2006 Lexus Sc 430 Convertible W/ Navigation & Radar on 2040-cars

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Online Find of the Day: Lexus-engined Mercedes pickup is a vintage hybrid

You have to love someone who gets incredibly committed to a very weird idea. What you see for sale here is a right-hand drive 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220D in South Africa, but this old Mercedes is now converted into a pickup, complete with bed cover, and there's big secret under the hood, too.
The pickup conversion appears well done based on seller Sedgefield Classic Cars' photos. Even the tonneau cover fits well. You could almost believe that this Mercedes lived its life as a Chevrolet El Camino-like pickup from the very beginning.
However, the rear-quarters conversion might not be the weirdest thing about this Mercedes. The original diesel is gone from the engine bay in favor of a Lexus V8. It seems really odd to pop the hood and find a Japanese mill in this German car, but the photos make it look like a fairly well performed swap. So, bravo to the crazy thinking. According to the seller speaking to Autoblog by email, "as far as we can establish, this was done a few years ago, with all Lexus components."

Award-winning Lexus Sport Yacht to get a production successor

Imagine driving along a coastal road in the evening sun, listening to Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald or some other very smooth singer usually associated with the tag "Yacht Rock". Perhaps a Lexus coupe could very well suit that soft rock mental imagery, with "Sailing" playing from its Mark Levinson audio as you cruise down the road in a laid-back fashion. But you could in fact be sailing in a Lexus-branded boat, too. Revealed a year ago, the Lexus Sport Yacht isn't just a badge-engineering job: it was created by Lexus Design, engineered by Toyota's Marine Division and built by the Wisconsin-based boat manufacturer Marquis-Larson Boat Group. The one existing example has just now been honored at the Yokohama International Boat Show, by Japan's Boat of the Year committee. As Toyota's Executive Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama accepted the award, he also announced production plans for a globally sold Lexus Yacht. "Based on our amazing experiences in engineering, building, testing and showing the Lexus Sport Yacht concept last year, we've decided to take the next bold step of producing an all-new larger yacht that builds on the advanced nature of the concept while adding more comfort and living space," Tomoyama said. "We plan to start sales in the U.S. in the latter half of 2019, with sales in Japan following in the spring of 2020." The new, 65-foot yacht will be built in partnership with Marquis-Larson, and more details of it will be revealed later. Related Video:

Lexus promises to unveil two updated models at Pebble Beach

Lexus has announced it will stage the global debuts of two updated models at Pebble Beach later this week. But it isn't saying which models they will be. However we can take an educated guess or two. Two of the oldest nameplates in the Lexus lineup at present are its flagship models: namely, the LS sedan and the LX sport-ute. The original LS was first introduced back in 1989, with the current fourth-generation model rolled out in 2006. (That's the Pebble Beach edition of the 2009 LS 600h pictured above.) It's undergone incremental updates in the decade since, with the last one having arrived in 2012. With much newer examples of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series having recently been launched, Toyota will likely want to keep its flagship sedan up to date and competitive with newer rivals. Meanwhile the LX first launched in 1995 as a rebadged and luxed-up version of the Toyota Land Cruiser. The current third-generation model arrived in 2007, and was updated in 2012 alongside the aforementioned LS sedan. Sales of the LX have been floundering, spurring Lexus to potentially launch an entirely different flagship crossover to take its place. But before that happens, it is expected to launch another facelift for the existing model. Photos of that updated version have already leaked out and begun circulating, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the new LX 570 debut in Monterey as well. Both are expected to adopt more aggressive styling in line with other, newer models in the lineup, along with the latest technologies Toyota has to offer. Whatever form they take, we won't have to wait long to find out what Lexus has in store for us. The unveiling of both its freshly updated new models is set to take place on Thursday, so watch this space. Related Video: MEDIA ADVISORY - LEXUS TO UNVEIL TWO UPDATED MODELS AT PEBBLE BEACH August 10, 2015 -- Lexus plans to stage the global premiere of two updated models in Pebble Beach during the days leading up to the 2015 Concours d' Elegance. The reveal will take place at 7 p.m. PDT, Thursday, Aug. 13, and all materials will be available on www.LexusNewsroom.com simultaneously.