Being the second biggest European market for convertibles, Britain will surely love this! Lexus‘ IS 250C.
Even though the weather is purely terrible in Britain, we all love a good drop-top. Many convertibles are much heavier, noisier and all together more tedious to drive. But not this. Lexus has claimed to have the world’s fastest metal folding roof on the IS 250C, so it surely mixes the advantages of a coupé with the fun of a cabriolet.
Humberside Police Force has chosen the Lexus IS-F as its pursuit car in favour of all other high-performance cars.
The Police Force have tested and considered many cars to be used as their next pursuit car over the past year and have decided that the Lexus IS-F was the ebst of the bunch.
The Lexus IS-F can reach 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds thanks to the 417bhp 5 litre V8 engine and has a top speed limited to 168mph.
‘The purchase of the vehicle was far from an easy decision and involved research and advice from the force fleet manager, financial managers and a vehicle dynamics expert,’ said Sergeant Mike Peck, Humberside Police.
The Lexus HS250h has received more than 3,000 orders in a slowing Japanese car market yet will not be made available to UK drivers Toyota have announced.
The HS250h is also performing well in the US with pre-orders going strong and estimates of 2,500 units to be sold per month proving that this particular hybrid could well be the most popular eco-friendly vehicle yet.
The first full hybrid model by Lexus will not be released in the UK because of similar models in the Lexus IS and Toyota Avensis hybrids that are set to be released in Britain in the next year.
Lexus look set to release their LF-A concept car in the coming months, and when they do, expect deserved hyperbole!
The Formula One inspired LF-A concept looks almost Italian in design with the sexy, sculpted lines and curves. Like a good woman, all the curves are in the right places!
Unlike many gorgeous women though, this concept car performs well also: a top speed of 320 km/h testifies to this.
This two-seater boasts a 5 litre V10 engine containing the power of 500 horses under the bonnet, with the sexy body produced from aluminium and carbon fibre allowing for such rapid speeds!
Lexus look set to fight fire with fire in 2009.
Having released the IS 250c in an attempt to challenge the BMW Z4, Mercedes SLK and Audi S4 cabriolet, they now look set upon taking on their German rivals in the saloon department with the IS 220d.
As ever the IS 220d offers a smooth as silk ride – what more would you expect from a Lexus? But this new model also exudes style that emanates from the inside to out.
Lexus have reason to cheer following the RX450h winning the What Car? Best Green SUV Award.
Now many people will find it ironic than any SUV, or Chelsea Tractor as they are known, can be deemed as ‘green’, especially for a vehicle that can reach 0-62 miles per hour in just 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 124mph.
But, with staggeringly low CO2 emissions of just 148g/km, Lexus really have pulled out the engineering stops, and with impressive economy returns also of 45 miles per gallon.
Amongst the latest Lexus model to hit the showrooms in 2009 will be the IS 250C, which was well received at the Paris motor show at the end of 2008.
Lexus aim to entice those seeking a sports cabriolet that encompasses sports performance with style and elegance – and they have succeeded here.
One of the stand out features of the new IS 250C is the aluminium fold away roof that opens in rapid time and is also so compact when stored that it does not hinder boot space as with many cabriolets.
Lexus LF-A Roadster” width=”300″ height=”200″ />Lexus look set to take on the best supercars having unveiled the updated 217mph LF-A in a bold attempt to target Porsche, Lamborghini and Maserati.
The latest LF-A will be powered by a beast of an engine, the most powerful ever seen in a Lexus vehicle – a V10 engine similar to that used within Formula One likely to output up to 400kW.
With the ability to hit 0-60mph in under 4 seconds, the new LF-A has made a progressive step from the original LF-A concept car developed by Lexus in 2005.
The new Lexus RX 450h has taken in-car technology to a new level by implementing a centralised control unit aimed at being more functional and safer than using a touch screen panel.
The Remote Touch is a computer mouse-like control device that sits below the gear stick with a screen positioned at a safe position close to the windscreen to enable the drivers’ eyes to divert only fractionally below the view of the road.
The Remote Touch controls the navigation system, audio, climate, mobile phone and set-up functions of the vehicle and is simple and efficient to use.
Ready for a new set of wheels this summer? You could do worse than the new Lexus IS 250C. This gorgeous little car is just perfect for cruising the towns and countries of the UK with style and grace, with a choice of coupe or convertible options.
With all the sharpness you’d expect from a Lexus, the new offering boasts aerodynamics to die for as well as torsional rigidity and an enviable safety performance. Going from top up to top down on the convertible takes a mere 20 seconds – this is the fastest time of any convertible currently on the market.
Not many people are in the position to think about buying the new Lexus LS460, especially during the current economic climate, but for those that are, they really are in for a (luxurious) treat!
Competition for the LS460 will of course be the BMW 7 series, Mercedes Benz S class and Audi A8 – cars aimed at the distinguished, well-to-do gentleman so the long list of luxurious features makes for interesting reading.
Car manufacturers are grinding to a halt all around yet Lexus continue to drive out one top of the range car after another. Not content with our recently reported on 250h due for release in 2010, Lexus are also preparing their public for the RX 450h, making its European debut at Geneva this week.
Significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions are the key attraction to the hybrid, setting a new benchmark for other car manufacturers to live up to. Fuel efficiency and never before seen hybrid power are also what Lexus hope will grab attention and widen their already burgeoning fan base.
A certain softness in its lines accompanies the new Lexus HS 250h due for release in 2010. According to Lexus, this is the world’s first dedicated luxury hybrid vehicle.
It claims to be the most fuel efficient vehicle in the entire Lexus range with a four cylinder engine and an exhaust heat recovery system that decreases engine warm up time, thus allowing the Lexus to reach maximum efficiency as quickly as possible.
To use long labels the Lexus has a Variable Valve Timing with intelligence in the Atkinson-cycle engine – this means that the expansion/power stroke is longer than the compression stroke so engine power is produced more rapidly from the combustion energy. Did you get all that?
In order to keep up with the Joneses of the motoring industry, Lexus have made some modifications to their IS 220d. These changes have led to the CO2 emissions down from 163 to 148g/km.
This is good news for those who use Lexus as company cars as the lower emissions mean that more of the original cost can be set off against corporation tax. This means a saving of £1,335 – not to be sniffed at, especially in our current economic climate.
We’ve all seen those cars on the road – the ones that just make your jaw drop because you know they are the height of luxury. There are the usual suspects but there also some understated vehicles that you simply would have no idea about unless you drove one. Trouble is, once you have, you just won’t want to go back to an ordinary car again!
