2006 Lexus Gs 300 V6 3.0l Glacier Frost White Awd Navigation W/ Rear View Camera on 2040-cars

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Lexus thinks small with ultra-compact LF-SA concept

Lexus used the Geneva Motor Show to premiere its concept for a forward-thinking 2+2 urban vehicle, the LF-SA. The concept is small – Lexus says it's an "ultra-compact sub-B-segment" vehicle – and it is designed for maneuverability and agility on congested city streets. It also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first Lexus, the LS400. The LF-SA has prominent wheel arches, the signature Lexus spindle grille and L-shaped headlights. Lexus calls the appearance "a Time in Design styling approach, in which perceptions of the vehicle change when it is viewed from different angles." It was penned in Toyota's European design studio. It's all capped with a striking paint color, called "Silver Stellar," that the automaker claims is meant to evoke space exploration. The inside has room for two, but it is biased toward the driver. The pedals and steering wheel are adjustable, and the passenger seat is slide adjustable to allow access to the rear. Perhaps the coolest feature is the infotainment system's hologram-style display. The LF-SA leaked last week, and the live shots from Geneva prove it's worth another look. Related Video: Lexus LF-SA World debut at the 2015 Geneva motor show European debut for the Lexus GS F and LF-C2 roadster concept The new Lexus LF-SA concept makes its world debut today at the 2015 Geneva motor show. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the very first Lexus, the LS400 saloon. To celebrate this milestone, Lexus challenged ED2, its European design studio, to create a concept of an ultra-compact (sub-B-segment) urban 2+2 model. The LF-SA Concept explores unexpected territory for the brand in a powerful, emotional execution that illustrates Lexus's passion for up-coming design trends. The LF-SA Concept is also a driver-focused vehicle, reflecting Lexus's vision that in a future world where technology and virtual experiences are expected to hold more sway, the real driving experience could become the ultimate luxury. Taking that insight as inspiration, the new concept presents an audacious interpretation of Lexus's L-finesse design philosophy, while never losing sight of the requirement for driving pleasure – a quality that will always be a defining element of Lexus's progressive luxury.

Lexus GX has quietly more than doubled its sales this year

There are some things in this industry that we're perplexed by, like the infotainment system on our long-term Subaru WRX or why the Mitsubishi Mirage is allowed to exist, among other things. Let's add one more to that group, with the Lexus GX. It's not a particularly bad vehicle for a big, body-on-frame brute, remaining one of the only true SUVs in the mid-size luxury class, alongside the equally old fashioned Land Rover LR4.
Considering these things, then, what we're about to tell you makes very little sense - sales are up 135 percent through last month. The Japanese luxury marque has moved over 5,300 during the first six months of 2014, owing in no small part to a significant price drop over the 2013 model. Today, a GX starts at $49,085, while a year ago, it was $53,445.
Don't mistake this price decrease for charity, though. Lexus specifically built a lower-cost GX to lure in customers. According to WardsAuto, faux leather covers the cabin rather than the real stuff, while the overall package is decontented relative to what you might find in a typical Lexus.

2015 Lexus RC F

I didn't get a chance to drive the Lexus IS F until 2009, two years after the car had gone on sale, but I still vividly remember the day it happened. Having piloted almost every other vehicle in the Lexus lineup at that point, I was stoked to finally get some wheel time in the V8-powered, flared-fender muscle sedan, but fully expected the car to offer a quick, sanitized and ultimately un-driverly experience. Lexus built well-screwed-together, comfortable, quiet, reliable luxury cars for the timid, right?
As it turned out, I was 100-percent incorrect. When the premium brand's lauded "skunkworks team" crammed that massive V8 into the innocent IS, and then tuned the thing for competent hot laps at Fuji Speedway (F = Fuji, if you haven't heard), they seemingly forgot every brand value that Lexus had curated over the previous 20 years. It was raw and loud, had fast-twitch reflexes and a penchant for power slides, and it went unyieldingly across the road surface like a racecar cut loose from the paddock.
As far as Ur- models and origin stories go, the IS F and Lexus F has a pretty compelling, if new, set. A backdrop against which the sequel, this 2015 RC F, must inevitably be viewed. Sure, the otherworldly LFA may have intervened as the second F model, but the RC carries forward an evolution of the 5.0-liter V8 thumper, some shared body and chassis constructions, similar in-your-face design and a ticket price that's squarely in the mix for premium buyers with a hankering to smoke tires.