Market Cars

Tokyo Auto Salon - Lexus IS-F Circuit Club Sport Concepts Debuts

Here are a few snapshots of the Lexus IS F CCS (Circuit Club Sport) Concept car which was on display at the Tokyo auto salon this past weekend.

Dressed in a vibrant contrast of orange and black, the IS F CCS goes heavy on the carbon fiber. Or should we say "light". Much of the body has been rendered so, including the roof, rear wing and diffuser, front spoiler lip, the hood as well as the side mirrors. The interior also gets a do-over in carbon fiber, such as the center and lower consoles, gear stick, steering wheel trim and door panels. The IS F CCS is also fitted with two-tone bucket seats.

The weight reduction helps boost the performance of this 5.0 liter V8 enabled Lexus. That engines produces 423 hp in its Japanese market iteration. Additional performance enhancement comes by way of forged magnesium wheels wrapped in performance tires, carbon brake disks, sports suspension and a sport exhaust system with a titanium muffler.

But weight and track time figures Lexus has not yet provide. Nor, for that matter, is there any news on what Lexus plans, if anything, to do in the future with this concept.

Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

Lexus brings IS F Circuit Club Sports Concept to TAS

The Lexus IS F is a curious car. 416 bristling horsepower, one of the world's sweetest-sounding engines and an 8-speed flappy-paddle 'box that shifts faster than you blink are all excellent. However, it looks a little odd, has funny tailpipes and weighs too much. That last little bit - the IS F's big bones - turn a really great road car into something of a pig on the track. We know this because we drove an IS F at Laguna Seca.

Seeking to rectify this a bit, while also fulfilling Mr. Toyoda's corporate sportiness maxim, Lexus brought the IS F Circuit Club Sports (CCS) Concept to the Tokyo Auto Salon (Japan's version of SEMA). What turns an IS F into an IS F CCS? We're glad you asked. Short answer: carbon fiber, and plenty of it. The hood, roof, trunk, front winglets, door sills and rear extractor are all made from lightweight, unpainted carbon fiber. Can't forget about the wing - it's also CF.

Lexus saw fit to upgrade the power a bit, too. The engine is untweaked, but a new exhaust system reportedly adds a dozen ponies, raising the 5.0-liter V8's output to 428. It's hard to say for certain from just the photos, but those brakes also appear to be carbon ceramic, too. All in all, the mods probably save around 125 pounds. That'll certainly help out on the track, though an additional 125 lbs. on top of that would be even better. Also, the odds of the IS F CCS making it to a Lexus dealer near you are zero.

[Source: Le Blog Auto]

Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

2012 Lexus LFA Priced at $375,000

Making its world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show today, the production version of the original LF-A concept, which has been renamed to LFA, is Lexus' first-ever supercar and it will go on sale at the end of 2010. The Ferrari-fighting supercar is powered by a front-mounted, purpose built 4.8-liter V10 engine that cranks out 553HP (560PS) at 8,700 rpm and 480Nm or 354 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm, with 90% of its peak torque available between 3,700rpm and 9,000rpm.

The all-new compact-sized V10 engine that is said to be smaller than a conventional V8, sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed automated sequential gearbox that features four selectable driving modes and a seven-stage shift-speed selector that results in upshift speeds down to 0.2 seconds.

The Japanese maker claims a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 325 km/h or 202 mph for the LFA.

Just like many other top-notch supercars such as the Ferrari Enzo, the chassis and body of the LFA are made largely of carbon-fiber composite. In accordance to Lexus, the 4,505mm long car weighs 1,480kg or 3,263 pounds with a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. For the record, the Enzo weighed in at 1,365kg or 3,009 lbs.

The LFA's suspension comprises of double wishbones at the front and a multilink arrangement at the back. Stopping power comes courtesy of Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers at the rear.

Lexus has already began accepting orders for the LFA with first deliveries expected to take place towards the end of 2010. Production of the base model will be strictly limited to 500 units with preliminary pricing set at $375,000 (around €250,000).

In the beginning of 2012, Lexus will also launch two special versions of the LFA, including one with unique color(s) and a more track-focused model.

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

Lexus GS-F said to be Still Under Development

Given that the latest Lexus GS has been in the market for a while, most of us have abandoned the idea of an F-badged variant of the current model that would compete head on with the Audi RS6, BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V and Merc's E63 AMG. But even though common sense says that, if Lexus wants to go ahead with the GS-F, chances are the automaker will wait for the next generation GS, Japan's Best Car magazine claims it knows otherwise.

In fact, the magazine says Lexus is working on the current GS and that the super-sedan will most likely be powered by a slightly modified version of the LFA's 4.8-liter V10 powerplant that produces 553HP at 8,700 rpm and 480Nm or 354 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 rpm in the two-door supercar.

Only time will tell if the story about the GS-F is true, but we wouldn't hold our breath if we were you..

Via: Best Car

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 / 0 nhận xét / Read More

The truth about 2011 Lexus LFA

It's a front-engine GT, but its MSRP means it doesn't compete with the Ferrari 599. It's a technological tour de force nearly on par with the Bugatti Veyron, but its 202 MPH top speed doesn't come close to the V-max of Ferdinand Piech's quad-turbo masterpiece. It's lithe and nimble, but lacks the directness and tactility of the Lotus Elise. Its 3.7-second zero-to-60 time falls short of the GT-R, and it can't come close to the Nissan's point-to-point brutality. There's simply no frame of reference to apply, which begs the question: Why? Why has Lexus invested hundreds of million of dollars, ran a dozen races and developed nearly every single component in-house to build a scant 500 LFAs and offer them to the world's elite?

It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma coated in carbon fiber. And there's obviously more to this story than simply driving impressions and photos. So after last week's barrage of LFA news, it's time to take a step back... then get stuck right back in.

The general consensus is that Toyota built the LFA simply because it could. That's just a poor excuse to prevent your head from exploding. The LFA represents more than just a V10-powered, carbon fiber plaything; the investment in development, technology and manufacturing appears to be a cornerstone of ToMoCo's future products and Toyota President Akio Toyoda's vision for the automaker. But let's put the bird's eye view aside for the moment and revel in the details, beginning with the styling.

Compared to the concept that rolled out at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show, the production LFA bears more resemblance to Toyota's follow-up in 2007. The flat, pointed exterior has evolved into a scooped and ducted coupe that's far and away the best application of Lexus' L-finesse design language to date. But as everyone is quick to point out, the LFA is unabashedly Japanese. And that's only the half of it. Literally.