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Lexus LC 500 gets customized at SEMA before it even goes on sale

We still have to wait until next year for Lexus to start delivering the gorgeous new LC 500 to dealer showrooms, but that little fact didn't stop Lexus from letting people modify it for SEMA. The first LC coupe to get the custom treatment is this bright yellow example modified by Gordon Ting and Beyond Marketing. Prospective LC 500 buyers who want to modify their rides won't have to wait long do start adding these parts to their cars. Because Lexus let these companies develop parts this far in advance, the parts should be available around the same time as the car. On the outside, the LC 500 gets a new Artisan Spirit body kit that consists of a front diffuser, fender flares, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. The car also has a lower stance thanks to a kit developed by KW Suspension. It features adjustable springs for ride height, plus a hydraulic lift system to keep the custom body work from scraping. The Lexus rolls on HRE P101 wheels that are stopped by Brembo brakes. The other highlight of this custom Lexus is under the hood. The LC 500 comes with a 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 that's also found in the RC F and GS F. However, the engine development team at Hard Media, Inc. and D SPORT Magazine had the engine rebuilt with CP pistons and Carrillo connecting rods, and it was given new cylinder sleeves from LA Sleeves to increase bore-size. The end result is a 5.6-liter engine making 525 horsepower. According to Lexus, 525 horsepower is far from the limit of this engine, saying that its capabilities could be, and in fact "have been more than doubled." If anyone at Lexus is reading this, we don't doubt the claim, but we'd also be more than happy to see this capability proven. Perhaps at next year's SEMA show? Related Video: Featured Gallery Customized Lexus LC 500: SEMA 2016 View 9 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Aftermarket SEMA Show Lexus Coupe Luxury lexus lc 500 SEMA 2016

Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.

Lexus leads J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study for 2021

J.D. Power's latest Vehicle Dependability Study is out, and, not surprisingly, Lexus sits at the top for the ninth time in the last 10 years. Right behind Lexus is Porsche, followed by Kia, which is the highest-ranked mass-market brand in the study. Genesis, last year's top-ranked brand (in its first year included in the results), fell from first to eighth, though the G80 sedan did earn an award in its midsize luxury segment. The Porsche 911 was called out as the Most Dependable Model by J.D. Power for the second time in the last three years. The vehicles being studied are from the 2018 model year, which means owners have had three years to get to know their cars and trucks. It's notable that this year's study shows a marked improvement in overall vehicle dependability as tracked by J.D. Power. The overall level of problems, scored by the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), declined by 10% compared to last year.  "The study results validate what we have known for some time," said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power. "Automakers are making increasingly dependable vehicles — but there are still some problem areas that need to be addressed and some warning signs on the horizon." Tesla makes its inaugural appearance on the Dependability Study, though its score of 176 PP100 isn't official. Tesla is the only automaker that has chosen not to grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in all 50 states. As we've pointed out in the past, the Vehicle Dependability Study includes eight major vehicle categories grouped by J.D. Power as follows: audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN); engine/transmission; exterior; interior; features/controls/displays (FCD); driving experience; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and seats. All issues reported by owners are all tracked equally, which means a problematic phone pairing procedure dings an automaker's rating the same as a blown engine or transmission. And in fact, the ACEN category has more reported problems than any other, which means the majority of problems reported don't lead to a vehicle that leaves its owner stranded. Green Land Rover Lexus Porsche Car Buying JD Power dependability reliability