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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.

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.

Lexus IS to get Deviant at SEMA

It's time to start gathering intel on SEMA, and it starts with this drawing of a modified 2014 Lexus IS. Lexus ran a competition on DeviantART, an online community for artists, to find a suitably modified IS that it could build and display at the temple of all things aftermarket in Las Vegas. The winner, as judged by a four-person panel from among more than 600 entries, is the IS rendered above by Rob Evans.
The winner looks like the beginning of a build for an IS entry into Japan's Super GT series, with a seriously exaggerated front spoiler and rear diffuser and fender flares that aren't just punched out, they're throwing 12-punch combinations.
Evans will have his car built by VIP Auto Salon and plastered all over Lexus materials promoting its presence at the show. Oh, and he gets an IS F-Sport for a year, among other prizes. Second place went to Lucia Lee, third place to Guangho Huang. A press release below has more on the competition and the winner.