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Lexus RC F takes star turn in 'Men in Black: International' blockbuster

Here's a little car candy for the holidays. There have been three :Men in Black" films, the last one in 2012 (even though it seems a lot longer ago, doesn't it?). "Men in Black: International," due for release on June 14, looks like it will showcase its vehicles in a way the previous movies didn't, starting with getting the Lexus RC F ready for its close-up. This will be Lexus' second blockbuster turn in two years, after putting an LC in the line of fire in this year's "Black Panther". And if "MIB: International" gives off the whiff of petrol, that's at last partly because F. Gary Gray directs, the man behind 2003's "The Italian Job " and 2017's " The Fate of the Furious." This is the first "MIB" to give the agents a whiz-bang modern car. The most modern vehicle previously was a "new hotness" 2003 Mercedes-Benz E550 in the 2002 sequel, but that was primarily a joke referring to the 1986 Ford LTD, referred to as a "Ford P.O.S.," in the first movie. The third film, which took place in the sixties, used a 1964 Ford Galaxie. "MIB: International" includes a few throwbacks to the movies and the television series. The RC F goes airborne with the help of a big red button, just like that '86 LTD. A bigger and better hovercycle ties into the hovercycle from the TV show. The all-new move comes with a mid-seventies Jaguar XJ; whereas the first agents merely retrieved their weapons from the trunk, the XJ not only holds weapons, it disassembles into weapons systems. As Jalopnik noted, in many ways this movie " looks just like 'Thor: Ragnarok' but set in a different universe." Should go well enough with a bucket of popcorn and pail of Coca-Cola, though. Related Video:

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

Toyota aims to build autonomous car around 2020 [w/videos]

The race is on to get increasingly sophisticated forms of autonomous driving technology on the road, and brands like Tesla are bringing these solutions to some drivers now. But as one of the world's largest automakers, it's no surprise to see Toyota competing in the field, as well. By 2020, the company thinks a person could be largely unnecessary for freeway trips. With a suite of tech called the Highway Teammate, a modified Lexus GS is already showing what's possible. Using a combination of millimeter wave radar, LIDAR, and cameras, the GS gets a full view of the road, and software processes all of the info to make decisions. The result is a ride on the freeway without human interaction. The system can merge, change lanes, make passes, take curves, and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Accurate map data is a necessity to make this work, so the system currently only being tested on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. While Highway Teammate might not be the best name, it accurately communicates the way Toyota thinks of the tech. The company is making big investments in artificial intelligence to assist drivers, not completely replace them. You can see the system in action in the video below, and the second clip's gravely serious narrator explains the company's idea of having a fully connected road someday. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. New Toyota Test Vehicle Paves the Way for Commercialization of Automated Highway Driving Technologies Toyota City, Japan, October 6, 2015-Toyota has been testing a new automated driving test vehicle called Highway Teammate, with the aim of launching related products by around 2020. In addition to demonstrating the capabilities of next-generation safety technologies, the vehicle represents Toyota's view of the evolving driver-car relationship in the age of artificial intelligence. Toyota believes that interactions between drivers and cars should mirror those between close friends who share a common purpose, sometimes watching over each other and sometimes helping each other out. Toyota refers to this approach as the Mobility Teammate Concept, and Highway Teammate represents an important first effort to give form to this concept.