Lexus LF Reviews

Lexus has officially revealed the new RC model in Tokyo today, with the new two-door coupe set to sit alongside the new IS sedan when it arrives locally in 2014.The RC styling clearly references the LF-CC concept shown at the Paris motor show in 2012, and the name comes as no surprise, with the Japanese luxury brand trademarking the ‘RC 350’ badge with IP Australia shortly after the LF-CC’s debut.Lexus’ use of specific nomenclature for the two door follows a similar strategy to rivals Audi and BMW with the A5 and 4 Series, and their relationship with the respective A4 and 3 Series sedan models.  Despite the LF-CC’s role in previewing the styling of the IS sedan, the new model looks to share little sheetmetal with the four-door, with a more shapely iteration of Lexus’ L-Finesse design theme, including the most prominent spindle grille design to date.The aggressive details continue at the rear, with sharp cutaways at each corner reminiscent of the controversial LF-NX SUV concept.The RC’s interior design is an evolution of the IS range, with integrated foaming construction for the seats that promises to optimises comfort and support.Lexus has also confirmed the coupe will come fitted with versions of the IS 350 and 300h’s 234kW 3.5 litre V6 and 162kW hybrid 2.5 litre drivetrains, with the two door models to be known as RC 350 and RC 300h.Lexus has also revealed key dimensions for the RC, which is 30mm longer, 35mm lower, and 30mm wider than the IS sedan, and rides on a 70mm shorter wheelbase with seating for four.A hardcore ‘F-Sport’ performance version is also expected down the track, with pumped-up coupe mules already sighted testing at the Nurburgring, and reports that Lexus has also trademarked the ‘RC F’ moniker.

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

Everyone has heard the story about the tourist whose motorhome crashed after he set the cruise control and then strolled into the back to make a cuppa. It may be an urban myth, but technology marches on and you get the feeling the driverless car may be just around the corner, or certainly a lot closer than anyone thinks.This week Lexus demonstrated a further development of the active cruise control system fitted to its cars that steers and brakes the car without any need for intervention from the driver. It is still under development but Lexus hopes to bring the system to market within two years.THE SYSTEMDescribed as the next-generation advanced driving support system, Automated Highway Driving Assist (AHDA) links two automated driving technologies. At this stage its use is confined purely to the open road because city streets present too many variables such as pedestrians, motorcycles and in some cases an absence of line markings.DOES IT WORK?We received a first-hand demonstration of the system in Tokyo. Although we were not permitted to actually drive the Lexus GS fitted with the technology, neither in effect was the driver whose hands remained off the steering wheel, although they hovered close by.It works, and Lexus has data to show it does a better job of keeping the car on a straight course than your average driver. Spin-off effects include a reduction in traffic congestion as well as lower fuel bills.Curiously, the further back you are in a line of cars using the system, the greater the reduction in fuel consumption because of the 'drafting' effect (the reason cyclists ride in a peloton).In a column of four vehicles, consumption was down 5.3 per cent in the first vehicle, 17.7 per cent in the second and 26.8 per cent in the third - with an overall reduction of 11.1 per cent.Mind you the figures were derived over a period of four minutes and a distance of just a couple of kilometres.HOW IT WORKSThe system brings together Cooperative-adaptive Cruise Control, which wirelessly communicates with the vehicles in front to maintain a safe distance plus Lane Trace Control, which aids steering to keep the vehicle on course within the lane.Key to its success are a camera which monitors lane markings, together with GPS mapping of the route ahead and sensors in participating cars that enable them to talk to each other.In contrast to standard radar, Cooperative-adaptive Cruise Control uses 700-MHz band vehicle-to-vehicle ITS communications to transmit acceleration and deceleration data which allows vehicles following behind to adjust their speeds accordingly to better maintain their distance. Lane Trace Control draws on high-performance cameras, millimetre-wave radar and control software to enable an optimal and smooth driving line at all speeds. The system adjusts the vehicle’s steering angle, driving torque and braking force where necessary to maintain the optimal line within the lane. By reducing unnecessary acceleration and deceleration, the advanced driving system improves fuel efficiency and helps reduce traffic congestion.It's only a hop, skip and a jump from here to driverless cars, but the engineer who demonstrated the system to us said Lexus has no plans to introduce full automation.

Lexus believes four-wheel steer could give it the edge over its competitors in the competitive sports sedan segment. The system has the rear wheels turn at the same time as the front ones -- but only a small amount -- to help the car through corners.The idea gained some traction with Japanese car makers in the 80s, notably with cars like the Honda Prelude and Mazda MX-6 coupe. At the time, it was touted as the next big thing but the system was clunky and could be expensive to repair if things went wrong.That was then this is now. Technology has moved on and BMW already offers the system with its 5 and 7 Series models and Lexus introduced four-wheel steer in the first of its cars last year with its GS line.It has also been trialling the system in the smaller IS range in Japan and the Australian arm of the company is keen to get a piece of that action. Lexus Australia boss Sean Hanley believes it could give the car a much-needed competitive edge.HOW IT WORKSLexus calls its system Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS), and has it turn the rear wheels of the car two per cent – a seemingly tiny amount but enough to make a difference to the cornering. At low speeds the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels to reduce the car's turning circle and the level of steering effort required.But at speeds of more than 80km/h, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels. This makes the steering more responsiveness and gives it an intuitive feel at medium speeds, plus greater stability and vehicle posture for increased safety and comfort at higher speeds.The net result is the turning circle is reduced by almost half a metre at parking speeds and it also reduces the tendency of rear wheel drive vehicles like those produced by Lexus to step out or oversteer in a corner. We had the opportunity to put a car fitted with the rear wheel steer system through its paces on a recent trip to Japan. Unfortunately we had no car with standard steering to compare it with and Lexus has apparently not quantified the difference it makes to track times (although we thought that would have been an obvious thing to do). Having said that the car was plenty of fun to drive.WHEN MIGHT WE SEE IT HERE?Lexus wants to add the system to its F Sport models. "We think it gives us another progressive edge in the market place," Hanley says. "And the other thing is that it is significantly well developed now. So we're bringing to market a very credible technology, with great safety and performance that is aligned very very well to Lexus's innovative and fun to drive performance car strategy."At this stage the system is available only in Japan but it is under evaluation for other markets. If it is approved for overseas use it is likely to find its way into Aussie cars within the next year or so, probably when the car receives its mid-life facelift. Rear or four-wheel steer is part of the Lexus Dynamic handling System (LDHS) that features the world's first integration of Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS), Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) and Electric Power Steering (EPS}.

It was a dream come true. The opportunity to drive a supercar on one of the most famous race tracks in the world. We're talking about Fuji Speedway in Japan and of course Japan's very own supercar.

Lexus has re-launched its ES Line of luxury mid-sized sedans after a break of seven years.

Lexus has given the Lexus CT200h a mid-life upgrade for 2014, and released images ahead of the hybrid five-door hatchback's official unveiling later this month. The revision shows changes to exterior styling, including the new spindle grille that's been spreading across the Lexus family's faces.Restyled bumpers and alloy wheel designs largely comprise the rest of the facelift, with no word of any changes under the bonnet. The CT200h is likely to carry over its Prius-sourced drivetrain, with a 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre engine coupled with a 60kW/207Nm electric motor -- which also performs the role of generator and starter motor -- and mated to a continuously-variable transmission.There was some thought that Toyota may update to a lithium-ion battery pack, moving on from the heavy and less efficient nickel-metal hydride. However the cheapness of the latter is likely to have won out, especially as Lexus is expected to be looking at strategic pricing that could lower the CT200h's $39,990 entry price to better arm it against the latest crop of rivals in the premium hatch sector.More details will be revealed when the CT200h is unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China on November 21, and is set to arrive here in the first half of next year.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

The cut-price Lexus ES sedan has made a return, although it is no longer the entry model that it used to be.

Audi is a brand on the march, and its marketing people are proud of it. This Christmas-themed ad for Audi in the US takes another stab at rivals BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, and suggests  that the appeal of the four-ringed brand is enough to encourage owners of the other premium brands to donate their keys to charity. Earlier this year, another Audi US ad suggested that the other brands create typecast images of their owners, and that the Audi image is above such typecasting. Well that's Audi's opinion anyway.   Watch the desktop version of the Audi donation ad here.  This reporter is on Twitter: @Malcolm Flynn  

Lexus has updated its LF-NX compact SUV concept for the coming Tokyo motor show, giving it a cosmetic touch-up around the nose and a new turbo engine in the lead-up to its move to production status.Largely unchanged in appearance from the car revealed at Frankfurt motor show in September, the LF-NX has sprouted a front under-lip spoiler integrated into the nose's aggressive styling -- much of which is aerodynamically functional, with styling cues such as the vertical lines performing as an air curtain and helping channel air flow to the front brakes.Under the bonnet it gets a newly developed 2.0-litre turbocharged engine -- likely to morph into a NX200t variant when the new Toyota RAV4-based compact SUV hits production.When that happens, expect it to be joined by a NX300h hybrid, with a new version of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system. Other variants may follow, as Lexus positions the NX to steal some of the success of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA Class.The concept will be unveiled at Tokyo motor show on November 20, and more details about the planned progress to production time could be revealed then.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott