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2013 Lexus LS460 F-Sport AWD

Gary Approved
There's a guy that goes to my gym who can't get enough of the Lexus LS - let's call him Gary. Gary's the guy - you've probably got one at your gym, or coffee shop, or some other public but quasi-social location - who talks to everyone he meets. Sit next to him on the rowing machine or run by him on the track, and he's almost certainly going to bend your ear for a minute or 20. Gary is in his mid-60s, a business owner, and the super-proud owner of a 2013 Lexus LS.
Not being a shy man, Gary will be the first one to tell you that he didn't do much comparative shopping (he "drove by" the BMW dealership, and looked at a 7 Series "on the computer"). Being a satisfied former owner of multiple Lexus RXs, there was probably only a tiny statistical chance that Gary wouldn't end up in an LS when it came time for him to treat himself to the tricked out luxury car that he'd wanted for a long time. Still, when I found myself chatting with Gary about his new LS, right after I had spent a wintry week in the 2013 LS460 F-Sport AWD, I figured that he'd have some light to shed on the car.

2015 Lexus GS 450h also getting F Sport treatment

Lexus is making the 2015 model year version of the GS 450h a bit more appealing with the addition of 18-inch, split five-spoke wheels as standard equipment, and the optional F Sport package to really turn things up. The infotainment system is also getting a few, minor tweaks. Lexus has not officially released photos of the GS 450h F Sport, or a car with the updated wheels.
Previously exclusive to the GS 350, the F Sport package sharpens up the GS 450h behind the wheel to make it a bit more engaging. Ticking that box sharpens the adaptive suspension, especially in Sport S+ mode, and it adds 19-inch wheels with larger front brakes and high-friction pads, as well. If buyers want to go even further, the Lexus Dynamic Handling system is also available to add active rear steering, Lexus spokesperson Bill Kwong told Autoblog. The powertrain is left alone, though, and its hybrid-assisted 3.5-liter V6 producing 338 total system horsepower still returns 29 miles per gallon city, 34 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined.
The F Sport package also adds a mesh grille and new front bumper and, at the back end, buyers get a rear lip spoiler and revised lower valence panel. Inside, there's a sport driver's seat with 16-way power adjustability, a black headliner and added aluminum trim.

Lexus RC media event in Japan canceled over lack of interest

It's a good thing senior editor Seyth Miersma doesn't live in Japan, or he wouldn't have been able to snap a photo like the one you see here, of a fresh-off-the-line Lexus RC F on hand at a first drive for media. That's because Toyota's Japanese arm has outright canceled its RC press launch. Sure, we've heard about events being delayed, but canceled? That's rare. Even worse is the reason: according to Automotive News, the event was nixed due to lack of interest. Wow.
In an email to media, Lexus said the event "has been canceled due to insufficient attendance," according to AN. The News posits that perhaps it would have just been better to hold the event anyway, in an attempt to save face, and that this is another example of the Japanese culture (especially youth) becoming less and less interested in cars. Of course, there's also the thought that local media just didn't want to drive out to Yokohama to drive the RC on a not-so-sexy press launch, which, if you ask us, is an incredibly lame excuse (do your jobs, folks!).
Either way, will this bode well for the Lexus RC's public launch? Will it receive the same lukewarm response when it arrives at Japanese dealers? We'll see.