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Physical and virtual gaming worlds collide in Lexus IS Hybrid promo

This is really, really cool. In order to promote its new IS Hybrid, Lexus borrowed an airplane hangar, a former Formula One driver and what we imagine was some serious technological knowhow to create one of the most interesting games we've ever seen. It's called Trace Your Road.
Lexus invited some of its Facebook fans out for the game, which put them in the passenger seat of a Lexus IS Hybrid with former F1 shoe Jarno Trulli. They were then handed a tablet and asked to trace out a road, which was projected onto the floor of the hangar. Trulli had to follow the ever-changing path as his passenger kept on tracing away. It looks like it'd be an absolute riot.
This is probably the coolest automotive promotional video since Audi strapped paintball guns on a couple of RS4s. Take a look below to watch the full video from Lexus. We promise, it's worth two minutes of your time.

Lexus previews production NX crossover ahead of Beijing debut

Every luxury automaker and its sister company is getting into the compact crossover game these days. Mercedes has the GLK and even smaller GLA, Audi has the Q3, BMW the X1... even Porsche is getting in on the action with the new Macan. Lincoln has the new MKC, and it won't be long before Infiniti and Acura launch challengers of their own. But before they do, Lexus will roll out its new NX crossover.
Previewed by the LF-NX concepts first in Frankfurt and then in Tokyo, leaked in a corporate presentation and spied testing out on the open road, Lexus is slated to present the production NX at the Beijing Motor Show later this month. But to keep us on our toes, the Japanese luxury automaker has released this teaser image and brief statement.
From the looks of it, it appears that Lexus has hardly toned down for production the anime-worthy sharp creases that made the LF-NX stand out on the show floor, with the brand's signature spindle grille featuring prominently once again. Though we'd guess the finished product will be toned down somewhat. Toyota's luxury division also says "the NX will set new standards for future models in the line-up," meaning that we can expect the design theme to carry through to more models to follow.

Lexus CT 200h could be replaced by sub-compact hybrid CUV

The Lexus CT 200h is an interesting vehicle that never really caught on. It's a sporty Prius in sleeker hatchback clothing and was aimed at the Audi A3 when it hit the market in 2011. Since then, though, the CT has averaged a meager 16,000 sales per year. For that reason, the hybrid hatch won't be redesigned at the end of its life cycle. And according to Lexus' European brand boss, Alain Uyttenhoven, it could be replaced by a crossover. While you may lament yet another CUV hitting the market, Lexus needs a small car that sells in big numbers. Uyttenhoven told Autocar the brand aims to move 100,000 units per year in Europe to "give us visibility in the market." For 2016, European sales are on pace to hit just 70,000 units, with 10,000 of those coming from the CT 200h. He sees an opportunity for the right little Lexus based on the recent nature of the European luxury market. View 29 Photos According to Uyttenhoven, "a full 50 percent of the European luxury car market exists below the [$44,600] mark," and the only model Lexus has at that point is the CT. Put another way, the company has a remarkably slow seller as its sole representative for half of an entire continent's luxury market. Enter the crossover. Replacing the CT with a crossover makes a great deal of sense. The body style is getting more and more popular by the day, especially in the sub-compact and compact markets. Adding a smaller model – below the current NX crossover but larger than the LF-SA concept shown in Geneva – would allow Lexus to challenge the Mercedes-Benz GLA, the BMW X1, and the Audi Q3. We're betting the small crossover would use the Toyota C-HR as its basis and add a Lexus-correct heavily creased skin. Hybrid power is a given for the European market, where almost all Lexuses sold are gas-electric, but a conventional gas variant could join it in the US. That would give Lexus three hybrid CUVs in three popular sizes, alongside the NX and RX. With a forthcoming RX-based three-row on the horizon, the brand would have a full lineup of crossovers ready to take over the world. We'll miss the quirky CT when it goes, but it's hard to stop volume-driven progress. Related Video: