Lexus will be showing off a wilder CT 200h prepared by parent company Toyota's tuning partner Five-Axis at the upcoming 2011 Chicago Auto Show, which runs for the public from February 11 to 20. The highly-modified Five Axis Project CT will be dressed in a custom made wide body kit with hybrid's bad-boy appearance further enhanced by the JDSU “Dark Passage” paint, the lowered ride height (thanks to a TEIN Flex coilover suspension system), and custom 19-inch FIVE:AD forged alloy wheels.
No word on any powertrain improvements, but the CT 200h concept study will get a bespoke interior treatment and a Stoptech High Performance Big Brake Kit on the front.
The Five Axis Project CT will be joined by numerous Lexus models including vehicles from last year’s SEMA Show such as a customized LS600h L by VIP Auto Salon and a revamped RX 450h courtesy of tuner Paul Tolson, EST Styling, plus the full range of production models like the 2012 LFA sports car.
Lexus has issued a voluntary safety recall involving some 245,000 cars in the U.S. because of a potential defect that may cause fuel leakage. The models affected by the recall include the GS300 and GS350 from the 2006-2007MY, the IS 250 from the 2006-2009MY, and the IS 350 from the 2006-2008MY.
The company said that due to insufficient tightening, the connection between the fuel pressure sensor and a certain fuel line could loosen over time, resulting in a possible fuel leak. No accidents related to the problem have been reported to date.
According to statement from Lexus' parent company Toyota, the firm's dealers will inspect the vehicles and if no leakage is found, will tighten the sensor with the proper torque. In case of a confirmed fuel leak, the gasket between the fuel sensor and the delivery pipe will be replaced and the sensor tightened. As expected, all operations will be conducted free of charge.
Lexus has announced the availability of a pair of new special edition cars for the UK market called the IS 250 and IS 200d Advance. As is common with most special or limited edition models these days, the new IS cars are distinguished by the added -and not unique- features to the standard equipment.
Based on the regular SE specification, the new IS 250 and 200d Advance models come equipped with a hard disc drive (HDD) satellite navigation system, rear parking camera, heated electrically adjustable front seats, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.
These extras would normally cost an arm and leg if they were to be added to the SE separately, but in this case, the new Advance IS 250 costs just an extra £340 compared its SE equivalent (£26,495 on-the-road), with the diesel-powered IS 200d coming in at an additional £130 (£24,995).
In another sign that luxury automakers in the U.S. are raising the stakes -or so to speak- with their latest commercials, following Audi's recent A8 ad, Lexus has released a new TV spot as part of an advertising campaign to demonstrate how far the company goes to achieve perfection.
This particular broadcast ad is titled “Chain” and it shows a crane slowly lifting the front end of a LS, which is attached to four more Lexus models (RX, GS, ES and IS) using nothing more than cables and stretch bars. At the end of the spot, a $375,000 LFA comes into the shot and parks directly below the chain of vehicles weighing a total 21,000 pounds.
The key point here is that the commercial is real and that no special effects were used for its creation as Lexus proves in the 'Behind the Scenes" video.
“It isn’t enough to just say that we pursue perfection, we want to demonstrate the great lengths we go to in our pursuit,” states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.
“The new broadcast spot allows us to focus on the foundation of our vehicles, the chassis, and show its almost unbelievable strength. In fact, we feared that it would be so unbelievable, we invited a physicist and structural engineer to witness the shoot, to prove that it did, in fact, occur without the use of special effects or computer generated-imagery.”
Lexus has added the new CT 200h dedicated hybrid model to its Japanese line-up in an attempt to boost flagging sales in its home market. The company's first entry in the premium-compact segment is also its cheapest offering with prices in Japan ranging from 3.55 million yen to 4.33 million yen (about US$42,600 to US$52,000).
Originally designed with European customers in mind, the CT 200h has also made its way to North America as well as China, with more countries to be added to the list. In the U.S., the CT 200h is priced from $29,120.
The five-door hatchback from Lexus features the same hybrid powertrain as the Prius mating a 1.8-liter Atkinson cycle combustion engine with an electric motor, nickel-metal-hydride battery and a generator. Lexus said that using the 10-15 test cycle of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the CT 200h returned a fuel efficiency of 34 km/lt (equal to 79.9 mpg US or 2.9 lt/100km).
The company said it plans to sell around 1,500 units a month of the CT 200h in Japan.
Chinese automaker BYD marked its fourth consecutive appearance at the North American International Auto Show with the world premiere of the S6DM hybrid, with the DM in the name standing for "Dual-Mode".
The gasoline-electric hybrid is based on the Chinese firm's S6, a mid-size SUV model first introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2009. And no, you're not the only one to find the overall styling of the S6 reminiscent of the previous generation Lexus RX.
The Warren Buffett-backed battery and car maker claims the S6DM is "the world’s first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV". Under the hood, the Chinese model is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and three electric motors. Two 10-kilowatt electric motors drive the front wheels while a more potent 75 kilowatt motor powers the rear wheels. A six six-speed dual clutch transmission handles power transfer.
Despite the "Dual-Mode" moniker, BYD says the system offers three driving modes including electric only, hybrid gasoline-electric and gasoline engine only. In detail, here's how the Chinese automaker describes each mode:
THREE DRIVING MODES
Fully electric (BEV) mode: At normal speeds, the vehicle can operate in its all-electric mode, with the electric motor (M2) propelling the rear wheels.
Hybrid gasoline-electric (HEV):
1. 2WD: The gasoline engine not only directly powers the vehicle, but also drives the electric motor (M1) at the front wheels to charge the battery pack.
2. 4WD: When more power is needed, the gas engine and the electric motor (M2) power the vehicle together. If the combined power is enough, the gasoline engine will also drive the electric motor (M1) to charge the battery pack. As speed increases, the gasoline engine can take over seamlessly with support from the 6-speed DCT; when braking, the gas engine automatically shuts down and the electric motor (M2) takes over.
3. 2WD: When battery power is low and not much driving power is required, the gasoline engine drives the electric motor (M1) to charge the battery pack and the electric motor (M2) powers the vehicle by itself.
Gasoline powered: When driving on the highway or in case the battery pack is depleted, the gasoline engine can power the vehicle on its own very efficiently.
According to BYD, the S6DM can travel over 38 miles (60km) purely on electric power (BEV) and over 500km (310 miles) combined when engaging the gasoline engine.
BYD said that the S6DM is amongst the models being considering for the U.S market. At the Detroit show, the company's Chairman, Wang Chuanfu, pushed back the brand's U.S. launch to the first quarter of 2012.
A new special edition model has been added to the UK range of the Lexus RX450h hybrid crossover. Named the SE-I, the new model sports a host of accessories said to be suited for those "who love the great outdoors" - always according to Lexus.
On the outside the so-called Lifestyle model adds roof rails and a rear bumper protect, plus front and rear under-run plates. Interior features of the package include a tough boot liner, claimed to be designed to cope with muddy boots, and a warm / cold storage box.
Lexus says that if these features were to specified individually, it would cost buyers up to £1,500, but brought together for the new RX 450h SE-I Lifestyle they add just £499 to the on-the-road price of the crossover for a total of £48,899.
Germany’s car market has definitely seen better days, as sales in the first 11 months of 2010 are down 25.2% compared to the same period last year. However, strong demand for luxury cars in the U.S. and China is keeping premium automakers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz busy during the holiday season and, most importantly, profitable.
“2010 was expected to be a tough year all round” John Lawson, a London-based analyst at Citi Investment Research, wrote in a report. “But rich China sales have leapt (and) foreign exchange has been very supportive”.
As a result, German manufacturers have shortened Christmas holidays and are keeping some of their production facilities open between Christmas and New Year’s.
State-side, the premium segments have seen an 11.1 percent increase in demand, outperforming the overall market growth. Audi has profited the most from the economical rebound, with sales up 23.6% for the year through November. Mercedes follows closely behind, with an 18.6% increase, while BMW takes third place with +11.6%, according to Autodata Corp.
The Chinese market fared even better, registering a 40% increase in the luxury car segment, also led by the Ingolstadt-based carmaker. Nine of the ten top selling premium vehicles in China are German, with Lexus securing just one spot on the list. Furthermore, the uphill trend is expected continue over the next five years.
“The luxury car segment is expected to keep double-digit growth in the next five years, with the booming number of second-time buyers who are eager to distinguish themselves and keen to prove their social status”, J.D. Power said in a December report about the Chinese market.
It’s not been a good year for Japan. China has recently overtaken the Land of the Rising Sun as the world’s second biggest economic power and a recall of over ten million vehicles by one of the nation’s biggest and most respectable companies, Toyota, kicked off a global PR debacle that some analysts predict will take years to recover from.
Add to that Japan’s aging population, its growing national debt and heavy reliance on manufacturing, all of which are effectively killing what was once thought destined to be the world’s leading economic superpower. The departure of its fourth Prime Minister in three years and a nasty diplomatic row with China over the detention of a trawler captain by the Japanese Coast Guard is also hurting.
What’s worse is that Japan’s population is dwindling due to a low fertility rate of just 1.3 children per woman. It is expected that the population will drop from 127 million to just 90 million by 2055, with 40% of that number being over 65s.
As the nation enters its third decade of economic stagnation, university students worry whether they can find steady employment or support their families. A third of Japan’s workforce is temporary workers or “Freeters” that flit from one available job to another. Such workers are unable to qualify for unemployment benefits, and make up more than three-quarters of the nation’s jobless. In these dark times, it’s no wonder -and a sad fact- that more than 30,000 people a year have committed suicides since 1998.
Japan’s Prime Minister, Nato Kan, is aware of the burgeoning crisis. His solution is to open up the country; reducing trade barriers and tariffs and loosening regulations to make the country a more attractive proposition to outside investors. A free trade agreement with the U.S. and other nations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is also under consideration. Though it could lead to Japan’s economic revival and cheaper imports, it could also cause significant job losses and social dislocation of the rural classes.
Analysts are convinced that the nation needs to find new growth areas such as green energy, software engineering and health care to help prop up the failing economy. More so, however, Japan needs to change its national mindset. Perceived to be rooted in conformism and census, it is seen by some to be too insular and too slow to change and respond to crisis. Without change, Japan has little hope of a short term recovery.
Of course, this is just one opinion. As always, our readers are encouraged to voice theirs in the comments.
The families of four people killed in an accident allegedly caused by the now infamous “unintended acceleration” throttle-gate, sued Toyota earlier this year and reached a settlement in September. At the time, the amount was not made public, but now, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that a lawyer representing Bob Baker Lexus of San Diego, California, a defendant in the case, has revealed that the Japanese maker agreed to pay US $10 million.
The tragic incident, which lead to the death of California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor and three of his family members, occurred after the dealership lent him a 2009 Lexus ES that allegedly had the aforementioned defect.
Initially, Toyota and the plaintiffs agreed to keep the deal confidential and the manufacturer neither admitted nor denied liability.
In the aftermath of the disclosure, Toyota released an official statement saying that it was disappointed that the sum was made public, as the involved parties “reached a private, amicable settlement through mutual respect and cooperation without the involvement of the courts”.
Furthermore, the automaker considers that, by making the settlement deal public, Bob Baker Lexus is trying to shift the attention away from its own litigation case with the families.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with the friends and family of Mark, Cleofe and Mahala Saylor and Cleofe’s brother Chris Lastrella”, Toyota said in the statement. “However, as in the past, Toyota will continue to defend itself vigorously against the misleading allegations Bob Baker Lexus is making against Toyota. Toyota is not, however, in a position to address the additional negligence claims the families have against Bob Baker Lexus that are independent of Toyota”.
Lexus has dropped pricing details for its all-new CT-200h ahead of the hybrid model's U.S. market launch in early March. The five-door model will be priced from $29,120, plus $875 for delivery, processing and handling, which comes out to a total of $29,995 [about €22,450] making it the least expensive car in the Lexus lineup in the U.S.
“For just $1,000 more than the cost of a non-luxury hybrid, buyers can indulge in a CT 200h with our proven Lexus Hybrid Drive technology,” said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager, Lexus Division. “Lexus hybrids currently make up 90 percent of all luxury hybrid sales in the U.S., so you can imagine how excited we are to continue our leadership in this market with the CT 200h.”
The fifth hybrid model in the Lexus lineup makes use of a 1.8-liter gasoline engine that works in conjunction with an electric motor, a battery and a generator. The system has a combined total output of 134 hp (100 kW) and allows the CT 200h to accelerate from 0-60 mph [96 km/h] in 9.8 seconds. According to the manufacturer, the hybrid model has EPA-estimated ratings of 43 mpg city and 40 mpg on the highway utilizing regular 87-octane gasoline.
Standard features on all CT 200h's include SmartAccess with push-button Start/Stop and touch sensors on exterior front-door handles; leather steering wheel; a six-speaker, audio system with a CD player, and Bluetooth; integrated satellite radio receiver (with a complimentary 90-day trial subscription); USB/iPod connectivity; 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels; and dual zone automatic climate control. The CT 200h is also equipped with a standard eight-airbag Supplemental Restraint System.
Optional features will include a sixth-generation navigation system with a backup camera, a moonroof, heated seats, and a Premium Audio Package, which includes the Lexus premium audio system with 10-speakers and six-disc CD changer, HomeLink and electrochromic rearview mirror with compass.
