2014 Lexus Es 350 Base on 2040-cars

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Post-earthquake, Toyota prepares to reopen some plants in Japan

Toyota will restart vehicle production at most of its closed factories in Japan next week, but the factories that build the Mirai and many Lexus models will remain closed through at least April 28 and possibly longer. The earthquakes around the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu forced the automaker to stop most of its assembly throughout the country due to a lack of parts supply. Toyota will reopen the plants in phases from April 25 to 28. However, the Motomachi factory with its LFA works, which makes the Mirai, and the Miyata factory will remain closed. These sites also build the Lexus NX, RX, ES, GS, and CT, according to Toyota. The automaker didn't say when production would begin again or how this would affect vehicle supply. "In the update, we received this morning from TMC, they said that at this stage it is too soon to tell what the impact on production will be, so we can't say yet whether there might be vehicle shortages in the US," spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. While the quakes were focused on Kyushu, they damaged Aisin Seiki factories, which supplied parts to Toyota plants across the country. The automaker worked with its partner to import the necessary components from China and Mexico, and Aisin started moving molds from the damaged plants to operational ones in Japan, which gets production under way sooner. Automotive News Europe estimates the week of lost production cuts total assembly by 90,000 vehicles. It could cost Toyota the equivalent of $458.2 million to $641.5 million. The company could make up some of the losses through overtime. Toyota says these plans are subject to change because on ongoing tremors in the region, which could cause more damage. Reuters reported there was a magnitude 5.5 aftershock in the Kumamoto area on April 19. So far, the quakes have killed at least 47 people and around 100,000 people have moved to evacuation centers. Toyota to Restart Production on Vehicle Assembly Lines in Japan from April 25 Apr. 20, 2016 Toyota City, Japan, April 20, 2016-Between April 25 and 28, Toyota will restart production on most of its vehicle assembly lines in Japan. On April 17, Toyota announced that, due to parts shortages resulting from the severe earthquakes that struck Japan's island of Kyushu last week, production would be suspended on almost all of its vehicle assembly lines in stages between April 18 and 23.

Lexus teases Detroit-bound F Performance Coupe... again

A few weeks ago, Lexus released a teaser image of its upcoming Detroit Auto Show reveal, simply calling it the "next Lexus F." Now, a new shot of the Detroit-bound car has been sent out, and while we still don't know what the new model will be called, we can tell you this: it's a coupe.
Originally, we assumed the new Lexus F model would be the successor to the IS F sedan. But now that we know it'll be a two-door, it stands to reason that this could be the performance oriented version of the 2015 RC coupe that made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year. Of course, Lexus is still keeping quiet on any specifics, simply stating that the company "will unleash its upcoming F model as a coupe, conceived with grit, an entirely new expression of design and uncompromising performance."
The official name of the new F model is set to be revealed in early January, likely just before its official debut in Detroit. Stay tuned for more, and scroll down to read Lexus' very brief press blast.

Are you the 2016 Lexus LX 570? [w/video]

What we appear to have here is our first glimpse at the updated 2016 Lexus LX 570. The luxury counterpart to the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Lexus LX first arrived in 1996. It entered its current third generation in 2007 and underwent a facelift in 2012. That would make it prime for replacement, but if this leaked image is anything to go by, Lexus has apparently opted to give it another refresh to keep it relevant for a little while longer. Reportedly leaked by Japanese magazine Best Car (and coming to us in the YouTube video below through Arabic publication Almuraba), the image shows what looks to be an updated version of the existing LX. The shape looks largely the same, but with a pronounced take on the brand's signature spindle grille dominating an even more aggressive face, flanked by sharper headlights and boomerang-shaped DLRs. The inset image ostensibly shows a revised version of the existing model's interior, with what appears to be a slightly larger infotainment display in the center of the dashboard. Given the subtle visual enhancements, it does not appear likely that Lexus has changed much under the hood, where the current model (in North America at least) packs a 5.7-liter V8, driving 383 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. That giant engine could probably benefit from some fuel-saving measures, but we'll have to wait for the full reveal to find out one way or another. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.