The Lexus competitor to the BMW 1-Series has been named as the Lexus CT 200h, after our original post that the C premium concept car would be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show. There will also be 300h and 400h versions of this high top hatchback, while the Japanese version will be available in hybrid form only.

Reports also have the car to be presented at the Tokyo motor show under the name LF-T. We expect to see the concept at the Frankfurt show in September though, with production starting in 2010.

Source | 4Wheels News

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The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show will display a novelty from Lexus, in the form of a compact, five-door hatch that will be the main competitor to the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3.

The car Lexus will present will be in concept form and is expected to head for production as early as 2010. Reports say that the plan has been in the works for some time, with the premium hatch segment in Europe “too lucrative not to be in”.

No name has been released for the Lexus concept, though rumours have said ‘BS’ and ‘CS’ are being considered (we would suggest not ‘BS’). Interestingly, the car is set to be a hybrid model, using the the HS250h system which runs off a 2.4-litre four-cylinder and electric engine combined.

The 187 hp will be driven with front-wheel drive, and the production version should emerge at the Geneva show next year, with sales starting in Autumn 2010.

Source | Autocar

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The Lexus LF-A has been in doubt for a few years now, since it first debuted as a conept car al the Detroit show four years ago. Now it finally seems ready to debut for the next Tokyo show, as seen in these spy shots of the Lexus LF-A.

The images show the changes employed since the 2007 prototype with different rear lights and no extractor at the back. No reports are available yet on the future of the Lexus LF-A Roadster.

Source | World Car Fans

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Slowly but surely all the big names are revealing their cards for the Paris show, and one which will be the centre of attention is Lexus, who will present its coupè-cabriolet version of the IS.

Excluding possible surprises, the car should be presented with the 2.5 litre V6 at 208hp. The LF-Xh seen at Frankfurt will be missing though, as Lexus has decided to show it in an exhibition all its own. The exhibition will be called Elastic Diamond and will show an entirely black car, designed to highlight its look.

Source | MotorPasion

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Once again we see the super-sports car Lexus LF-A, once again as a concept car, with some tweaks to the exterior and the interior for the ‘07 vintage. According to Lexus, the production version will be very similar to this LF-A when it comes out in late 2008, with a V10 engine outputting more than 500 ps and a top speed of more than 200 mph.

The engine is mounted in a front/mid position, with a transaxle transmission (gearbox and differential on the rear axle). The radiators have been moved to the rear too, to optimize weight distribution (you can see the huge air-scoops behind the b-pillar, and the huge vents under the rear lights).

Still an eminently desirable car… now with a bit more personality, compared to the original.

Continue reading: Lexus LF-A Concept - Vintage '07

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Here are the first official images of the Lexus IS-F, the sports version of the small Lexus saloon. The engine, as anticipated, is a 5.0-liter V8 with more than 400 ps and almost 460 Nm of torque.

Lexus wants its “F” specifications to be seen as up to par with the “M” models from BMW or the AMG models from Mercedes-Benz, so this IS-F has a tough task ahead of it: what we know about it is encouraging (less than 4.9 seconds from 0-60 mph, no news yet on top speed).

Continue reading: Lexus IS-F - official images

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A “leaked” animated advert for the Lexus IS-F gives us a first glimpse at the future ultra-sporty saloon from Lexus. The photos are very grainy, when resized, but you can see that the exterior is going to receive pretty sober modifications, compared to a plain vanilla IS: a new front apron, new side skirts and probably some aerodynamic mods to the rear too.

What’s more interesting are the texts accompanying the ad: “more than 400 hp”, “5.0 liter V8″, “”, “0-60 in under 5 seconds”, “it will change the way you think about Lexus”.

The official announcement is expected for next sunday..
Via | Motor Authority

Continue reading: Lexus IS-F - leaked images

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This photoshop from Autoscoops is an attempt to depict the Lexus BS, the romoured adversary of the BMW 1-Series. This hatchback should be on the market by 2008 and should have either rear wheel drive or 4WD.

The engines should be the same as the IS (V6 2.5 with 208 hp, V6 3.5 with 306 hp and the 4 cylinder turbo-diesel 2.2 with 177 hp).

Secondo gli olandesi l’arrivo è previsto per il 2008, con trazione posteriore e/o integrale.

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Lexus will show in Geneva the RX350, with a 3.5 liter V6 engine which gains 72 hp and 59 Nm over the engine of the RX300. The new engine has 276 hp at 6.200 rpm and 342 Nm of torque at 4.700 giri/min.

Despite having grown in capacity, power and torque, according to Toyota the RX350’s consumption is 8% lower than the RX300’s. What is still not known is how much better the RX350 performs on the road (or how much worse the price is, for that matter …) Lexus also says that noise and vibrations are considerably reduced, and that the RX350 has a new Mark Levinson stereo system and a new high definition navigation system.

Premiere in Geneva also for the new Lexus flagship, the LS460 LS460.

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Edmunds’ Inside Line cites japanese sources for the news about a possible Lexus IS coupe-cabrio concept at the next Detroit motor show.

This new IS version (in the photo a rendering by Stern) would be derived from the LF-C concept shown in New York in 2004; the new concept that will be shown in Detroit should be very near the production version, which should be ready in the summer of 2007. A massive V8 is rumoured (5.0 liters, 450 hp), but sadly it seems that it will be sold only in the US.

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