Lexus Says It'll End Production Of The Gs Midsize Sedan In August

Lexus says it'll end production of the GS midsize sedan in August

You know that 2020 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Black Line Special Edition we told you about yesterday? As it turns out, it'll be the last gasp for the midsize luxury sedan, as Lexus plans to cut the nameplate from its lineup.

Lexus announced in Japan that it will discontinue the entire remaining GS lineup, including the 467-horsepower GS F performance sedan, after production there ends in August. It also follows the brand's decision last year to not offer the entry-level GS 300 in the U.S. for 2020.

2020 Lexus Introduces Gs 350 F Sport Black Line Special Edition

2020 Lexus introduces GS 350 F Sport Black Line special edition

The new 2020 Lexus GS 350 Black Line Special Edition brings a dark edge to the brand's mid-size luxury sedan. This offering follows in the tire tracks of the Black Line in the Lexus NX and IS ranges—the cosmetic package appeared first on the NX300, then the IS 300 F Sport, then the IS 350 F Sport over the past couple of years. The enhancements are available on the rear- and all-wheel-drive GS sedans, but will be offered only with two exterior colors, either Utlra White or Caviar, the latter being a rich dark brown. Visual changes outside include gloss black F Sport grille inserts, gloss black mirror caps, and a gloss-black decklid spoiler. The RWD version gets gloss black F Sport wheels with orange brake calipers, while the AWD model does without the flashy stoppers. Output of the 3.5-liter V6 doesn't change from 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. 

Inside, the black leather interior sees contrasting textures in Alcantara on the instrument panel, console, and armrest, and carbon fiber trim on the doors, instrument panel, and center console. Rioja Red panels provide contrast as does red stitching on the doors, steering wheel, seats, and center console.

2020 Lexus Gs F Review | Performance, 0-60, Exhaust Noise, Video

2020 Lexus GS F Review | Performance, 0-60, exhaust noise, video

You don't hear much about the 2020 Lexus GS F. It's been out for a while now, the model having debuted for 2016 and the base GS sedan stretching all the way back to 2012. That's an awful lot of time for the automotive world to whiz by, especially in the upper echelon of performance sedans. Packing 467 horsepower is suddenly weak sauce when rivals have crested the 600-hp plateau. The fact that Lexus still hasn't convinced the automotive enthusiast community at large that it actually makes compelling performance machines certainly doesn't help. 

To be perfectly honest, I have avoided testing the GS F for several years now. "Who's going to buy that?" I've pondered, considering all of the above plus its $85,000 price tag. Nevertheless, I've got more time on my hands these days to test more cars and a Lexus Flare Yellow paint job is impossible to ignore, so hey, why not?

Lexus Lq Expected To Top The Brand's Crossover Offerings By 2022

Lexus LQ expected to top the brand's crossover offerings by 2022

When Lexus debuted the LF-1 Limitless crossover concept at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Lexus' U.S. general manager waited roughly six minutes to tell the world, as a way of hinting to HQ in Japan, "We have to build this vehicle." Car and Driver says the GM and his dealers will get their wish when the Lexus LQ crossover takes the top spot in the automaker's range in 2022.

Underneath the "molten katana" design language that looks like an RX sent back from the future to kill an RX named Sarah Connor, we'll find the inner workings of the LS sedan, possibly including the luxury-specific TNGA-L rear- and all-wheel-drive platform. Engines could be ported straight from the LS stable for standard LQ models, meaning — for now — a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.5-liter V6 helped by two electric motors to produce a combined 354 hp. An LQ F or F Sport model could bolt up the impending twin-turbo V8 and cross the 600-hp mark.

2021 Lexus Lc Gets Modest Updates

2021 Lexus LC gets modest updates

The Lexus LC is already one of our favorite cars, and the 2021 Lexus LC aims to be even a little better. The luxury automaker has made a number of minor changes to the suspension, infotainment and color schemes.

Starting under the skin, Lexus found some weight savings in the wheels and suspension. In fact, the new LC has 22 fewer pounds of unsprung weight thanks to lighter rear wheels, aluminum lower control arms, high-strength steel springs, and tubular anti-roll bars rather than solid ones. Lexus says that these improvements along with retuned shocks should give the new LC a softer, smoother ride. That's not all, as Lexus is now including its Active Cornering Assist technology to the stability control system, which brakes the inside wheels in turns to improve cornering ability. Lexus also adjusted the shift logic for the transmissions in both the V8 LC 500 and hybrid LC 500h to be smoother and more responsive.

2020 Lexus Ux 200 And Ux 250h Reviews | Photos, Features, Specs And Photos

2020 Lexus UX 200 and UX 250h Reviews | Photos, features, specs and photos

The 2020 Lexus UX is the smallest and cheapest Lexus out there, and with the UX 250h hybrid model, it's mighty efficient, too. The UX was completely new last year, as Lexus finally entered the fast-expanding subcompact car segment. We're impressed with the original design and quality of this least expensive Lexus, although there are some necessary compromises that were made along the way to achieve its low price.

Voluminous interior space is obviously not a priority in this smallest luxury SUV segment, but the UX is nevertheless one of the least spacious. It's also far from the most fun to drive and is hampered by frustratingly slow acceleration regardless of powertrain choice. All-wheel drive can also only be had with the hybrid. In those ways, its European competition are handily superior. Still, Lexus has implemented some unique and new tech features in this crossover, not seen in other Lexus vehicles. The distinctive design and the hybrid system's excellent efficiency are two other major selling points, and even if we wouldn't call the UX fun, its composed handling and comfortable ride yield a perfectly pleasant driving experience.

Lexus' New Mirror Tech Is So Futuristic It's Not Yet Allowed In The U.s.

Lexus' new mirror tech is so futuristic it's not yet allowed in the U.S.

Transcript: Lexus' digital side-view camera and monitor. The digital side-view camera and monitor provide the driver with a high-definition view. When turns are activated, the monitor goes into "extended view" eliminating blind spots. The system has adjustable brightness, the option for automatic camera retraction, and it's designed with weather-proofing features. It even includes a built-in heater to prevent freezing so it can work in all weather conditions. The futuristic tech is currently available as an option on the ES 300h Takumi. U.S. regulations do not allow this tech.

 

Autoblog Podcast #620: Mazda6, Lexus Ux 250h, Honda Cr-v, Bmw Z3, And Coronavirus

Autoblog Podcast #620: Mazda6, Lexus UX 250h, Honda CR-V, BMW Z3, and coronavirus

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. First, they talk about the cars that have been in their driveways, like the Mazda6, Lexus UX 250h and Honda CR-V, as well as Riswick's own BMW Z3 (where he actually recorded the podcast from). Then they discuss the news, which includes car dealers moving to digital commerce and other updates about — you guessed it — coronavirus, and how it's affecting the automotive industry. Finally, they take to Twitter to help a follower choose a weekend convertible for long, isolated drives in this week's "Spend My Money" segment.

Toyota-lexus Leaked New-products Plan Includes 255-horsepower Gr86

Toyota-Lexus leaked new-products plan includes 255-horsepower GR86

Last month, Motor1 said it received information on Toyota and Lexus product plans for the next few years from an inside source who attended a dealer presentation. To protect the source, Motor1 didn't publish any slides or proof from that presentation. A snippet of what happened behind closed doors has found its way online, Allcarnews posting one of the slides yesterday, as well as its own recap of the Japanese automaker's plans that mirrors the Motor1 report. If all of this is true, not only is there a ton of product in the works, but Toyota and Lexus lineups will get more interesting while answering the requests of several enthusiast groups.

We'll start with the 86, then go by model year after that. The next-gen coupe developed with Subaru should sit on Toyota's TNGA platform and get a rebrand to wear the GR86 name, for Toyota's Gazoo Racing division. The real hallelulah happens under the hood, where a turbocharged four-cylinder is expected to produce 255 hp, a 50-hp jump over the present model. Look for an upgraded interior, too. The debut is slated for summer 2021, possibly July.   

Lexus Commissioned The World's First Tattooed Car

Lexus commissioned the world's first tattooed car

Lexus commissioned the first "tattooed" car ever, and it's chosen the UX as the tattoo artist's canvas. Art cars and special projects catch our eye sometimes, but this particular project is one of the most intriguing works of art on a car we've seen in a long time. The process that tattoo artist Claudia de Sabe went through to translate her vision onto the UX is what we're really interested in here.

Since the UX is obviously a metal car, de Sabe needed to use a Dremel tool to drill away the blank white surface paint, exposing the bare metal underneath. Those painstakingly drilled lines were used as the pattern for the art taking shape. She had to be unerringly precise in her work. After all, there's no magic eraser for drilling into a car's metal body panels. Spending that much time free-drawing with a Dremel is intensive and demanding work, too. Comfortable positions are hard to come by, and a slip could be disastrous.