2006 Lexus Lx 470 4dr Suv on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus still planning seven-seat crossover

In case you're thinking, "But Lexus already has a seven-seat crossover in the GX 460," that's actually a proper SUV - the body-on-frame kind with the massive footprint and floaty handling. A report in Automotive News says that Lexus is trying to figure out how to produce a true crossover with space for seven humans, with the options narrowed down to growing the RX (pictured) or sorting out a brand new model.
How badly does the brand want it? Its chief told AN that another row is first on the list of dealer requests, that the offering could be worth 35,000 more sales per year and they don't care if it eats into five-seater RX sales - "We want it." But hey, when 40 percent of monthly sales are made up of the RX, and Lexus moved more than 103,000 of them in 2013, it's understandable that the company wouldn't mind risking a small hit for the chance to increase sales by a third of their current levels.
Toyota applied to trademark the name TX and that's already been mooted in reports as a replacement for the GX, said to end its life in 2016. The latest report, however, suggests that the GX might not go away since it's "highly profitable for the automaker, even at low volumes," and that "TX coding could merely be for a seven-seat variant of the RX 350." AN also wonders if this larger hauler would stay on the recently lengthened Toyota Highlander platform, which offers meager third-row seating, or switch to the rear-wheel-drive platform used by the IS and GS for tauter responsiveness. With Lexus saying it will be at least two years before it could be brought to market, we have a while to wait yet to find out.

Lexus LF-LC Concept goes blue, remains happy

Until the day when we can see a production version of the Lexus LF-LC Concept, we'll just make do with seeing the sleek two-door in different colors for now. After first showing us the car in a Candy Apple Red color at the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus has brought its LF-LC Blue (in a deep ocean blue) from Down Under to LA.
Aside from the new color, there's nothing new for us to see here. That means we were still ogling over its flowing body lines, impressed by its 500-horsepower hybrid drive system and looking forward to possibly seeing the car go into production.

Lexus LF-NX gets turbocharged second act [w/video]

Don't let its supremely polarizing appearance fool you, this is not the Lexus LF-NX Concept that you (probably) had a strong reaction to when it debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The German version of the concept car featured a variant of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system, while this LF-NX Turbo, well, it has "turbo" in the name, you see?
If fact, the namesake turbo would appear to be the first for Lexus; getting off the line in the forced-induction race with a 2.0T four-cylinder engine that "paves the way for the introduction of turbocharged powerplants in future Lexus models." Sounds good to us. The new turbo four has plenty of tricky tech, too. Lexus tells us that the engine makes use of an advanced high tumble port, fan spray fuel injection, VVT-iw variable valve timing, an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and, of course, a twin-scroll turbo with active wastegate valve. The result is said to be a blown engine that offers quick throttle response and "exhilarating" performance, along with excellent fuel economy and low tailpipe emissions.
As for the rest of the LF-NX Turbo concept? Well, you've seen this angular concept crossover before, basically. There's a slightly tweaked front end and new wheels sitting in slightly cleaned-up wheel wells. The boldest-yet version of the spindle grille still bears an uncanny resemblance to The Predator, and the slightly revised exterior visuals won't change your made-up-mind about this vision of Lexus' future.