Lexus GS F Sport Debuts At SEMA And Melbourne

"Lexus has unveiled the handling- and style-focused F Sport package for its upcoming 2012 GS this week, giving the sharp new sedan a simultaneous unveiling in Las Vegas and Melbourne.

Lexus has unveiled the handling- and style-focused F Sport package for its upcoming 2012 GS this week, giving the sharp new sedan a simultaneous unveiling in Las Vegas and Melbourne.

We can't talk to you about how it drives, because the GS 350 F Sport and GS 450h hybrid shown to the Australian media at this week's Spring Racing Carnival weren't for driving. (No doughies on the track, in other words.)

The current GS will be with us until the new one hits showrooms next year, and with the new 5 Series, E-Class and A6 models smashing the big Lexus in Australian sales, Lexus knows it can't get here soon enough."  [Continue reading...]

Lexus Gets Top Reliability Score For Alternative-Fuel Cars

         "Among alternative-fuel vehicle makers, Lexus has the best reputation for quality, according to a new study by ALG, a data and consulting company. While electric-car maker Tesla Motors got the best rating among companies that build only alternative vehicles, it fared less well in the wider group of car makers.In the fall 2011 study, Lexus scored 89.8 out of a maximum possible score of 100 points in what ALG, a unit of auto-industry analysis and forecasting company TrueCar Inc., calls its Perceived Quality Study or PQS.  The rest of the top-five brands in the survey were Mercedes-Benz with 88.8 points; Porsche, 86.7; BMW, 86.7; and Honda, 85.6."

         "Tesla, which is known for its high-performance battery-powered Roadster, scored 69.5 points — enough to top the list of purely alternative manufacturers. But when compared with brands that sell both alternative-fuel and gas-powered vehicles, Tesla wound up in the middle of the pack."  [Continue reading...]

Happy Halloween!

 

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween! Be safe and try not to eat too much candy!

Lexus to Unveil GS 350 F Sport at Sema Show

 

"Lexus said it will unveil a special version of its coming 2013 GS 350 sedan with the F Sport package at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas on Nov. 1.

Like many car makers, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Corp. uses the SEMA show to make an impression among young, performance-minded drivers. This year a lot is riding on the presentation of the GS because it is the first production model to incorporate a new, more aggressive design and styling that is planned for a range of future Lexus vehicles.

While the standard fourth-generation GS 350 debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours in August, the GS 350 F Sport is the model that driving serious driving fans will care most about. It is aimed at shaking the brand’s image as a maker of softly-sprung highway cruisers for older drivers.

“The GS 350 with F SPORT Package will be a distinctive offering of luxury and excitement,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “With its dynamic handling, stopping power and true sporty feel this F Sport package will be sure to please our enthusiasts.”

The package is mainly aimed at sharpening the car’s handling though a specially tuned adaptive suspension. It includes thicker anti-roll bars, upgraded suspension bushings and larger front brakes with high-friction pads. The rear-wheel-drive model comes with 19-inch staggered- width wheels and variable-gear-ratio steering, or VGRS. The interior is available with cabernet-red upholstery that is an F Sport exclusive." [Continue reading...]

Lexus Ranked Best Luxury Auto Brand

 

"Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand took back the top spot among luxury brands in Consumer Reports' reliability ranking, beating BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, which fell the most of any vehicle line.

Winning the luxury crown as well as the top spot among all brands with its youth-oriented Scion line may help Toyota restore confidence among consumers following two years of falling U.S. sales, recalls, unflattering reviews and production lost because of the March earthquake in Japan.

The Toyota City, Japan-based automaker's Toyota brand held at sixth place for a second year, a further sign of resilience after recalling millions of vehicles in 2009 and 2010 amid unintended-acceleration claims.

“Toyota has always made a pretty good car,” David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Automotive Test Center, said in a phone interview. “They have fixed a lot of the problems that they had. The recall situation was totally overblown.”

Lexus's key rivals, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's BMW, both improved this year, while still finishing in the bottom half of the survey among all vehicle types. Mercedes ranked 18th and BMW was 19th. Volkswagen AG's Audi ranked 26th, Porsche fell to 27th and Jaguar, owned by India's Tata Motors Ltd., ranked last." [Continue reading...]

Engineering Amazing - A Future Powered by Hybrid

2013 Lexus GS 350 Brochure

 

"Arriving in February 2012, the 2013 Lexus GS 350 will be in dealerships before we know it — but if you’ve been anxiously waiting to buy one, February can’t come soon enough.

To help pass the time, I wanted to share the 2013 Lexus GS 350 preview brochure that was included in the throwback USB drive I picked up in Pebble Beach — it’s the same brochure that’s showing up in dealerships, and perfect for dulling the waiting pain of upcoming owners." [Continue reading...]