2006 Lexus Ls430 Base Sedan 4-door 4.3l on 2040-cars

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Lexus bringing next-gen IS to Detroit

With ES, GS and LS models all now minty fresh at your local Lexus showroom, it was only a matter of time before we had official word that the company's IS had a replacement in the wings. That word has come down today in an ultra brief press release that names the date and venue that the sheet will be pulled on the new car: January 15th in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show.
Don't pay too much attention to the test mule in these dusty spy shots, we're told that the small Lexus has been "completely redesigned" from the inside out and that it has drawn inspiration from the sultry LF-CC concept car. In LA we learned that the LF-CC has been green-lit for production, so we'd expect to see a lot of cues from that car (in the gallery below) lifted directly for the all-new IS. New fang-face, here we come.
While a coupe and a convertible version of the next IS are undoubtedly in the cards, too, we'd guess that the sedan will be first to go on stage at Detroit next month.

10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Lexus LC 500 coming to Detroit Auto Show

Believe it or not, it's been nearly four years since we first saw the Lexus LF-LC Concept. Its swoopy style and spindle grille kicked off a big design revolution for Lexus, and we saw a number of LF-LC design elements work their way onto production cars. But now, rumor has it a full-on production version will see the light of day, and soon. Motoring.com.au says the LC 500 coupe will show its face at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January, and we have little reason to doubt this. In fact, it's kind of been a long time coming. The LC was reportedly approved for production in 2013, and though we were told it might resurrect the SC name, Lexus filed copyright applications for "LC 500" and "LC 500h." Oh, and a prototype of this car was recently spotted testing. The LC 500 will arrive with – no surprise here – Lexus' naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8, plucked from the RC F and GS F. That said, Motoring says it could arrive with a new, 10-speed automatic transmission from Aisin. As for the LC 500h, Motoring thinks it'll be powered by a, 3.5-liter V6-based hybrid drive system that could produce something like 470 horsepower – not the current V6/hybrid unit from the GS 450h. A hotter LC F should follow in a couple of years, and earlier reports suggest it could make something like 600 horsepower. Of course, Lexus refuses to comment on future product speculation, so we don't have any official proof that this is actually happening. But it all makes a lot of sense. Watch this space in two months' time for more details.