2005 Lexus Sc430 Hardtop Convertible, Black/cream, Loaded, Great Condition!! on 2040-cars

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TMG's super Lexus LS Sports 650 gets track tested

The people at Toyota Motorsport GmbH have been responsible for the Japanese automaker's motorsports efforts since the 1970s, but since Toyota pulled out of Formula One after the 2009 season, the tuning shop has been developing a super sedan based on the Lexus LS called the Sports 650. Details on TMG's first road car have been scarce, but XCAR was recently invited to drive the 641-horsepower Lexus on track.
Here's what we know: the Sports 650 has enough power to sprint to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds, tops out at 199 mph, weighs over two tons and utilizes LFA brakes. Oh, and its twin-turbo V8 bellows like an AMG V8. That last part isn't surprising when considering TMG could become Toyota's in-house tuning arm - like AMG is to Mercedes-Benz. As for the bespoke body kit, fender flares and stacked exhaust pipes? They fit the car well and even remind us a bit of Lexus' other high-performance sedan, the IS F. Currently there are no plans for the Sports 650 to be made into a production car, but we doubt TMG is devoting this much effort developing the LS into a road-rocket for nothing.
Check out XCAR's video below to see the AMG-fighter wrung out on track, and then ponder what could be if TMG were let loose to fiddle with other cars in Lexus' lineup. Now that's something we could get used to!

Stand out in the parking lot | 2017 Lexus NX 200t F-Sport Quick Spin

Timing is a funny thing. As I'm writing this mini-review of the Lexus NX 200t, which has been out for several years and used the brand's first turbocharged engine in America, a newly-revised NX just debuted in China. It doesn't have much bearing on my thoughts about the CUV, but it does go to show the growing importance of China for luxury manufacturers like Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. It's been almost three years since we drove the NX 200t for the first time. Back then, our reviewer was impressed by how different it felt from the RAV4 – the two vehicles share a platform, although Lexus claims 90 percent of the NX is distinct from its Toyota cousin. The biggest differences are styling and, more important, the powertrain. With turbocharging going very mainstream in the intervening years, how does the NX200t hold up? I spent a week in an F-Sport trim in a striking orange color to find out for myself. It took a little while for me to warm up to the powertrain. Even in Sport mode, things seem ... well, they seem a little sluggish. The NX has a funny way of expressing its slightly more than adequate horsepower and torque by requiring a hefty punt to spool up the turbo and get things moving along. Normal drive mode could pass for an economy setting. Back in 2014 when this thing was new, it was clear that the RAV4 connection doesn't matter as much as we, as enthusiasts, would think. It's easy for us to fixate on what vehicle is related to what platform, and which way its engine sits. And that's good! We need to do that. But Lexus determined that they didn't need it to sit on a rear-drive sportscar platform because of course not! It's a little crossover. From a packaging standpoint, that'd be idiotic, and from a marketing standpoint likewise. Not to say that buyers of the NX 200t aren't discerning. But I think their priorities and desires probably align with what Lexus decided to produce. This is good and proper. Also, it beats the heck out of a RAV4. I love the seats. Every body is different, sure. But these seats are completely spot on for what my body needs. They're sporty-looking without resorting to immense bolsters that pinch the torso, and they're very supportive. I wouldn't say they're the best seat's I've tried out of the hundreds of cars I've driven over the years, but they're probably the best small crossover seats I can recall. To put it in different terms, on some long road trips you need to stop just to stretch – that's not the case here.

Lexus gives Jay Leno a shot at driving its 2014 IS

After we drove a prototype of the 2014 Lexus IS, we were told that Lexus was shipping it back to Japan. As it turns out, late-night funnyman Jay Leno was already in the motherland with the coming sport sedan, and he lapped it around Fuji Motor Speedway with Chief Engineer Junichi Furuyama.
This was probably during his LFA drive two months ago, actually, when Furuyama-san was even more tight-lipped about the IS than he was a week ago, so Leno has to make the best guesses he can. Leno goes over the whole car, then takes it out for a casual spin, so at least you get to see it in action. As for Jay's take, you'll just have to watch the video below to find out.