For Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race in May, Lexus is currently working on two LFA supercars that are set to participate in the races.

Lexus aims to be considered as a prime challenger in the standard production car category. It should be noted that development versions of the LFA were previously raced in two outings in the event. The Gazoo Racing team who prepared the two cars for the race claims that due to the car’s advanced, lightweight composite construction and 552bhp mid-mounted V10 engine, it will be able to sprint to 62 mph in only 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of more than 200 mph. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Lexus, lexus lfa nurburgring endurance race
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Even Lexus’ image was hurt by the recall crisis that Toyota is currently facing. Market researchers say though that Lexus’ reputation didn’t take as much beating as Toyota, which has been battling the escalating crisis during the past two months.

BrandIndex Service in New York, which conducts surveys on consumer brand perceptions, said that Lexus’ quality reputation is at its lowest ever. According to Edmunds, purchase intent (defined as a shopper’s configuring a vehicle online) and other factors are down as well. Drew Kerr, a BrandIndex spokesman, said that in 2009, Lexus and BMW competed neck-to-neck with each other in quality scores. Continued after the jump!

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According to the latest reports from Japan, it appears that Lexus is going to offer the LFA supercar in a limited edition specially developed to offer the best performances on the racing track dubbed ‘LFA Nurburgring Track Edition’.

Apparently, this new car will be offered with a fixed rear wing, a larger front spoiler, tuned suspensions, high performance tires with better grip and a with an extra 10 hp. For those who don’t know, the LFA carries a naturally aspirated 4,805cc capacity V10 engine capable to deliver 560 hp, 480 Nm of torque at 6,800rpm (90 per cent of which is available from 3,700rpm) and rev to a wailing 9,000rpm red line. . With these numbers the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is made in just 3.7 seconds while the maximum speed achieved is 325 km/h (202 mph). This means that the LFA Nurburgring Track Edition will carry 570 hp and will be quicker than the standard version. Also, the car will be available in just four colors: black, matte black, vibrant orange and a color that couldn’t be read by the Google Translate tool. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Lexus, lexus lfa nurburgring track edition, lfa nuburgring track edition
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Insider sources have revealed that Lexus will likely introduce an estate variant on the next generation of its Lexus IS and make the model range hybrid-only.

Lexus’ BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class rival is in its second generation. Meanwhile, a third edition is due in 2011. The original model had offered an estate variant, called SportCross. Interestingly, the current car, which was introduced in 2005, has never been available in a wagon. These insiders added that this policy has damaged sales of the car in Europe, where it is rivaled by the 3-series Touring and A4 Avant. The insiders also claim that the next IS will only be offered as a hybrid, which fits in with Lexus’ push towards this technology. So far, there are two standalone hybrid models — the HS250h and the CT200h. It is unknown how the change would influence the prospects of a successor to the V8-engined IS F.

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Orders are now being received for Lexus’ revised IS range for 2010 that is priced from £24,350. Included in the range is a new F Sport trim level that is inspired by the high-performance IS F model.

The F Sport trim is offered on both IS250 and IS220d models. This trim is inclusive of an IS F-style front grille and rear spoiler, 18-inch alloys, aluminum sports pedals, sports seats and a sports steering wheel. A lowered suspension comes with the IS250. The interior has a black-on-black theme that also features a black headlining and grey stitching detail on the front seats and steering wheel. The sports seats are finished in Alcantara with leather side bolsters. The emissions and economy of the IS250 for 2010 are largely improved. Lexus equipped the range with manual transmission and a combined economy of 29.1mpg, up from 28.8mpg from the previous model. With an automatic, fuel economy is recorded at 31.7mpg, up from 31.0mpg. CO2 emissions are reduced — from 231g/km to 227g/km in the manual and from 214g/km to 209g/km in the automatic. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Pricing for Lexus’ limited edition IS 350C F-Sport convertible has been revealed. At a base price of $58,375 (including a destination charge of $875), the car is priced $3,600 more than a fully-loaded IS 350C.

The F-Sport model’s performance was raised with the help of parts taken from Lexus’ F-Sport catalog. The model rides on new 19-inch forged aluminum wheels that are similar to those used on the IS-F. These wheels are wrapped in high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. A revised suspension supports new rolling stock. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 lexus is 350c f-sport, 2010 lexus is 350c f-sport price, car news, Lexus
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After considering that a compact car was not in Lexus’ U.S. plans, Toyota confirmed the fact that the CT 200h hybrid hatchback unveiled last week at the Geneva Motor Show, will be sold in the United States by early next year.

For those who don’t know, Toyota officials said back in October, at the Tokyo Motor Show, that such a vehicle will not come to America any time soon, but it appears that all the plans have changes. The new hybrid will use a 1.8-liter gasoline engine with the Toyota hybrid system to deliver “2.0-liter performance with class-leading CO2 emissions,”, according to Lexus. Although almost all the automakers use lithium ion batteries, Lexus decided to stick to the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The CT 200h will offer three driving modes, ‘relaxed’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘EV’. The last one will allow the car to be driven as a full-electric car for about one mile and with a maximum speed of 28mph. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Lexus, lexus ct 200h us debut, lexus ct200h
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Lexus expects that the stylish design of its new CT 200h full-hybrid entry-premium hatchback will appeal to younger drivers, according to the carmaker’s European head Andy Pfeiffenberger.

At the Geneva Motor Show, Pfeiffenberger said that the company expects that a “whole new audience” will respond well to the CT 200h’s dynamic styling. He said that the L-Finesse design, which is the latest evolution of Lexus, has a “real contemporary appeal” that seeks to bring in the design-conscious, younger customers. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Lexus, lexus ct 200h, lexus ct200h
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At the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, Toyota dropped hints that the new luxury hybrid will be launched in the US but now, the Japanese manufacturer gave official confirmation that this April, the car will make its North American debut at the New York International Auto Show.

Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager, said that in the premium compact segment, the all-new Lexus CT 200h will be the only hybrid vehicle. Templin said that the CT 200h is expected to attract new buyers to the Lexus brand with its combination of luxury features, stunning styling, and performance. Powering the car is a 1.8-liter VVT-i petrol engine that is mated with an electric unit. Four driving modes are offered — Eco, Normal, Sport and EV. In the electric mode, the car offers a maximum range of up to 1.2 miles (1.9 km) at speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h). Lexus also made adjustments to the car to make it as aerodynamic as possible. The flow of air down the sides is improved due to the tweaks on the front and rear corners. Toyota tapered the sides of the cabin and also lowered the rear edge of the roof. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2010 new york auto show, car news, ct200h, Lexus, lexus ct 200h new york auto show, lexus ct200h, New York Auto Show
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Lexus officially launched the brand new CT 200h hybrid hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show. The CT 200h hybrid hatchback will start production in late 2010.

The new car is based on the LF-Ch Concept unveiled back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In addition, the new car is obviously inspired by Lexus’s L-finesse design philosophy with a distinctive, sharp-edged look that makes it stand out from its premium compact rivals. Superior ergonomics with extensive use of metallic finishes and dark, soft-touch surfaces are apparent on the interior. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 geneva motor show, car news, Geneva Motor Show, Lexus, lexus ct 200h, lexus ct200h
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