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Updated Lexus CT200h coming next year, new variants reported

Lexus has had a minor success on its hands with the CT200h, a funky, five-door, sport-luxury hybrid that burst onto the scene in 2011, and managed just over 17,000 US sales in 2012. Worked out to a monthly average, that's nearly 50 percent more units per month than Lexus initially targeted when the car went on sale.
Though it's done well, the CT has been left behind while designers and engineers have reworked the rest of the Lexus lineup, bringing out fully revamped versions of the GS, IS and LS over the past few years. According to a report from Down Under, though, the little CT will get some attention soon.
Speaking to Sean Hanley, boss of Lexus Australia, Aussie site The Motor Report picked up a telling quote about the execs affections for the CT, when he said, "We see the CT200h as our greatest opportunity." Hanley added that a refresh of the CT could happen early in 2014, while a clean-sheet reworking would happen around 2016.

Lexus asks fans to help name new orange shade for RC F

Flip through the catalog for most Lexus models and you're bound to see an array of different shades of beige and gray. But even Lexus has its wilder side, denoted by the letter F, and those models can wear brighter hues.
The IS F, for example, offered an electric shade of blue which Lexus called Ultrasonic and a deep red called Matador, along with the usual silver, gray, white and black. But for the new RC F, Lexus is preparing to offer an even more vibrant shade of orange. It just doesn't know what to call it. That's why it's asking fans on Facebook to help it name the color - similar to the crowd-sourcing SRT did for the Viper's bright blue and Chevy did for the Volt's pale green.
Top suggestions currently include Tangerine Flame, Solar Flare, Outrageous Orange and Fiery Orange. Given how similar the shade looks to that which adorned the track-tuned LFA with the Nürburgring package, we can't help but wonder if LFA Blaze or Nordschleife Blur might not be more suitable. Or, if we're being honest, McLaren Orange or Arancia Borealis... though we know some guys in Woking and Sant'Agata Bolognese who might object.

Lexus NX small CUV caught

To the untrained eye, these photos might not look like anything more than a Lexus CT 200h undergoing testing, but what we really have here is something pretty significant. According to our spies, this is actually a mule that gives us our first glimpse at the upcoming Lexus NX crossover, a smaller vehicle that will slot below the RX in the automaker's CUV portfolio - presently only one vehicle.
Look closely, and you'll note that this mule has a much higher ride height than the normal CT hybrid hatchback. The upgraded wheels with crossover-spec tires are another dead giveaway that something more robust is being tested in this CT's shell.
Late last year, we learned that Lexus had reportedly trademarked the names "NX 200t" and "NX 300h," which provided a glimpse into the powertrain offerings for the new CUV. Lexus will finally make use of turbocharged power with this new NX - a 2.0-liter turbo-four fitting of the 200t nomenclature. A hybrid variant will almost certainly be available - the 300h - probably using the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motor combination found in the ES 300h. Our spies report that a naturally aspirated, four-cylider version should also be available.