1999 Lexus Rx300 ***mechanic Special*** on 2040-cars

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Next Lexus RX looks ready to roll

Lexus' bread-and-butter crossover, the RX, has been long overdue for a substantial redesign, with the current third-gen crossover entering its sixth year on sale. Considering this, it's no surprise that the fourth-generation RX is well on its way to production readiness, as evidenced by our latest round of spy photos. This new model looks larger than the current RX, like the wheelbase has been stretched, which would likely explain reports that the company was looking at an optional third-row for the mid-sizer. Aesthetically, the Lexus spindle grille is easy to spot, as are its aggressive headlamps. It's unclear based on these images if the RX will adopt the same styling statement seen on the RC, IS and NX, with sharp LED running lamps mounted below the actual headlights, but it certainly seems likely. Besides the design changes, our spies report that Toyota will be working hard to shed weight, likely through the use of aluminum for the doors, hood and rear hatch. Underhood, expect the typical combo of a gas-powered six-cylinder as well as the V6/hybrid setup found in Lexus' 450h models. As for when we could expect to see the next-gen RX, your guess is as good as ours. Geneva is, as always, a candidate, as is April's New York Auto Show. Of course, should we confirm a debut at either show, we'll be sure to let you know. Stay tuned.

Airbag recall widens to include BMW, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota

The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a roll in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time.
BMW is recalling an undisclosed number of 325i, 325Xi, 330i and 330Xi models from the 2001 through 2005 model years and the 2001-2006 model year versions of the 325Ci and 330Ci for the driver side and passenger side inflators. Only vehicles currently registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands are covered under this recall.
Neither Chrysler's filing with NHTSA nor its press release list the specific models affected, but a company spokesperson told Autoblog that at this time it only covers the driver and passenger side inflators for the 2006 Dodge Charger in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands

This Lexus hybrid will paint your self-portrait while you drive

To encourage better driving habits, some hybrids use leaves or tree graphics to portray how efficient or inefficiently a driver is, but Lexus has come up with a more unique method of relaying this information. For its Art Is Motion campaign, Lexus has equipped a Lexus IS300h with special software that enables the car to paint a portrait of the driver by combining the skills of generative artist Sergio Albiac with specific inputs from the driver.
A regular photograph is uploaded into the system, but the portrait will vary depending on how the car is driven. Using vehicle speed, engine speed and how often the hybrid system is used, the driver "paints" a self-portrait via the software that has cloned Albaic's creative process, which then shows up on the car's center display screen. If the driver is more cautious and maximizes electric driving, the image will be clear (as shown above), but if the driver accelerates heavily, the picture becomes more abstract. Similarly, slower speeds result in "colder" colors while higher speeds use "virulent" colors - perhaps signifying this type of driving isn't healthy for the environment.
For now, Lexus has only created one Art Is Motion IS300h, and it plans to auction off this car in the future. Lexus released three videos, which are all posted below, to show off this car, but there is no additional information yet about the auction.