Lexus

When first presented with the option of driving the Lexus LC 500 for a week, I damn near broke out in song. In recent years, Japanese luxury automaker Lexus has gone to great lengths in order to distance itself from the longstanding impression that it only makes boring automobiles.

The week that the Lexus LS 500 turned up at our offices for review, Chicago was enduring an awful stretch of winter weather. From freezing rain, to snow and ice, to sub-zero temperatures, it wasn’t exactly the ideal week for driving or taking pretty exterior photos.

The Lexus LC 500 is already one of my favorite cars. It’s got showstopping good looks, a luxurious cabin, razor-sharp handling, and a powerful naturally-aspirated V8 with a sublime exhaust note. But I’ve always had a thing for convertibles.

The world needs more sexy track-focused, street-legal cars. Well the good news for Lexus fans is they’ve got one in the works in the form of the 2020 RC F Track Edition, due to debut at the 2019 NAIAS show next month.

The sideview mirrors that every car from the Yugo to the hottest Lamborghini use today are just that – mirrors. But times, they are a changin’. Lexus has announced that it’s new ES will offer an option to replace the mirrors with video cameras.

In the past few years, Lexus has been going through quite a renaissance. They’ve shaken their stodgy, conservative reputation for one that is bolder and more aggressive. Just as Lexus received criticism in the past for being too bland or too vanilla, now they receive some criticism for being too stylized and too edgy.

I spent some time driving the Lexus GS F a couple of years back when it was first came out, and thought it offered a really great balance between performance and luxury. Back then, I only got a day behind the wheel.

Since it first debuted back in 1989, Lexus has sold over 2.18 million of its mid-size ES sedans. The car is not only a critical revenue generator for the brand, but it’s been one of their most middle-of-the-road vehicles, which is a direct reflection of its popularity, and vice versa.

Do you know what I have learned to love about the latest rounds of Lexus vehicles? No matter how low you go on the totem pole, they will always come packed with presence and projected reliability.

When Lexus first showed off its Lf-Lc concept a few years back, I thought it was a pretty stunning design. But it’s pretty rare that a production car ends up looking so close to the concept that it’s based on.

The LS 400 was the first ever car sold by Lexus, all the way back in 1989. Since then, the brand has evolved quite a bit from its original persona of quiet and reserved elegance, to one of bold luxury and performance, while honoring the company’s Japanese heritage.

A while back, I had the opportunity to drive the latest-generation Lexus RX series, and thought it was a dramatic upgrade from the prior generation. But the one variant I didn’t spend meaningful time with was the hybrid model, the RX 450h.

The Lexus LC 500 is an impressive car all on its own, whether in its 471 hp V8 or more fuel-efficient hybrid edition. But with Lexus’ track record of making special “F” performance editions of cars like the RC and GS, it’s almost a sure bet that there’s an LC F in the works.

Lexus really wants America to shake-off those nagging sedan slumpin’ blues. But this task has proved far more daunting than previously expected. Despite releasing turbocharged powerplants and brilliant offerings like the insatiable GS F sport sedan, consumer interest in classically styled four-door vehicles has remained tepid at best.

Just a few short years after its initial launch, Lexus has announced the refreshed 2018 Lexus NX. It’s being shown at the Shanghai Motor Show and I have to say the crossover looks very nice. The new car has updated front and rear styling, with the front end getting the most noticeable changes with its new and more pronounced air intakes at the bottom.