Category Archives: Lexus

The small Lexus roadster. Is it happening after all?

Never mind the upcoming Lexus NX small crossover, the IS-derived RC 2+2 sports coupe or even the rumored production version of the LF-LC concept expected to carry a 6-figure price tag. Forget any notions of a 3-row crossover SUV or … Continue reading

Posted in Informed Speculation, Lexus, Sports, The Toyota alliances | 1 Comment

Lexus ES to be phased out? You’ve got to be kidding…

Among this author’s many oddball geeky/nerdy automotive interests is following Motor Trend magazine’s annual Power List of the “Top 50 movers, shakers, heart-breakers in the mercurial world of autodom”, as they described it in 2008. This ritual goes back further … Continue reading

Posted in Avalon, ES, Lexus, Toyota | Leave a comment

The 2013 Toyota, Lexus and Scion “launch list” gets tweaked yet again!

Another day, another set of teaser hints and pronouncements over what new or revised vehicles Toyota, Scion and Lexus will introduce during the 2013 calendar year. First, on 11 September 2012, Toyota Division U.S.A. group vice president and general manager … Continue reading

Posted in 4Runner, Corolla, Events, Frankfurt Motor Show, Highlander, Hybrid, Informed Speculation, IS, LA Auto Show, Lexus, NAIAS, RAV4, Scion, tC, Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota, Tundra | 1 Comment

7 or 9? The other 2 new Toyota…er…Lexus models for 2014

Back in 17 November 2010, a Toyota RAV4 press release concluded by informing us, in an almost throwaway fashion, that “by the end of 2012, Toyota will add seven all new (not next-generation) hybrid models to its portfolio”. We scrambled … Continue reading

Posted in Events, F-Sport, Frankfurt Motor Show, Informed Speculation, IS, LA Auto Show, Lexus, NAIAS, New York Int'l Auto Show, Scion, tC, Tokyo Motor Show | 1 Comment

The 2012 Informed Speculation scoreboard

Rare is the car magazine that does not have a section dedicated to brief notes and comments on future vehicle news, rumors and what we refer to as Informed Speculation, bearing titles such as Upfront, the Oracle, Ampersand and MT … Continue reading

Posted in Avalon, Camry, CT, ES, Hybrid, Informed Speculation, iQ, iQ, IS, LA Auto Show, Lexus, LS, Paris Motor Show, Prius MPV, RAV4, RAV4 EV, Scion, Tesla, Toyota, Yaris HSD | 1 Comment

Has Lexus killed or indefinitely postponed more powerful CT variants?

Back in July 2009, this author helped break the story of Lexus’ filing of CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h trademarks. The CT 200h, of course, went on sale worldwide as the brand’s entry level model in early 2011, … Continue reading

Posted in CT, F-Sport, Hybrid, Lexus | Leave a comment

An…er…um…highly unusual Lexus CT 200h art car

What do cars and politics have in common? All the fiery debate, finger-pointing and hand-wringing over the U.S. government/taxpayer bailout of General Motors and Chrysler and dubious “investments” in and loans to “green” companies such as Fisker and Tesla? Yeah, … Continue reading

Posted in CT, Events, Hybrid, Lexus | 1 Comment

Lexus trademarks NX 200t and NX 300h

Another day…another report of a Toyota trademark filing. Or two of them, to be precise: NX 200t and NX 300h, both filed on 15 October 2012 for “use in association with automobiles and structural parts thereof”. In the United States, … Continue reading

Posted in Lexus, Trademark filings | 19 Comments

TMC’s Environmental Technology Development update: a peek at Toyota and Lexus’ powertrain future (Part 1)

On Monday 24 September, what was ostensibly the press preview for the (very limited) production version of the battery electric variant of the Toyota iQ soon became, in the words of Bertel Schmitt of The Truth About Cars, “the strangest … Continue reading

Posted in Avalon, Corolla, CT, ES, GS, Hybrid, Informed Speculation, iQ, IS, Lexus, LS, Prius, Prius MPV, RAV4 EV, RX, Sienna, Toyota, Yaris HSD | 2 Comments

Lexus and Toyota at the 2012 Paris Motor Show: what to expect

As the 2013 model year international auto show season kicks off, the current even-numbered 2012 calendar year means that the action starts in early autumn in Paris, France (odd-numbered years see Frankfurt, Germany as the fall kickoff, and the Tokyo … Continue reading

Posted in GT 86, Hybrid, Lexus, Paris Motor Show, Subaru, Toyota, TRD, Yaris | Leave a comment