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Lexus fans vote Solar Flare for new RC F hue

What's in a name? When it comes to model nameplates, quite a lot, and automakers go to considerable lengths to find just the right one. Same goes for the names of the colors in the catalog (save for maybe the Rape Yellow in the extensive Bugatti palette), but every once in a while, an automaker will open it up for suggestions from the public.
SRT did that when it introduced a new shade of blue for its Viper, as did Chevy for the pale green on the Volt. And last month, Lexus followed a similar path when it asked fans on Facebook to come up with a name for the new shade of orange for the RC F.
Fans suggested names like Tangerine Flame, Outrageous Orange and Fiery Orange, but ultimately the winning submission that Lexus selected was Solar Flare. The name was suggested by five individuals and will now enter the catalog of colors for the new luxury muscle coupe with its 450-horsepower 5.0-liter V8.

Japanese earthquakes send ripples through auto industry

The earthquakes since April 14 in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are having aftershocks on the US auto industry, particularly for Toyota. The company shut down most of its factories in the country due to parts shortages, and the plants will be closed at least through April 23. "Decisions regarding recommencement of operation at plants in Japan will be made on the basis of availability of parts," the company said in a statement. According to Automotive News, Toyota's closed factories include a vast range of popular models in the US, including the Toyota Prius, Mirai, RAV4, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus ES, LS, IS, GS, RC, NX, RX, GX, and LX. The company's only sites in Japan that are still open build Hino trucks, Daihatsu models, and the Toyota Century limo. Toyota isn't yet sure whether these shutdowns could lead to vehicle shortages in the US. "As you can imagine, we are still reviewing the situation and working to learn more," company spokesperson Aaron Fowles told Autoblog. "While we know that production will be suspended in stages at most of our vehicle assembly facilities in Japan between April 18th and the 23rd, we do not know if they will continue production suspensions. Also, any effects to our inventory and/or sales have yet to be determined." He expects the automaker to know more in the coming days. Many of the affected Toyota plants aren't even in Kumamoto Prefecture, but major suppliers have factories in the region. For example, Aisin Seiki and Renesas Electronics both had to shutdown operations at plants in the area, according to Automotive News. Toyota isn't the only automaker affected. Nissan experienced a brief slowdown but was back to work on Monday, and Honda has suspended a motorcycle plant in the region until Friday. Mitsubishi had to close a production line due to the parts shortage, according to The Japan Times, but it didn't affect US models. "A supplier to our Mizushima plant has been impacted but they only supply an engine part for our mini car line. That line has been temporarily shut down due to that situation," spokesperson Alex Fedorak told Autoblog. "That same plant builds the Lancer and i-MiEv and there has been no impact to that line and production continues uninterrupted." Two major quakes hit Kumamoto Prefecture around Kumamoto city in the past week. The first on April 14 measured 6.4 magnitude, and a second on April 16 measured 7.3.

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.