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Lexus goes from land yachts to water yachts with this boat concept

Just this week, Lexus unveiled its fully redesigned flagship, the LS sedan. But the term "flagship" seems a bit misplaced now that Lexus has revealed an actual ship. Well, the Lexus Sport Yacht may be a bit small to be called a ship, but it's as close as many automakers will get. According to Toyota, the idea for the boat came about when the company's CEO, Akio Toyoda, was trying out one of the marine division's new yachts that use Toyota diesel engines. He wanted to see what a sporty, luxury yacht using Lexus design would be like. At his behest, the Toyota Marine Department and Lexus got to work on the concept you see here. More than a clay model, this is a fully-functional nautical machine. The Lexus Sport Yacht was constructed from carbon fiber by Marquis-Carver Yacht Group in Wisconsin, and has a pair of V8 engines shared with the Lexus RC F (and GS F, and LC500). You can even see through the clear engine compartment cover that they share the same bright blue-painted intake manifolds. Compared with the automotive applications, each engine makes a bit less power at 440 horsepower. When you have two of them, though, that becomes less important. Together the engines' roughly 880 horsepower can propel the boat to a top speed of 49 mph. The Lexus Sport Yacht comes complete with many luxury amenities. There's seating for eight on the deck. Two of those seats fold out from either side of the captain's chair "for very special guests." The captain also has access to a pair of touchscreens, a small one in the wheel and a massive one ahead of it for instruments and other information. Down below, the forward passenger cabin is loaded with leather, wood, air conditioning, a table, and sofa seating for six. The yacht's galley has a sink, refrigerator, and stove, and the bathroom comes complete with a shower. Don't expect to see the yacht on sale anytime soon, since this is just a concept at the moment. That being said, luxury automakers, including Aston Martin and Mercedes, have started competing in the yacht market. And while Toyota's marine division hasn't built a pleasure boat since the Epic line, it probably wouldn't be too difficult for the company to start building this Lexus. Related Video:

Best luxury SUVs of 2022 and 2023

Once upon a time, the idea of a luxury SUV meant a Range Rover, and even that was pretty agricultural by modern standards. Then Jeep Grand Cherokees and Ford Explorers started offering fancy, range-topping versions followed soon by Lexus, BMW and Mercedes dipping their toes in the water. And then the floodgates opened. Today, there is a staggering number of luxury SUVs available in every shape, size and price point. There are electric luxury SUVs like the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, as well as gas-swilling, high-performance SUVs like the BMW X5 M and Cadillac Escalade V. Sports car makers Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have even dived in.  But of this great many, which are the best luxury SUVs? We sat down, scoured our reviews, took some votes, had some discussions and came up with the luxury SUVs we view as the best. They are listed alphabetically within the six segments listed below.  Best Subcompact Luxury SUV   |   Best Compact Luxury SUV   |   Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Two-Row) Best Midsize Luxury SUV (Three-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Two-Row)   |   Best Flagship Luxury SUV (Three-Row)  Best subcompact luxury SUVs Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class Why it stands out: Outstanding space and versatility; legit luxury interior; amusing GLB 35 versionCould be better: Overwhelming and confusing tech interface Most subcompact luxury SUVs are a dubious value, with cramped interiors of marginal quality and unrefined driving dynamics. You'd be much better off paying less money for a loaded, non-luxury compact SUV. The Mercedes GLB is different, though. Its boxy design provides space few other subcompact SUV can match (luxury or otherwise), while its cabin design and feature content are in keeping with pricier Mercedes models. The quality's not exactly up to GLC standards, nor is driving refinement, but the difference is appropriate for how much you're saving and still perfectly acceptable. There's nothing dubious about buying a GLB.     Volvo XC40 Why it stands out: More features for the money; spacious and versatile interior; distinctive design; electric versionCould be better: Fuel-efficient base engine only available with FWD Most subcompact luxury models feel a bit like cheap knockoffs of their bigger, pricier brand mates. The XC40, by contrast, is a break from the Volvo norm in a good way.

Like sands through the hourglass, so is the 2014 Lexus GX

Well, that didn't take long. Just days after patent images leaked, Lexus has released pricing and images for its redesigned 2014 GX 460. Our first reaction is... wow, look at the front end on that! The updated luxury SUV features what Lexus calls "a new interpretation" of its now-trademark Spindle grille. The oversized hourglass shape is certainly unique, and whether for good or bad, it's sure to make the GX stand out.
The redesigned GX is set to hit dealerships in September and it starts at $49,085 - nearly $5,000 less than the 2013 model. Along with the new grille, it comes with standard LED headlights and daytime running lights. Inside, the GX boasts a new eight-inch touchscreen display with backup monitor, HD radio with complimentary weather and traffic data, Bluetooth and a vehicle information display. New espresso wood with black trim is also available for 2014.
Of course, the Luxury model, which starts at $60,715, adds even more frills, including navigation, a new Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, adaptive air suspension and Intuitive Parking Assist. Some of these features are also available on the base model with the addition of the new Premium Package, which Lexus touts "will be at the same price as the base 2013 model year GX 460."