2003 Lexus Ls 430 on 2040-cars

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2018 Autoblog Technology of the Year finalists

After months of prepping and several days of testing, we narrowed the field for Autoblog's 2018 Tech of the Year award to the Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system, the Lexus LC 500h and its new hybrid powertrain, and the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and its trick Multimatic spool-valve off-road shocks. Three very different cars with very different technologies duking it out for the award. Look for news of our winner at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. We hand out this award every year to the technology or feature that we feel moves the bar forward for the automotive industry. Read more here on how our testing process works. We discuss, debate and count up score sheets, judging each vehicle and technology on a few different criteria. Is its purpose noteworthy? Does it work well? Does it advance the industry? The Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist was actually a prototype, as the technology will first debut in the 2018 Nissan Leaf. Still, we're here to test the tech and not the car. ProPilot Assist combines adaptive cruise control system combined with lane-keeping assistance. The system uses sonar, radar and a number of cameras for some light semi-autonomous driving and enhanced safety. While these systems aren't new individually, Nissan's system is affordable, intuitive, and coming to a mainstream product — democratizing the tech in a novel way, if you will. That's why it's here. The Lexus LC 500h uses a new powertrain that Lexus has dubbed the Multi-Stage Hybrid System. Basically it combines two types of transmissions — a CVT and a four-speed automatic — in a single unit mated to a naturally aspirated V6. That's complex and unorthodox technology, and Lexus engineered it to give drivers the efficiency of a CVT without sacrificing driving enjoyment. The package is subtle, working in the background to create a nearly seamless driving experience. It's engaging in a way most other hybrids can only dream of. The fact that it's wrapped in such gorgeous sheetmetal only makes things better. The Multimatic spool valve shocks in the Chevy Colorado ZR2 might seem low-tech compared to ProPilot Assist and the Lexus Multi-Stage Hybrid, but they represent a completely novel application of a technology that several years ago was so expensive that it was reserved for top-tier race cars. Like the LC 500h, these shocks really change your perception of how a vehicle like this should drive.

2016 Lexus GS gets 2.0L turbo engine, updated styling

The Lexus GS gets a number of enhancements for the 2016 model year, and the updated sedan makes its official debut in California during Monterey Car Week. The usual mid-cycle refresh styling nip/tuck is evident, but the bigger story is the addition of a new, rear-wheel-drive GS 200t model. Lexus' IS sedan isn't the only one getting turbo-four power for 2016. The GS 200t uses that same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, good for 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, and Lexus says the GS 200t should be able to achieve 33 miles per gallon on the highway. Not to be left out, the naturally aspirated GS 350 gets a small power bump for 2016. The 3.5-liter V6 now produces 311 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, up from 306 and 277, respectively. The GS 450h hybrid carries over with its powertrain unchanged, as well as its 29/34 mpg city/highway rating. Other changes for 2016 include standard bi-LED headlamps as part of the reworked front fascia, and a host of technology upgrades. The 12.3-inch central display screen now has full-width map capability, and the controller gets some extra "enter" buttons. Lexus also gave its Enform system some updates, with a Service Connect system. The ever-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features are missing from this update, though it's not exactly surprising. Have a look at the updated GS 200t in the gallery above, and scroll down for the full press blast. Related Video: Mingling with the Classics: Lexus Introduces 2016 GS During Pebble Beach Concours Celebrations New GS 200t RWD Model With 2.0-Liter Turbo Engine - More Power and Torque for GS 350 - Restyled Front End With Standard Bi-LED Headlamps - New Available Lexus Safety System + - Upgraded Multimedia Technology and for GS 350/GS 450h Standard Navigation - New Available Lexus Enform Service Connect - New Interior Colors and Wood Trim Selections MONTEREY, Calif. – Aug. 13, 2015 – The Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance, the premier concours event in the United States, is an appropriate setting for the 2016 Lexus GS models to be introduced. The GS enters 2016 with a bolder design, a new GS 200t rear-wheel drive model and new luxury finishes that match the refinement of Monterey. The Lexus GS continues to feature impressive agility and sporty handling for turns along California Highway 1, as well as comfortable ride quality for extended highway driving.

2013 Lexus IS F

Sometimes fortune really smiles on even shiftless car-reviewing Dutchmen like myself, I must admit. I had come into Austin, TX the week before I was supposed to meet up with the good people at Lexus, who had graciously invited me to drive the 2014 IS. I flew in early because Austin is a pretty good place to eat, as well as being a place that my wife doesn't live. Let me say that a nicer way... while my stunningly attractive wife pretty much represents all things good and light in this world, she does occasionally shoot me a sideways glance when I dig in for my fifth Tacodeli breakfast taco. Thankfully, I leave most of my good sense and information about the effects of high-calorie diets on lifespan at home with Molly when I come to Texas, so I can better focus my laser-like attention on car reviews and TexMex. You guys are worth it.
Aside from all the tacos, I was also lucky to be visiting town the weekend before South By Southwest really kicked off in earnest, because it was that Sunday that my good old buddy John, and my new old buddy Pat, were headed up to the Circuit of the Americas to see the first ever SCCA Majors event there. It was lucky that I had planned to be out at CotA, which is east of Austin, because that made it very slightly easier for a very nice woman named Marcia to bring me a 2013 Lexus IS F from Houston, roughly 150 miles away.
Marcia brought me the IS F to replace another press car, which was having mechanical troubles; I didn't ask for the fire-breathing IS but when it was offered up I figured I couldn't do much better as a warm up for the 2014 IS program I was about to go on. See, lucky right?