2004 Lexus Sc430 Base Convertible 2-door 4.3l on 2040-cars

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Toyota wants improved crash scores with midcycle facelifts

The performances of some Toyotas in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) regimen of crash tests leave something to be desired. Consider the small overlap frontal crash test: only six Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles have undergone the new test, yet all but one of them received a poor rating. Osama Nagata, CEO of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., says midcycle vehicle updates are in the works to address the safety issues brought to light by the IIHS test, Automotive News reports. He confirmed that the RAV4 is getting safety updates following its crash test performance last month, but he didn't name any other models.
All three Toyotas that were tested - 2013 RAV4, 2012-2013 Prius V, 2012-2013 Camry - received poor ratings. The 2007-2012 Lexus ES 350 and 2006-2013 IS 250/350 also received poor ratings. The only other Toyota Motor Corp. vehicle to score better than poor is the 2014 Scion TC. It received an acceptable rating in the small overlap frontal crash test and is the only recent vehicle in Toyota's line-up to get the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating.
The small overlap front crash test measures the safety of a car when its front left corner is strikes an object during an accident, bypassing traditional crumple zones, which deform in a way to protect passengers. In 2009, automakers were alerted to the forthcoming addition of the test, which was first implemented last year, IIHS spokesman Russ Rader says. They responded with differing intensity, he says, pointing out that Subaru and Honda started incorporating design changes early on so their cars would perform well in the tests.

2014 Lexus IS 350

Long regarded as one of the best driver's cars of all time, the BMW 3 Series has always been targeted by luxury automakers trying to create their own exciting, bang-for-the-buck sport sedan. For years, BMW has managed to ward off would-be rivals to its iconic 3 Series, but the combination of a softened F30 and solid, hard-hitting competitors could soon relieve the car of its crown. While the all-new Cadillac ATS has received the most publicity in this segment since its introduction, the 2014 Lexus IS has come on strong in its third generation to put plenty of heat on the 3 Series as the current-best luxury sport sedan.
The IS might be Lexus' most important launch in some time, as a new, strong attempt to draw younger buyers into showrooms. Rather than taking the same conservative path as the preceding IS, Lexus attacked the new car's design with enthusiasm. Exaggerated exterior styling, while certainly polarizing, definitely gets this car noticed.
We've certainly noticed the 2014 IS, with a couple of first drives (for the IS 250 prototype and the IS 350 F Sport) and a Quick Spin so far. This time around we had a chance to get a little more intimate with a staple of the new IS lineup: the non-F Sport, rear-wheel-drive IS 350.

Lexus building just 650 Black Line RC coupes

Lexus has yet another limited edition line of cars on the way, following up on its special RC F and GS F models. The new edition is the RC F Sport Black Line, and it's actually not available on the V8 RC F. It's only for the turbocharged four-cylinder RC 300 and naturally aspirated V6 RC 350. What the package adds is either gloss black or silver paint accented by black chrome trim on the grille and windows rather than the standard shiny silver chrome. Other exterior details include matte black wheels and brake calipers in either orange or black. The black and orange theme continues inside, where orange stitching stands out against a black interior. The steering wheel is unique to the special edition and has black-stained wood trim. The special edition goes on sale this spring. Only 650 examples will be built. In addition to being available on either the four-cylinder or V6 models, it can be had with rear- or all-wheel-drive. The base prices start at $52,725 for the rear-drive four-cylinder and go up to $57,115 for the all-wheel-drive V6. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Lexus RC F Sport Black Line: New York 2018 View 13 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com New York Auto Show Lexus Coupe Luxury lexus rc