket with a choice of either the 4.2-liter V8 or the hybrid powertrain from the LS 600h, further speculating it will be called LC 550 and cost more than $100,000. It then says that there would be another coupe created beneath that one to replace the SC 430. Lexus Enthusiast, however, calls those "warmed-over rumors" and says that the marque probably won't deviate from its engine-capacity-naming scheme - labeling a car with a 4.2-liter V8 an LC 550. Nor does it think Lexus will use the letters LC after the company has trademarked "RC" in the US and Australia.

Lexus launches supercharged LX 570 in Middle East

The Lexus LX SUV is a very muscular, old-school vehicle. Based on the Toyota Land Cruiser, it's still a big, body-on-frame SUV, but inside it offers acres of leather and luxury tech. The brand's Kuwaiti distributor is taking it machismo even further for the local market with the new LX 570 Supercharger.
As the name suggests, the upgraded SUV grafts a supercharger onto the LX 570's 5.7-liter V8 to boost it to 450 horsepower, from 383 hp in the naturally aspirated version in the US (or 362 hp in the standard Kuwaiti version), and it uses the same six-speed automatic as the standard model. To signal the improved strength, much of exterior chrome is replaced with black trim. It also wears special 20-inch wheels and a rear spoiler. The interior is fitted with crimson leather seats and red-accented carpet. It also gets an aluminum sill plate that says "Supercharger." Like the standard Kuwait-spec LX 570, it has two fuel tanks with a total combined capacity of 36.46 gallons, which should help satiate the likely thirsty, forced-induction V8.
The LX 570 Supercharger won't be rumbling down streets outside of the Middle East, though. According to Lexus spokesperson Bill Kwong, this is a project by the distributor in the region. The supercharged engine also has "issues with emissions" in the US, especially in California, he told Autoblog. Too bad, it would be an interesting Range Rover alternative.

Is now the time to snap up a Lexus LFA?

If you missed out on getting a Lexus LFA when it was new, the time might be near to start looking for a less expensive used one. Listings indicate that the cost for the Japanese supercar is finally starting to drop below the original $375,000 sale price. Lexus built just 500 units of the LFA between 2010 and 2012, and around 200 of them came to the US. The supercar's major highlight was the 4.8-liter V10 with 552 horsepower and a 9,000-rpm redline. It's among the best sounding engines to ever hit the street. Since production stopped, LFA prices have generally remained higher than the original $375,000, but as CarBuzz recently found that trend has shown signs of changing. The site discovered a black 2012 example on Craigslist with 2,797 miles for sale in the San Francisco for $369,000. It's quite a beauty, too. Further research shows you can find an LFA even cheaper. AutoTrader currently lists eight of the supercars for sale, including the one in San Francisco. However, another black 2012 example in Florida is just $349,000 with 2,005 miles on it. If you wait around for the right auction, there are even better deals out there. Sportscar Market reported that a White Pearl 2012 LFA went for $335,000 at a Russo and Steele auction in California in June 2015. The buyer got quite a deal because the Japanese supercar had a mere 140 miles on it. Buying a vehicle for over $300,000 is still well out of the reach for most customers, but these listings hint that LFA prices are beginning to fall. The Lexus will never be at the neighborhood used car lot, but if this trend continues, it could make for some interesting shopping. For instance, if the Japanese supercar drops into the $250,000-range, would people consider spending a little more to buy one instead of a well-optioned new Acura NSX? The Lexus' engine certainly sounds better, and the company has no plans for another supercar of that caliber. Related Video: