Friday, December 30, 2011
Lexus Year in Review
Lexus CT 200h Arrives in Dealerships
After debuting in 2010, the Lexus CT 200h went on sale in late March:
Despite the vehicle shortage caused by the Japanese tsunami, the CT 200h went on to have a very successful first year -- in September, it was reported that the hybrid hatchback was exceeding U.S. sales expectations by 50 percent.
Japanese Tsunami
The most significant event of the year happened in March, when a devastating combination tsunami/earthquake rocked Japan to its very core, causing immeasurable tragedy and heartbreak.
The catastrophe marked a particularly difficult challenge for Lexus, who produce over 80 percent of their models in manufacturing plants based in Japan—in fact, it wasn’t until October that production levels reached normal capacity.
The LF-Gh Concept Debut
In April, Lexus unveiled the LF-Gh concept car at the New York Auto Show, and in the process, revealed the brand’s new design direction:
The most prominent feature of this next-generation design was the hourglass shape defining the front end, which Lexus calls the spindle grille. This dramatic face, which GS designer Katsuhiko Inatomi says was “inspired by our desire to unify the vehicle with natural wind”, will soon be seen throughout the Lexus lineup.
The Next-Generation GS Arrives
After a quiet summer, Lexus chose a most auspicious location to reveal their only new production vehicle of the year, as the fourth-generation GS was introduced at a special event during the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance:
Staying very close to the exterior design set by the LF-Gh, the next-generation GS is defined by its attention to the driving experience, as well as an exceptionally detailed interior, which boasts the largest-ever information display in a production vehicle:
LFA Nürburgring Record Lap
In early September, news broke on Twitter that Lexus test driver Akira Iida had piloted a LFA Nürburgring Edition around Germany’s famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes, 14.64 seconds. This single lap made the LFA one of the fastest production cars to ever run the benchmark track, and proved that it was a supercar in every sense of the word.
The lap, which happened during a LFA owners event, was eventually released on YouTube:
The New Concept
Determined to end the year on a high note, Lexus has slowly started to reveal their latest concept, which will make its debut at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January:
At this point, little is known about the new concept, but judging from these photos, it would appear Lexus plans to capitalize on the new design direction of the GS and start 2012 with a bang.
Courtesy of LexusDriversMagazine
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Seven (New) Wonders of the Lexus World
Much has been said, posted, and blogged about the new front-end on the 2013 Lexus GS—particularly its new spindle-shaped grille. However, true to Lexus style with any major new-vehicle launch, the car also comes chock full of intriguing new—and enhanced—technologies:
S-FLOW: If you’re a solo driver, you don’t necessarily need the entire vehicle air-conditioned to be comfortable. The S-FLOW energy-saving airflow system uses occupant-detection sensors to automatically air-condition only the occupied front seat in the 2013 GS. That’s impressive in itself, but also consider this: Under normal use, this “smart” air-conditioning system could improve fuel economy by as much as three percent.
PAINTING ADVANCEMENTS: Two of the vehicle’s optional colors are high-tech in new ways. Riviera Red actually contains glass flakes in the coating that, as one would expect, creates a shimmering brilliance to the exterior. Another color, the silvery Liquid Platinum, has been purposefully engineered to accentuate body-curves—as well as shine in different lighting conditions, whether it’s dull and cloudy or bright and sunny.
GREENEDGE AUDIO: The 2013 GS includes, as an option, Mark Levinson’s new GreenEdge[1] audio components. (GreenEdge technologies are basically the LED lights of the audio world in that they produce more while using less.) The 2013 GS offers a new 835-watt Mark Levinson Premium audio system[1] (optional) with speakers that are lighter, more energy-efficient (there’s less load on the alternator), and have less distortion—and this optional sound system produces almost twice as many watts per channel over the previous generation’s system.
DIGITAL ACCESS: Lexus also ramped up the Lexus Enform[2][3] mobile telematics system in big ways. From inside the car, 2013 GS owners will be able to search for driving destinations via Bing, as well as use apps to make restaurant reservations through OpenTable, buy movie tickets via MovieTickets.com, and access internet radio providers like Pandora or iHeartRadio[4]. They can also access Facebook Places in the car, and search for restaurant reviews on Yelp. Bonus: this also shows up on the car’s giant 12.3-inch multi-media split screen, the first of its size in a production automobile.
UPGRADED REMOTE TOUCH: Lexus’ Remote Touch[5] system, the mouse-like hand controller for audio, climate control, and navigation, feels and acts even more like a computer mouse. The second-generation version, standard in the 2013 GS, actually slides, whereas the first generation—a technical wonder in itself—toggles more like a joystick.
BAMBOO STEERING WHEEL: The GS offers all sorts of systems that make driving the car a pleasure, like the Night Vision System and Lexus IS F-influenced suspension system, but we especially like the GS Hybrid’s aesthetic “technology” you can put your hands on—an elegant, light-but-strong bamboo steering wheel, which Lexus Drive Meister Shuichi Ozaki helped fine-tune as part of the vehicle’s extensive driving-sensory development.
Courtesy of LexusMagazine
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Lexus has helped raise more than $200 million through its Champions for Charity
| Notable Charities: |
| Boys and Girls Club of America |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation |
| National Multiple Sclerosis Society |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities |
| American Diabetes Association |
| March of Dimes |
| American Cancer Society |
| YMCA |
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
In appreciation of all you do, Lexus is offering a special $750 rebate on all new and Certified Pre-Owned Lexus vehicles to eligible active duty personnel.
|
* Rebate offered by Lexus. Lexus Military Rebate Program is available on approved credit to qualified customers financing the purchase of new and Certified Pre-Owned Lexus vehicles through participating Lexus dealers and Lexus Financial Services. On finance contracts, rebate will be applied towards the down payment. One rebate per finance transaction. Finance contract must be dated by March 31, 2012. Not all customers will qualify. Some restrictions apply. Military Rebate Program is subject to change or termination at any time. |
We would like to extend a special congratulations to The Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida for earning this donation they truly deserve!
Seventeen Boys & Girls Clubs to Share $302,620 Contribution This Holiday Season from Toyota Financial Services, ADESA and Norwalk Auto Auctions
Toyota Financial Services (TFS), as part of its Making Life Easier for YOUth initiative, has partnered with two auto remarketing firms, ADESA and Norwalk Auto Auctions, to provide a surprise holiday donation of $302,620 to be shared among 17 Boys & Girls Clubs in cities where the three companies operate. In addition to celebrations at the various Clubs, representatives of Toyota Financial Services and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America will hold a special check presentation this afternoon at the Whittier Boys & Girls Clubs at 7905 Greenleaf Ave, in Whittier, Calif., to recognize the combined $302,620 contribution.
The donation is the result of a joint promotion from TFS and its auction partners. From Nov. 25th thru Dec. 19th, 2011, for every vehicle purchased from TFS at any ADESA and Norwalk Auto Auction venues, the company pledged a $50 donation to several local Boys & Girls Clubs and the auction houses pledged an additional $15 to $25 per vehicle. The promotion has provided Boys & Girls Clubs with much-needed funds at a time when more and more families are relying on the Clubs’ after-school activities. Boys & Girls Clubs programs include academic support, career enrichment, character and leadership development, health and life skills, the arts, sports and fitness and family support resources. In a safe, culturally sensitive, fun and caring environment, the Boys & Girls Clubs offer youth opportunities to develop a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence and caring.
“I’m incredibly proud to work for an organization that recognizes the need to assist youth, especially those in under-served communities. At Toyota Financial Services, we’ve partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs on a local and national level for many years and we’ve seen the great impact they have in their communities,” said Mike Reid, national remarketing manager at TFS. “We know the money raised through this promotion with our auction partners, ADESA and Norwalk Auto Auctions, will absolutely help make a significant and positive difference for thousands of kids.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs benefiting from the joint donation include:
• Boys & Girls Club of Fontana, Calif.: $47,320.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Union County, N.J.: $40,170.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster, Pa.: $34,450.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas, Texas: $30,420.00
• Boys & Girls Club at Salvation Army of the Bluegrass, Va.: $26,650.00
• Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest Boston, Mass.: $23,660.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Wis.: $22,450.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Whittier, Calif.: $14,550.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, Ariz.: $11,750.00
• Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro, Calif.: $11,750.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Ga.: $9,750.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla.: $7,250.00
• Boys & Girls Club of King County, Wash.: $6,650.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, Kan.: $5,900.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, Calif.: $5,850.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Broward County, Fla.: $2,150.00
• Boys & Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County, N.J.: $1,900.00
Lexus to Unveil Sport Coupe Concept Vehicle at North American International Auto Show in Detroit
Taking the new Lexus design direction one step further, the LF-LC 2+2 sport coupe will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit at 1:25 p.m. Eastern time on January 9, 2012. “Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “The clean lines of the vehicle emphasize motion, creating a distinctive look for this futuristic sport coupe.” Conceived as a design exercise to explore the future of Lexus design, the LF-LC was created at the company’s Calty design studio in Newport Beach, Calif.
Road & Track has leaked the Lexus LF-Lc concept ahead of its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show!
Courtesy of AutoBlog
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tell us what you think fans! What are your thoughts on this new stylistic direction from Lexus?
Monday, December 19, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Updated Lexus LX to debut at Detroit Auto Show
Courtesy of AutoBlog
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Lexus builds the luxury-auto world’s biggest multi-display screen—and even goes high-def.
It’s over a foot wide—and nobody has ever made one this big for a premium car before.
We're talking about Lexus’ new 12.3-inch high-resolution multimedia display, which becomes available with the optional navigation system in the 2013 GS. To give you an idea of the screen’s size, picture an iPad 2 held horizontally, and then lengthen the iPad about three inches.
Functionally speaking, though, the screen’s industry-first breadth serves a purpose—several of them, actually.
For starters, it allows for a higher resolution—Lexus’ best yet—which makes the screen’s content extremely sharp. It also allowed Lexus to introduce high-definition graphics that are much more advanced than what you’re used to seeing on a typical navigation display.
“The large 8-inch-wide screen that we introduced on the CT was as close to high definition as we could get,” says Charles Hubbard, senior dealer education administrator at Lexus College. “But this one goes even further,”
Additionally, the GS screen is wide enough to redefine how a driver interacts with multi-display functions, which is to say, it allows for more info to be shown at one time via a split-screen format.
In other words, picture your navigation screen on one side, taking up about eight inches as it normally does on a Lexus display screen, with other multi-display functionality on the other side, such as climate control and audio. With this setup, the driver and front passenger have a better, quicker view of more screen-operated functions.
Here’s another benefit: Many drivers would agree that it’s an axiom of life that the moment they most need the navigation will be the exact same moment the front passenger wants to access a different playlist on the iPod® or enter a different band on Pandora®. Now two screen views can co-exist in harmony, and for that matter, so can the driver and passenger.
If you’re a veteran Lexus GS owner, one of the first things you’ll notice when you test-drive the 2013 model (it arrives in February) is that the navigation screen has been relocated; it’s now positioned higher on the dash, making it easier to view.
The wider screen, of course, works in conjunction with the vehicle’s standard next-generation Remote Touch system, Lexus’ computer-mouse-style control device situated in the center console. The new version, among its other upgrades, allows the driver to control more functions, like climate, control, audio, and the optional navigation, without having to tap menu items in the display screen.
The higher screen positioning also looks good: the location is optimized for the driver, with an asymmetrical elegance that seems, at least to me, inspired by modern aviation design. Contributing to the aviation vibe are such additional touches as machined aluminum audio dials.
And realize this: For all that this new wide-screen provides, including the ability to simultaneously view navigation and adjust controls, you may just want it for the thrill it provides every morning when you get in and start the car.
“When you press the info button and fire this thing up, it just lights up across the dash. The wow-factor is huge,” says Hubbard. “To me, a big thing about it is aesthetics; this is just a neat, neat looking screen.”
Article Writen By Clark Heideger
Courtesy of LexusDrivers The Online Magazine
Fifteen Toyota, Lexus and Scion Vehicles Earn Top Safety Pick Awards
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) today announced that 15 Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles earned Top Safety Pick awards for the 2012 model year, more than any other automaker. Commenting on today’s announcement, Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., said, “Safety is a core value that dates back to the foundation of our company. IIHS’ awards further recognize our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers.” The 2012 model year winners are: Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Prius, Prius v, Sienna, Tundra Crew Cab, Venza, and Yaris; Lexus CT 200h and RX, and Scion tC, xB, and xD. According to the IIHS, Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on ratings in IIHS tests. 
Courtesy of ToyotaNewsroom
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thank you to the author of this great review for sharing their feedback with us! Keep up the great work C.J.!
- after not being taken care of previously, c.j. stepped up. i told him my calls had not been returned and he offered i call his cell if i ever need anything - promising he'll even answer on his days off. now that's building relationships through better service. -bubonics
For more great reviews click here!
Lexus to Unveil Concept Vehicle at North American International Auto Show
Lexus will unveil a new concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 9, 2012. Designed by Calty, the company’s design studio in Newport Beach, Calif., the concept showcases the new design direction embraced by Lexus.
Courtesy of ToyotaNewsroom
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Toyota Considers Making More Lexus Cars in North America
Pushing its suppliers hard to minimize their costs, or finding alternative partners, is one of the measures taken by the biggest Japanese carmaker. Moving more of its production out of Japan to more cost-efficient plants in other countries is t.
The weak dollar is making manufacturing in the U.S. increasingly more attractive, allowing for more competitive prices and higher profit margin – to the point that U.S.-made Camrys will be exported to South Korea.
However, Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, is another story altogether: all Lexus models, sans the RX that is made in Canada, are built exclusively in Japan. With the U.S. being the brand’s main market, though, it makes sense for Lexus to follow its German competitors’ example (i.e. BMW and Mercedes-Benz) and move more of its production to the other side of the Pacific.
"I'm sitting on the fence", Mark Templin, head of the Lexus brand in the U.S. told CNN Money. "This is a complex decision that would come from Japan. But we could build more Lexuses here."
Templin admits that even though it makes sense from an economic point of view, manufacturing its most prestigious models at home is also a matter of “pride” for Toyota.
Due to the dollar-yen exchange rate, building cars in its existing North American plants instead of importing them from Japan would instantly raise Toyota’s profits and reduce delivery times to customers.
Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, has already announced that he expects a 5% operating profit this year. This is lower than its historical average, and half the 10% operating profit it recorded in 2004.
With Lexus having already lost valuable time, and sales, Templin thinks that U.S. Lexus dealers have to increase customer satisfaction beyond the upscale waiting rooms, loaner cars, latte bars and flat-screen TVs that have already been copied by competitors. Though he didn’t specify what actions they should take, he did leave a hint: "I will tell you this: the most valuable thing in the lives of our customers is their time."
Courtesy of CarScoop
Thank you to Jack and Gayle for sharing their feedback with us! Keep up the great work team!
Lexus of Orlando - (5) Star Review on DealerRater
- If we could give service consultant Jose Huertas more then a 5,
it would be a perfect 10 in every catagory.
He is a total professional and one of the reasons we would buy another Lexus.Jack & Gayle M.
Thank you to Jack and Gayle for sharing their feedback with us! Keep up the great work team!
- If we could give service consultant Jose Huertas more then a 5,
it would be a perfect 10 in every catagory.
He is a total professional and one of the reasons we would buy another Lexus.Jack & Gayle M.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Will Lexus make California its global headquarters?
Automotive News reports Lexus may uproot its global headquarters and relocate to California. The move would pull the Toyota luxury brand out of Japan for the first time in the nameplate's history. Toyota has already shifted Lexus' global marketing functions to the company's campus in Torrance, California in what is being seen as the first step in a larger move. Automotive News quotes Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo as saying the shift is part of an effort to make Lexus less of a Japanese brand and more of a "transnational" one.
Courtesy of AutoBlog
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Lexus Donates $5 To Toys For Tots For Every Big Red Bow You Share Online
For Facebook users, the process is simple: just visit the "December to Remember" tab on Lexus' Facebook page. There, you'll see a big red bow that you can share on your own Facebook wall. Click the button to post it, and -- bing! -- Lexus contributes $5 to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
If you're a Twitter user, it's even easier: send out a tweet with the hashtag #lexusbigredbow, and you're done.
The promotion runs through January 3, 2012, so you have the opportunity to participate many times over the next few weeks. Lexus will contribute up to $100,000 to the charity, which has the stated goal of delivering new toys to needy children during the Christmas season, as well as "a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens".
Lexus and Scholastic Announce First Round of Winners in the 2011 - 2012 Lexus Eco Challenge
Sixteen student teams from 11 states have been named winners in the first round of the fifth annual Lexus Eco Challenge, an educational program and contest that inspires and empowers young people to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. Lexus will award a total of $500,000 in grants and scholarships throughout this year’s program. Students across the country demonstrated their commitment to the planet with programs aimed at protecting land and water. Each winning team has earned $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school. Their win has secured each team an invitation to participate in the Final Challenge for a chance at one of two $30,000 grand prizes and eight $15,000 first-place awards. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special Web page to inspire other students to take action in their communities at www.scholastic.com/lexus. “Today’s teens have the energy and dedication to make the world a better place,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “At Lexus, we’re proud to give them the opportunity to show their capabilities to others, as well as discover their own potential to improve the environment around them.” For each of the challenges, teams are required to define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results. The Challenge #1 winning teams that best addressed environmental challenges associated with land and water are: High School Teams: • New York (LaGrangeville) – “Team S.A.L.T. (Save Another Living Tree)” – Arlington
High – Experimented with new road salt to minimize impact on plants and trees near roads.
• New York (LaGrangeville) – “Invasive Annihilators” - Arlington High – Cleared a local
park of invasive species to restore the natural habitat.
• New York (Jericho) – “The Green Musketeers” – Jericho High School – Developed a
water filtration system.
• New York (Stony Brook) – “Trash Talking Teens” – Stony Brook University High
School – Worked with local small businesses to survey recycling habits and develop a
recycling plan.
• Massachusetts (Boston) “Climate Action Network” – Boston Latin School -- Created a zero-sort recycling program to cut trash at their school by 50%.
• Ohio (Chesterland) – “Environmental Discovery Project” - West Geauga High School -
Worked at their school and in their community to educate and implement composting ideas.
• Georgia (Atlanta) – “ECO (Westminster Environmental Campus Organization)” – The Westminster Schools – Installed low-flush toilets, recycling bins and replaced the in-organic produce in their school cafeteria.
• California (Vista) – “The Preservation Foundation” – Guajome Park Academy –
Developed corridor drains to divert trash from their local wetlands. Middle School Teams: • New Jersey (Manahawkin) – “Get Mugged” - All Saints Regional Catholic – Persuaded their teachers and parents to use refillable mugs instead of plastic-lined paper cups.
• New Hampshire (Meredith) – “Weedbusters” – Inter-Lakes Middle Tier School – Rallied the community to reduce a non-native plant, milfoil, in the region’s lakes and ponds.
• Florida (Lakeland) – “Organic Waste” - Lawton Chiles Middle Academy – Launched a campaign to prevent grass clippings from entering their storm drains.
• Kentucky (Lexington) – “Purpledinowolficorns” – Tates Creek Middle School – Conducted fund raisers at their school to generate money to build a rain garden.
• Iowa (Charles City) – “The Batmen” - Charles City Middle School – Educated their city about bats which installed bat houses to help minimize the negative impact of local insects.
• Michigan (Byron Center) – “SASS – Students Advancing Scientific Studies” – Byron Center West School -- Reduced paper use at their school by 50 percent.
• California (Arboga) – “Threatening Stingerz” – Arboga Elementary School – Created awareness of the threat of mosquitoes and advised the community on how to reduce mosquito populations.
• California (Arboga) – “Team Aqua” - Arboga Elementary School – Presented ways to increase water conversation to the community. This year’s Lexus Eco Challenge launched on Sept. 26, 2011, and concludes with the announcement of the first place and grand-prize-winning teams in spring 2012. Challenge #2, which asks students to address the environmental challenges for air and climate, is currently underway and has an entry deadline of Dec. 19, 2011. In addition to the ongoing contest, the Lexus Eco Challenge also includes educational materials created and distributed by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, to encourage teachers to integrate creative lesson plans about the environment into their classrooms.
For each challenge, the Web site (www.scholastic.com/lexus) has lesson plans and teacher instructions, including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project. The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $5 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children’s lives.
Courtesy of ToyotaNewsroom
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