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Refreshed 'exciting' Lexus ES takes a bow in Shanghai along with RX 200t

We were expecting a refresh and that's what we got. The 2016 Lexus ES, taken to "the next level of elegance and progressive luxury." A new front fascia design goes even bolder on the spindle grille, hiding the crossmember that separated the upper and lower sections, and rimming the whole thing with satin chrome. It's flanked by new LED projector headlights with the brand's pronounced "arrowhead" DRLs, and new triangular foglights laid into a matching sharp-edged motif. In back you'll find new taillights and chrome-tipped rectangular exhaust tips. In between those two ends, the body has been stiffened and gotten more sound-deadening material. The list of exterior hues grows to ten with the addition of Amber, Nightfall Mica, Caviar, and Eminent White Pearl. A new 20-spoke wheel joins the options list for non-hybrid models, whereas hybrids get a 10-spoke design. The cabin also broadens its tonal range in a variety of materials, with seats available in Flaxen, Parchment, Stratus Gray, and Black, and trim pieces in a choice of Illustrious Piano Black, Linear Dark Mocha Wood, Espresso Bird's Eye Maple with Shimamoku ornamentation, and matte Bamboo. Other touches include a new steering wheel, an embossed pattern on the seats, a leather boot for the gearshift, and a larger TFT display in the gauge cluster. Our engine options here won't change, but China, Russia, and Taiwan will be offered a 2.0-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder designed for China's emissions scheme. A new engine was also the news with the Lexus RX 200t rocking the dais at the Shanghai Motor Show, unveiled to the world next to its ES sibling. Available in certain international markets but not in the US, the RX 200t is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder working through a six-speed automatic transmission. Lexus hasn't released its official horsepower number, but says it's going for more than 228 horsepower; in the NX 200t it gets 235 horsepower 258 pound-feet of torque. You can check out the press release below for more details. Related Video: Refreshed 2016 Lexus ES Fuses Striking Design with Refinement and Safety at Shanghai International Motor Show Lexus RX 200t Also Makes Global Debut Active Safety Technology Integrated Into Lexus Safety System+ April 19, 2015 SHANGHAI, China (April 20, 2015) - As the best-selling sedan model in Lexus' impressive stable, the ES has come to define the very essence of near luxury sedan.

MT digs deep, learns more about hot Lexus RC coupe

As we patiently wait for the all-new Lexus RC to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in November, Motor Trend has dug up some tasty info on the Japanese automaker's new coupe for us to discuss. While we already knew some speculative, but credible, details on the upcoming two-door Lexus, MT reportedly has the dish on some details of the hotter RC F coupe (shown in the spy shots above).
The article says that the F will carry a six-figure MSRP and use a 455-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 with cylinder deactivation, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Carbon fiber body components will help reduce curb weight, and the scooped hood is said to optimize aerodynamics as the car will reach a top speed of around 186 miles per hour. Specific high-speed handling improvements include specially developed Brembo brakes, a beefed-up suspension, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires and an automatic decklid spoiler.
As for other RC models, MT mentions the hybrid and V6 variants we already heard about, but it also says that the car could get a 2.0-liter turbo engine. This will probably be the engine used in the base model, which is expected to start at around $40,000. Head on over to Motor Trend for the full article, including a rendered image of the RC F.

The Lexus LC 500h has a four-speed auto and that's a good thing

Lexus is sharing some powertrain details on the LC 500h ahead of the big hybrid coupe's debut in Geneva. Its new gas-electric setup strays from Toyota's tried-and-true system found in everything from the Prius to the Lexus GS. It's called the Multi Stage Hybrid System that's designed for performance vehicles, and it has an antiquated-sounding piece of equipment buried deep inside that's supposed to make it more enjoyable to drive. The basics: In the LC 500h, its first application, the Multi Stage Hybrid System will consist of a 3.5-liter V6, a hybrid transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid transmission has an electric motor for motivation (and we're guessing a second for charging) and a four-speed automatic mounted to its rear, which either means inside or aft and in series. Why add ancient tech to a new hybrid system? Lexus says it preserves the connection between throttle input and engine speed that gets lost in a CVT. And while four seems like an insignificant sum in the face of nine- and 10-speed autos, remember that it is an infinite increase in gear count compared to CVT-packing hybrids. Toyota has been using versions of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system since the first Prius debuted in 1997, and the same system is sold under the Lexus Hybrid Drive banner in most of the luxury brand's offerings. These systems use what Toyota calls an e-CVT – two electric motors paired with a planetary gearset. This lets the engine and electric motors share the job of propelling the car – one motor handles charging of the battery and the other is primarily used to drive the wheels but can also recoup energy through regen. Like a conventional CVT, the planetary gearset arrangement allows the gas engine to run at its optimal engine speed when called upon for motivation and/or charging. But that doesn't make for the most exciting or familiar driving experience, as it affects both power delivery and the sound of the power being delivered. This is where the four-speed auto comes in. Based on the limited details Lexus has shared, our hunch is that the hybrid transmission will meld some form of the existing Lexus Hybrid Drive system with two more planetary gearsets, or the basic guts of a four-speed auto. This will provide the four fixed ratios and the feeling of actual shifting gears – because there will be actual gears shifting.