There is always something of a gap in the market when it comes to luxury convertibles; there are surprisingly few four-seat models with metal roofs available and it’s this particular gap that Lexus are looking to fill with the new IS 250C SE-L range – a range which weighs in from around £36,000 to £44,500.
To promote their forthcoming hybrid model, the CT200h, Lexus have launched an exciting new campaign that they are calling the ‘darker side of green’. The suave online promotion puts a cool, James Bond-style spin on eco-friendly motoring with a swish and stylish web page and online interactive game.
The vehicle itself looks set to take Europe’s luxury hatchback market by storm in early 2011, with the luxury arm of Toyota expecting its launch to double their business in Europe. Lexus have promised not to compromise performance for economy with the new CT200h, which will feature a 1.8L Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gas engine. The four driving modes; EV, ECO, normal and sport, look set to ensure that there is a mode to suit any driving style and all conditions.
Having announced the production of 500 supercars back in October 2009, Lexus have recently announced that all of the LFA’s they are set to create have been pre-sold, marking a huge success for the Toyota-owned car firm.
Lexus have no previous history of manufacturing supercars, so the near immediate presale of 500 LFA’s is a big victory for the company, particularly given the fairly hefty launch price of around £330,000. It is not just Americans buyers that have swooped to reserve the supercars, with around a third of the models set to be sold to European drivers, with approximately ten thought to be headed to the roads of Britain.
A new Lexus is on the way and its got the Golf firmly in its sight. Preparing for a grand launch at the Geneva motorshow the new LF-Ch premium compact hatchback is set to be on sale towards the end of 2010.
Details, at the moment, are sketchy, but early indications suggest it’s likely to be much along the same lines as the concept hybrid which went on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
Lexus Dealerships around the world will be holding their breath this week as the new GX460 SUV is about to be unveiled at the China motor show. The car/van has been produced to replace the GX470 and from browsing the spy shots of the car online one thing is very apparent and that is that this car hasn’t been built with style in mind.
It is quite possibly one of the ugliest looking SUV’s I’ve seen and that is bearing in mind that there are a number of appalling SUV’s out there at present. The Lexus GX460 seems very square and boxy and appears to lack any sense of sporty qualifications, with the Porsche Cayenne leaving it for dust in the looks stakes.
Lexus dealers are set to be in for a busy couple of years as they look to set to push full steam ahead with production of their new premium compact car, the Lexus LF-Ch.
Since unveiling the latest model at the Frankfurt Motor Show to critical acclaim, Lexus dealerships have been inundated with requests for further information on the LF-Ch which won’t be available on the road until 2011.
With a petrol hybrid engine that will emit less than 100/km CO2 and front wheel drive, the LF-Ch represents a new challenge for Lexus who aim to target market share from the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.
The motor industry has been struggling against a tide of financial depression over the course of the last year as we all know: Cars continue to back up on fore-courts with customers refusing to part with their hard earned cash, opting instead to save their money until the recession has passed. Even the new scrappage scheme employed by several manufacturers hasn’t worked as well as they had initially hoped.
However, there is some good news coming out of America that sales on certain brands of luxury cars has started to move in a positive direction again. Sales of Lexus cars have been boosted with a 12% gain in the last month.
New images of the Lexus LF-Ch concept car, set to be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show have been released, and the compact sportsback looks even better than Car Chat had first expected.
Following from the sketches of the concept car, leaked by Lexus a couple of weeks ago, these images of the actual concept car look stunning.
This model will aim to gain Lexus some of the market share in the sportsback sector, to rival the likes of the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3.
This new Lexus model will also be available in full hybrid making it the first fully electric car of its type.
Lexus has unveiled their latest concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show – a car that they expect to take on BMW’s hugely successful 1 Series.
The Lexus CT concept car is to be a first sportsback for the Toyota subsidiary company. Whereas Lexus have concentrated on the coupe and SUV market they now aim to challenge BMW, Audi and the like and from the initial sketches of the concept car, they could gain significant market share.
This is new ground for Lexus and is set to be well received in Germany, as it is likely to be worldwide.
The brand new Lexus HS 250h is selling like hot-cakes after it was unveiled in Japan and the US in July. Toyota was targeting 500 sales per month, but in their first month the car has already achieved a whopping 9,000 orders!
Lexus is undoubtedly a very reliable company, making many comfortable, stylish and sensible cars. Lexus’ are generally proven to be liked by consumers, so it isn’t surprising that the 2010 Lexus HS 250h is selling so well – it’s a beautiful car to look at and to drive.
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.