1997 Lexus Sc400 Base Coupe 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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2019 BMW M850i xDrive: How it compares on paper with other GT coupes

Although the hot new vehicles for the rich seem to mainly comprise SUVs and supercars, the neglected luxury GT coupe segment is starting to see some life again. The latest to add a spark to this set is the 2019 BMW M850i xDrive. It goes on sale later this year, and revives the 8 Series that's been dead since the 1990s. The first version available to Americans will be one with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, with other versions likely following. Before it launches, we wanted to get a lay of the grand-touring land and see how the new BMW stacks up to the competition in performance, practicality and price. While some of these models have higher-performance or more-affordable iterations, we picked the versions that would be the closest match to this 8 Series model. They include the 2019 Lexus LC 500, 2018 Mercedes-Benz SL 550, 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 560 Coupe and the 2018 Maserati GranTurismo. We will also provide some short summaries on our experiences with these cars, but to get a full picture of each model, be sure to check out their full reviews. And if you want to compare any of these cars with models you don't see here, be sure to try out our car comparison tool. Engines, transmissions and performance On paper, the BMW M850i xDrive is clearly the performer of the group. It has the most power and torque at 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet. Coupled with all-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic, the car is able to overcome its relatively portly 4,478-pound curb weight to hit 60 mph in a scant 3.6 seconds. That's more than half a second quicker than the lightest car in the group, the Mercedes-Benz SL550, which weighs 4,012 pounds. The other three vehicles are in the low- to mid-4-second range to 60 mph. Though the Maserati is the slowest to 60 mph, it does boast the highest top speed of 186 mph. The M850i and SL 550 are electronically limited to 155 mph, while the Lexus is limited to 168 mph. The Mercedes S 560 has the lowest top speed at an electronically limited 130 mph. View 52 Photos Of interest is that there's a 50/50 split among these cars between using a pair of turbos, and having none at all. The BMW and Mercedes resort to forced induction, whereas the Lexus and Maserati choose to stay naturally aspirated. This is likely why the Germans break 500 pound-feet of torque, while the others don't make it to 400. Also interesting is the spread of gear quantity. The Maserati has just six ratios to choose from, and the Lexus has a whopping 10.

Calgary Airport converts handicap parking to Lexus-only stalls

At the YYC Calgary International Airport, travelers found that the usual accessible parking spots (referred to handicap or disability parking here in the U.S.) near the doors had been painted over, no longer saved for the people who need them. Instead, they were reserved for Lexus drivers as part of a marketing campaign. Understandably, the airport received a complaint after a family with access needs entered the short-parking area to find the Lexus logos painted where the accessible parking had been, as CBC News reports. The airport had sold the spaces to Lexus as a way to generate revenue as part of a marketing campaign. Even worse, YYC hadn't replaced the accessible spaces yet, though Calgary Airport Authority spokesperson Jody Moseley told CBC News the airport was in the process of moving them when it started to draw attention. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The story ends well, however: The Calgary Airport Authority is converting the Lexus spaces back to accessible parking, and said in a statement of apology that the new accessible stalls meant to replace the original ones will also remain in place, so it's a net gain for disabled travelers. YYC also apologized to Lexus Canada, which it says "did not play a role in selecting, and was not aware of, the locations for the campaign." Lexus issued its own apology, saying it would "more carefully scrutinize the details of these types of marketing campaigns" in the future. Related Video: News Source: CBC News via JalopnikImage Credit: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Government/Legal Lexus Luxury parking disabilities airport handicapped accessibility airport parking

Lexus IS 250 to get new turbo four?

"All show, no go." That's how I described the 2014 Lexus IS 250 F Sport that you see above, when I reviewed it back in November. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about the new IS, but the 204-horsepower, 2.5-liter V6 in the IS 250 is not on that list. In my review, I suggested that Lexus ought to get on the bandwagon of offering a small-displacement, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine in its base IS (like its rivals), and now the folks at Motor Trend are furthering that discussion.
Lexus pulled the wraps off its new NX 200t crossover at the Beijing show recently, and it'll be the first vehicle in the company's lineup to use a brand-new - you guessed it - 2.0-liter turbo-four. With 238 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on tap, that represents a healthy increase over the 204 hp and anemic 185 lb-ft currently being offered with the 2.5-liter V6, and we imagine the fuel economy gains will be rather significant, too. For comparison, the Lexus' four-pot power numbers are very close to the 240 hp and 255 lb-ft offered in the same-sized engine that BMW uses in the 328i.
Motor Trend also posits that Lexus may consider changing the base IS' name from 250 to 200, or perhaps 200t, to properly reflect the new engine's displacement. Of course, that's assuming Lexus doesn't pull a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, and no longer has its alphanumeric names properly reflect the size of the powerplant found underhood.