Autoblog

At the ongoing Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, the same show where Australian sportscar-maker Elfin took the wraps off its new Type 5 Clubman, Lexus unveiled a new version of its IS 250 sports sedan called the Sports Concept.

So what, you ask is the Lexus IS 250 Sports Concept? Think of it as IS F-light, but not quite as light on substance as appearance packages from its German rivals (think Audi S-line or Mercedes AMG sport packages). The show car has been outfitted with 19" wheels hiding cross-drilled two-piece rotors clamped by six-pot calipers up front and four-pots in the rear, painted trademark Lexus F blue. It also sports Billstein shocks and springs; sway bars and chassis braces; an enlarged air intake and cat-back exhaust; a new clutch and short-shift kit; a carbon fiber engine cover and an assortment of spoilers and skirts.

In short, what we're looking at is an IS F, only without the 5-liter V8. The revised breathing systems squeeze out a modest 1.5 percent increase in output from the 2.5-liter V6 for a total of about 213hp. The add-ons are currently being considered for the Australian market, but we're sure there are plenty of fans of the IS F on this side of the globe who don't need to hit 60 in the fours and wouldn't mind a more affordable alternative given the current economic climate.

[Source: Lexus]

This could be Japanese-only news, or just a case of bad translation, but Toyota Managing Officer Toshio Furutani has apparently told Japan's Nikkei Business News that Toyota wants every vehicle in the Lexus product line to offer a hybrid option, and that "in the medium to long term, Toyota was considering making the Lexus lineup hybrid-only."

That sounds like he could mean Lexus, period, all over the world. But our questions come from the fact that the same report said that the Nikkei listed only the LS and GS models as currently available with a hybrid option, neglecting to mention the RX. And the fact that for Lexus to offer only hybrids in the U.S. would be an eyebrow-arching brand decision. Not that there isn't anyone out there in the market for a hybrid IS-F, but would you really risk it? We'll wait for a follow-up from someone at Toyota, or we'll just assume Furutani's comments were meant for other ears than ours.

[Source: Reuters]

Audi wants you to know that its customers are normal people just like you and I, and it's created a series of shorts to prove this point. But instead of showing moms and dads driving their kids to soccer games in a Q7 or going through the McDonalds drive-thru to pick up some chicken nuggets in an A4, the German automaker took a more comedic tack. Before you roll your eyes and scroll down to the next post, trust us on this one, it is absolutely priceless.

After the jump is a three-and-a-half-minute video called "Meet the Beckers" that chronicles a couple driving to the family home (mansion) for a reunion. They seem normal and even likable. The video also shows other members of the Becker clan heading to the reunion, but they're driving a BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus RX350. Instead of pointing out the virtues of Audi vs. the competition, the four-ringed automaker hammers home the long standing stereotypes associated with the other players in the luxury market. The creepy couple in the BMW convertible cuts off a Prius and the driver has a Bluetooth headset on his ear. The Mercedes owner is an old man with a hot young bride, and he he drives away with the wipers going and his blinker on. The Lexus owners are yuppies with twins who appear to have a devil-worship problem. This is laugh till you cry stuff, folks, and an absolute must watch.

[Source: YouTube]
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It's always fun to see the engineering behind hard top convertibles. The latest member of the breed comes from Lexus in the form of the 2009 IS250C. This new derivative of the IS250 sedan sports a three-piece aluminum roof that retracts in a "world's fastest" 20 seconds. Video proof of the event taking place has been released and we've embedded it after the break. The new 250C's most logical competitor comes from BMW, whose 3 Series convertible features a folding hard top of its very own. When the new Lexus goes on sale next summer in Europe, followed shortly thereafter in the United States, it will offer buyers a replacement for the expensive SC 430, which is set to make a graceful exit from the marketplace in short order.


[Source: Paultan]

Toyota has finally confirmed what's been rumored for months, that a new hybrid is coming for its upmarket Lexus brand based on the underpinnings of the Toyota Prius. The Prius itself is about to undergo a major reworking, as the third-generation of the iconic hybrid will debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show. According to Lexus officials, the Prius-based Lexus will go on sale in Europe for 2010, and we're guessing the U.S. will get that model too. A second dedicated hybrid model will reportedly also join the Lexus ranks and be larger than the Prius-based car. We don't have too many details yet on either of these new Lexuses, except that they will be more performance-oriented than their Prius sibling. A high-luxe Prius, as long as it doesn't get too pricey, may be just what the doctor ordered for the struggling Lexus brand.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Lexus has chopped off two doors and the roof from the IS250 to create the IS250C, due to arrive in Europe in the summer of 2009, and the U.S. shortly thereafter.

The 2009 Lexus IS250C features a three-piece aluminum roof that retracts in a "world's fastest" 20 seconds, and features revised overhangs 15mm (front) and 55mm (rear) longer than the sedan, a new fog lamp design and a rising beltline that integrates into the revised haunches. The IS250C's rear end leaves a lot to be desired, with an odd assortment of angles terminating into a set of awkwardly placed LED taillights. With the top up, nothing seems to seamlessly blend together, looking like an ill-advised amalgamation of the outgoing SC430 and BMW 335i. Inside, thing get mildly better – in typical staid Lexus tradition – with a set of rollover hoops for the rear seat passengers, a 12-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and a speed sensitive climate control system that will boost the heat during open air jaunts. And naturally, you can fit a golf bag in the trunk with the top down.

Make the jump for Lexus' brief press release and check the galleries below for live and press photos from Paris.

The US auto industry has hit a serious slump in 2008, with overall sales estimated drop by two million vehicles compared to 2007. Even the mighty Toyota has seen sales slip by 7.8%, which is better than the industry average, but a far cry from annual increases of 10%. And times may not improve in 2009 either, as the credit crunch and mortgage crisis have conspired to kick the auto industry in the pants. Toyota sales boss Jim Lentz says the mortgage crisis is the main culprit of tough sledding for the Japanese automaker. Florida and California, which account for 30% of overall Toyota Sales, have been especially hard hit by decreased home values. Lexus sales have been hit hard, too, as one third of all of purchasers in the Sunshine State use home equity to buy their luxury vehicles. It doesn't take an accounting degree to know that houses are typically assets and cars are almost always liabilities. That large amounts of people who were using home equity to purchase cars is disturbing, and it's likely a trend that isn't unique to Toyota.

Toyota does see light at the end of the tunnel, as the Japanese automaker expects the US population to grow by 32 million in the next decade. Toyota also expects the rate of affluent customers to rise, which means more people with more money will want to buy a new car or truck. For the near term, since housing has gone nowhere but down and lenders are having trouble coming up with money, we're guessing the car market will be taking a hit for quite a while.

[Source: Detroit News]

At last year's Targa Newfoundland, driver Mark Lachapelle brought his Lexus GS 450h -- yeah, that's a hybrid -- home 18th overall, and sixth in his division. This year he'll return to the 2,200-kilometer race which runs over six days through the central and eastern part of the island.

The 339 hp Lexus is the only one of last year's hybrid contestants to return, and is kitted for duty with just a safety cage, performance exhaust and upgraded shock absorbers. Slotted into the modern division, this year's race will pit the Japanese hybrid against big bore Americana: among other competitors, Ralph Gilles and Karen Wagner are scheduled to drive a Dodge Challenger SRT in the same class.

Targa Newfoundland runs from September 13-20, and if you want to keep up with the action in a timely manner, check out Autonet.ca. For you French speakers, go to the French version of Autonet.ca, or PassionPerformance.ca.

[Source: Lexus]

It's been rumored for months, but now it's confirmed: Lexus will unveil the IS 250 convertible in Paris this October. The Lexus IS 250 C will be the third derivative of the IS range and will go into production early next year. IS 250 and 350 variants are planned, but in order to capitalize on the gotta-have-it crowd's penchant for The New – and the demise of the SC 430 – Lexus will likely roll out the 350 variant further down the line. Expect an IS F version to follow sometime in late 2009 or early 2010.

Make the jump for the press release.

Lexus has some changes in store for most of its model lineup in 2009, though there doesn't appear to be anything in store for enthusiast drivers to rejoice over. Also cause for jeers instead of cheers: price increases from .8 to 1.1 percent, depending on model. The IS 250 and 350 do get revised suspension and steering tuning to go with exterior styling tweaks and the revised interior carries a new center cluster and an off switch for the VDIM stability control. The IS F über-IS also gets a new interior rendered in terra cotta and black that's termed "sporty."

The only news in the GS department is a 40% increase in trunk space for the GS 450h hybrid, which sounds fantastic but only amounts to 10.6 total cubic feet. The big LS sedans stay largely the same, though some new variants join the party. AWD versions of the LS 460 and LS 460 L tuck a Torsen differential onto the transmission's output shaft, which then marshalls torque between front and rear axles. Slick. The AWD LSes come standard with air suspension, variable-ratio steering, and adaptive suspension. Hit the jump for the full press release with detailed pricing info.

[Source: Toyota]