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Toyota, Lexus to build more CUVs to meet surging demand

What was the biggest takeaway from the auto industry's 2014? Besides the fact that recalls are now a sad and mostly unremarkable part of a vehicle's life, it's that you can't be a competitive, mainstream brand in the US without a really strong line of crossovers, SUVs or pickups. We saw evidence of this as recently as Monday, when Hyundai unveiled its HCD-15 Santa Cruz Concept, and now we're seeing it again with Toyota. The company already has a comprehensive lineup of both mainstream and luxury CUVs and SUVs, although surging demand – sales were up 16 percent last year, Bloomberg reports – has led the company to increase its production tempo at the plants responsible for the RAV4 and Lexus RX. "The freeze is still in place until the end of March of 2016," Toyota's Jim Lentz told Bloomberg during this week's Detroit Auto Show, referencing the production bump at the Japanese and Canadian factories responsible for the models. "That hasn't changed. All indications are that it will lift, but right now it has not lifted." The increased sales are even spurring the brand to consider additional CUVs, including a compact that would slot in below the RAV4, Lentz told the business publication. Such a move would give Toyota a player in an increasingly competitive and important segment. In 2014 alone, mainstream brands, including Honda, Mazda, Chevrolet and Jeep, have announced brand new products destined for the compact CUV market. "We're going to have to look at how the market under RAV4 develops," Lentz told Bloomberg. "There's no question that it's going to. That's going to be the next growth spurt." Related Video:

This is Lexus' trick 3D ad in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue

Having driven its RC F into the party at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, Lexus is making the most of the exposure. We recently saw the blue coupe showing off its L-Finesse curves with a curvaceous Lisalla Montenegro. And a new video shows how the magazine ad will also work without a bikinied sidekick, showing off the Lexus' own body and sounds in a 3D app for iOS and Android.
After downloading the app and the 3D image for your tablet or phone, the 450-horsepower RC F will be yours to play with - or, as Lexus suggests, yours to "create the 3D experience in your own hands." You didn't have any other plans for your hands while checking out the new issue, did you? The video below will show you how it's done.

2015 Lexus RC F leaked out ahead of upcoming debut?

Lexus has had a somewhat volatile relationship with coupes. The first-gen SC gave way to the bloated second-gen convertible, which itself went out of production three years ago. The LFA arrived the same year the SC departed, but awesome as it was, it's six-figure price tag and limited production put it well out of reach even for the brand's typical upscale customers. That left only the IS Convertible to hold down the two-door end of the lineup, but Lexus is keen to fill that void with the arrival of the upcoming RC.
Oft been spied and speculated, the RC has reportedly leaked out from Japan's Best Car magazine in tantalizing RC F spec - although with the increasing quality of renderings (and the graininess of the photos in question), we could be looking at an artist's impression. That will upgrade the base coupe's anticipated 3.5-liter V6 and 306 horsepower with a 5.0-liter V8 churning out 455 hp, along with more aggressive styling previewed by the LF-CC concept.
Signs point toward the RC serving as the coupe counterpart to the IS, while the IS Convertible is expected to carry on (either in current or facelifted form) on the outgoing model's platform. Look for a reveal at either the Tokyo Motor Show in November or the Detroit Auto Show in December.