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Lexus LF-LC GT ready to hit Gran Turismo

Lexus might not have as rich a motorsport history as its parent company Toyota does, but it's not been without its racing activities – fielding the LFA in the VLN series at the Nurburgring and powering Daytona Prototypes in American endurance racing, but especially in Japan's own Super GT touring car series. That's where it recently rolled out the RC F GT500 is to replace the aging SC430, fighting for the championship last season right up to the bitter end. And this year it will bring a similar version of the RC F to GT3 racing as well. But before it does, the Japanese automaker has given us another racing machine to lust over – only this one is just for the virtual reality of Gran Turismo 6. Following the two teaser images that previewed its reveal, Polyphony Digital (the studio behind the Gran Turismo franchise) has revealed the new Lexus LF-LC GT. The latest in the Vision Gran Turismo series of virtual racers, the Lexus concept starts with the LF-LC show car revealed at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2012, but applies to it some of the same queues as the aforementioned RC F racer. The bodywork melds into extended aprons to keep the car glued to the digital track, there's a side-exit exhaust, carbon hood and roof, a giant rear wing, gargantuan diffuser and lightweight alloys on racing slicks. It's even got the rainbow-swirled white paint job of the RC F GT3 concept. Technical details weren't released, but then this concept wasn't designed to hit any real road or track any time in the near future, anyway. Related Video:

Lexus LC 500 gets customized at SEMA before it even goes on sale

We still have to wait until next year for Lexus to start delivering the gorgeous new LC 500 to dealer showrooms, but that little fact didn't stop Lexus from letting people modify it for SEMA. The first LC coupe to get the custom treatment is this bright yellow example modified by Gordon Ting and Beyond Marketing. Prospective LC 500 buyers who want to modify their rides won't have to wait long do start adding these parts to their cars. Because Lexus let these companies develop parts this far in advance, the parts should be available around the same time as the car. On the outside, the LC 500 gets a new Artisan Spirit body kit that consists of a front diffuser, fender flares, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. The car also has a lower stance thanks to a kit developed by KW Suspension. It features adjustable springs for ride height, plus a hydraulic lift system to keep the custom body work from scraping. The Lexus rolls on HRE P101 wheels that are stopped by Brembo brakes. The other highlight of this custom Lexus is under the hood. The LC 500 comes with a 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 that's also found in the RC F and GS F. However, the engine development team at Hard Media, Inc. and D SPORT Magazine had the engine rebuilt with CP pistons and Carrillo connecting rods, and it was given new cylinder sleeves from LA Sleeves to increase bore-size. The end result is a 5.6-liter engine making 525 horsepower. According to Lexus, 525 horsepower is far from the limit of this engine, saying that its capabilities could be, and in fact "have been more than doubled." If anyone at Lexus is reading this, we don't doubt the claim, but we'd also be more than happy to see this capability proven. Perhaps at next year's SEMA show? Related Video: Featured Gallery Customized Lexus LC 500: SEMA 2016 View 9 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Aftermarket SEMA Show Lexus Coupe Luxury lexus lc 500 SEMA 2016

These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.