1999 Lexus Rx300 ~ All Wheel Drive ~ 1 Owner / 90 Day Layaway / World Shipping on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus, Mazda win KBB 5-Year Cost To Own Awards

We focus a lot on what new cars are like to drive, but it's difficult on a one-week loan to really get a sense of what a car is like to live with. Sure, we try to recreate that sense with our long-term vehicles, but even after a year, it's impossible to know fully learn about a car, particularly in terms of reliability and cost of repairs. For 2014 model year vehicles, Kelley Blue Book has put together a list of the most affordable vehicles over a five-year period.
At the tippy top of the list are Mazda and Lexus, with the Zoom-Zoom automaker winning the award for best non-luxury brand. Lexus, meanwhile, was the most affordable luxury marque over a five-year period. It's interesting to note, though, that not a single Mazda won its segment in this year's awards.
General Motors did quite well, taking eight segments, including both the subcompact and plug-in segments, with the gas-powered Chevrolet Spark and Spark EV. The Chevy Camaro SS and ZL1 took the high-performance car award. Toyota was well represented, with five winners split between the main brand (Corolla, Prius C and Tacoma) and Lexus (LS and RX).

Lexus considering V8 Supercars racing program

Just a few years ago, Holden and Ford were the only manufacturers competing in Australia's V8 Supercars series. But those days were left long ago in a cloud of smoke on the track, and are only disappearing even further in the rearview mirror as the latest intel suggests Lexus could be ready to enter the series as well. Speaking with CarAdvice.com.au at the local launch of the RC coupe, Lexus Australia chief Sean Hanley revealed that his office approached the race organizers to hold "very high-level discussions" about the Japanese luxury brand entering the series. The development is reportedly spurred by the warm reception the RC has enjoyed so far Down Under, and by an expected impending shift in the rules of the V8 Supercars championship. The series has been rumored to be shifting away from strictly eight-cylinder sedans to include coupes and other engine types – a move that would open the door to more manufacturers to participate, including Lexus with the RC F. Currently the field is made up of Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons, Nissan Altimas, Volvo S60s and privately-entered Mercedes E63 AMGs. Nissan, Volvo and Mercedes only joined in the past couple of seasons following the last round of rules changes. The series received "international" status from the FIA in 2011and in the past few seasons has held races in locations as far flung as Abu Dhabi and Texas to its principally Australia-based calendar. Lexus, for its part, has competed in Grand-Am, Germany's Nurburgring-based VLN series and Japan's Super GT series, but unlike parent company Toyota, has yet to embark upon a top-level racing program in Formula One, the World Rally Championship or at Le Mans.

Lexus crafts working IS sedan out of cardboard [w/video]

People make model cars out of all sorts of material: wood, plastic, metal... and sure, even cardboard. What sets this one apart is that it's built to scale – as in, full scale – and what's more is that it can actually be driven. Then again, we couldn't vouch for its crashworthiness, so that might not be advisable. The replica Lexus IS sedan was commissioned by the Japanese automaker's UK office and made by two British workshops: Scales & Models and LaserCut Works. It's inspired by the Japanese art of origami and made out of cardboard, except for the working parts and the frame made of steel and aluminum. It's got a fully functional interior, opening doors, working headlights, rolling wheels, and an electric motor. The form is made up of cardboard 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) thick, provided by packaging company DS Smith. The material was laser-cut into 1,700 components, according to a 3D digital model provided by Lexus, and assembled by hand and painstakingly fixed into place by water-based wood glue that has to set for 10 minutes between each step. Little wonder that the whole project took three months to complete. The finished product will be on display at the NEC in Birmingham later this week during the Grand Designs Live Show. But if you're not planning on heading there yourself, you can check it out in the image gallery above and making-of video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 05 Oct 2015 LEXUS UK UNVEILS FULL-SIZE ORIGAMI INSPIRED CAR REPLICA IS MODEL CELEBRATES LEXUS CRAFTSMANSHIP • Created as a celebration of the skills of Lexus's takumi craftsmen and women, capturing the spirit of Creating Amazing in design and engineering • Life-size replica of the Lexus IS, crafted from 1,700 fully recyclable laser-cut cardboard sheets • Created by a five-strong team of professional designers and modellers from UK specialist companies LaserCut Works and Scales and Models, supported by DS Smith (cardboard manufacturers) • Powered by an electric motor, the Origami Car can be driven Brussels, Belgium - There has never been a Lexus like it: sheet metal, glass and plastics have been set aside for the creation of a one-off life-size model crafted in precision-cut cardboard. The remarkable Lexus Origami Car is a faithful replica of the new IS saloon, produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.