2018 Lexus Rx F Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus takes aim at electric vehicles, again

Lexus is once again taking aim at plug-in vehicles by emphasizing the perceived challenges of recharging batteries, rather than simply filling up with gas or hydrogen. Only this time, Toyota's luxury division appears to be zigging while everyone else is zagging. Of course, the nameplate can use all the help it can get when it comes to hybrid sales. First highlighted by Green Car Reports, Lexus has added a banner to the website of its hybrid vehicles that says "Always Charged. Always Ready." That's a not-so-veiled shot at plug-in vehicles, a sector where Toyota has minimal exposure. Lexus also notes of its hybrid vehicles that there's "nothing to plug in." Of course, there may be sour grapes at play. Through September, sales of its five hybrid models in the US dropped 17 percent from a year earlier to about 21,500 units, and September was particularly tough as hybrid sales plunged 34 percent to almost 1,800 units. Even so, the third quarter likely represented a record when it came to plug-in vehicle sales. We say "likely" because Tesla doesn't break out its US sales, and not all automakers disclose sales of their plug-ins. We calculate that sales for the quarter were at about 36,000 vehicles, up 38 percent from a year earlier. For now, Lexus doesn't sell a fuel-cell model, though it may sell a fuel-cell version of the Lexus LS full-size sedan. Toyota, of course, offers the Mirai, which has moved about 710 units this year. Lexus has gone down this proverbial road before. In 2014, the brand unveiled a similar campaign that highlighted how long it took to recharge EVs, and was ultimately taken to task by electric-vehicle advocates Plug-In America. Lexus apologized for offending anyone and said it'd review content related to hybrid advertising. Doesn't seem like an apology is in order this time out, but that doesn't mean that it's a good strategy. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Lexus LC 500h View 40 Photos News Source: Green Car Reports Green Marketing/Advertising Recalls Lexus Toyota Hybrid

Lexus boots up 2014 IS configurator

Throw away those scraps of paper and pull yourself up to a keyboard, as Lexus has launched the online configurator for its all-new 2014 IS sedan. The base price for the entry-level IS 250 RWD is $36,845 (all listed prices include the $895 delivery fee), delivering a 2.5-liter V6 rated at 204 horsepower that provides enough thrust for a 0-60 sprint in 7.7 seconds. The range-topping IS 350 AWD starts at $42,595, packed with a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 306 horsepower that will deliver 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.
After choosing an engine and driveline, the configurator will offer eight exterior colors and five interior upholstery shades (some combinations, such as selecting Obsidian over Rioja Red NuLuxe leather, require upgrades such as the F Sport package). Consumers are then offered four different bundled option packages as enhancements. The least expensive is Navigation ($4,670), followed by the aforementioned F Sport ($5,800) and a choice between two luxury packages ($7,195) with light or dark wood trim.
Last to come are the accessories and dealer-installed options such as remote engine start, glass-break sensor, wheel locks and a cargo net. Go crazy with your choices, as we did, and the price will exceed $50,000. Head over to the Lexus IS configurator, and check it out for yourself.

Lexus RC F glows with your heartbeat

It's not uncommon to see all manner of sensors being installed inside new cars these days, monitoring everything from ambient noise to our levels of alertness. The question is what the automakers will do with the information gathered by those sensors, and we've seen some fairly novel innovations. This latest solution from Lexus may not be the most useful, but it's definitely one of the most interesting we've seen to date. The Japanese luxury automaker's Australian division cooked up this special RC F show car with a heart-rate monitor and a special electroluminescent paint job. The sensors detect how fast the driver's heart is beating, and displays it accordingly down the side of the car's flanks. In daylight it looks like it's painted plain old ordinary silver, and otherwise it's the same luxury muscle coupe we know, with a 5.0-liter V8 churning out 467 horsepower in resolute defiance of the downsizing/turbocharging trend that's sweeping the industry. The project was cooked up by creative agency M&C Saatchi and uses glow-in-the-dark paint from American specialist Lumilor. The vehicle is set to be unveiled over the weekend, but you can scope it out now in the images below and the preview video above. Is it pointless? Almost entirely. Does that make it any less cool? Of course not. 22 July 2015 LEXUS GETS PULSES RACING WITH WORLD'S FIRST HEARTBEAT CAR Lexus Australia has developed the world's first vehicle to display a heartbeat on its exterior in a demonstration of advanced technology and the connection between man and machine. The Japanese luxury marque collaborated with creative agency M&C Saatchi to produce a one-off RC F V8 coupe that integrates a series of technologies to display a person's heartbeat in the vehicle's bodywork. The first stage of the system works by transmitting the heartbeat of a connected person from a heart rate monitor to a bespoke electrical system in the RC F. The on-board system captures and processes the data before sending an electric charge through the RC F's body panels that are painted in electroluminescent paint developed by US-based specialist Lumilor. This innovative paint finish glows when the electrical charge runs through it and displays the person's heartbeat via a real-time animation sequence. Lexus Australia chief executive Sean Hanley said the heartbeat car comes in the wake of other innovative brand activities in 2015 and an ongoing commitment to the development of high performance Lexus F vehicles.