Is Lexus Planning a CT Spin-off?

Back in June, WardsAuto interviewed Lexus general manager Mark Templin about the CT 200h, and found out some interesting details:

“It really is a good car for moving people into luxury for the first time,” he says.

The median buyer age for the Lexus CT is 53, below the brand’s median age of 59, the auto maker says. The hatchback’s buyers have a median annual household income of $150,000, more than the $100,000 bracket originally forecast.

Although Lexus did not plan to offer anything smaller than the CT compact 5-door in the U.S., Templin, noting the car’s success, now says there is a “possibility to build other vehicles off that platform” to grow sales to new, younger luxury buyers.

The “possibility to build other vehicles off [the CT] platform” is expectedly vague — the CT is built off the same platform as the Toyota Prius, could this mean a Lexus Prius V in the future? Is Mark Templin simply referring to additional powertrains for the CT?

It brings to mind the now-classic GoAuto interview with Lexus Australia marketing manager Peter Evans:

Another likely unveil for [the Paris Auto Show in September] is a hot hatch variant of the CT200h and Mr Evans revealed its arrival is “a matter of when rather than if – or rather when and what because there are a few alternatives”.

Using the 200-hp, 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid engine from the ES 300h to create a CT 300h seems like a good plan to me, but maybe I’m not thinking big enough — what would you like to see Lexus do with the CT?

courtesy of lexusenthusiast.com

New Lexus LF-LC Concept to Debut in Australia!

Lexus will debut a new version of the LF-LC concept at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, and has released the first teaser image — let’s take a closer look:

Despite being blue, there doesn’t appear to be any design differences compared to the original LF-LC concept:

There are some general power train specs in the Lexus Australia press release, which describes the new concept as a 370 kilowatt (496+ hp), all-wheel drive hybrid coupe — Australian website Car Advice has more:

A Lexus source says the Sydney show car will showcase “advanced materials and construction processes” that could be applied to the production LF-LC.

Expect those materials to include carbon fibre, which accounted for two-thirds of the $750,000 Lexus LFA supercar.

“It would be silly of us not to use what we learned from building the LFA for other models,” added our insider.

That’s the extent of the news so far, but there is one curious element — only Lexus Australia announced this new LF-LC II concept, which suggests this could just be a minor update. Still, when it comes the LF-LC, even a color change is a big deal.

The Australian International Motor Show opens October 18th.

courtesy of lexusenthusiast.com

Lexus Compact Crossover Rendering from Japan!

By way of Club Lexus, an unknown Japanese magazine has attempted to render the much-rumored Lexus compact crossover:

Even though the design is completely overcooked with Wald International-inspired styling, it does illustrate an advantage that Lexus has over its competitors — no matter the model, the new spindle grille brings an aggressive & bold look that really stands out, especially up against vehicles like the BMW X1 & Audi Q3.

courtesy of lexusenthusiast.com

Lexus HS Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Prototype Spotted!

A Lexus HS hydrogen fuel-cell prototype has been spotted in Death Valley by CAR Magazine spy photographers.

With the front grille being the only exterior difference compared to the standard HS, there’s only one way its secret could be revealed — here’s the HS on a fuel stop:

This comes one week after Toyota USA president Jim Lentz announced that a hydrogen fuel-cell sedan would debut in 2015 — at the time, no further details were given, including what brand the vehicle would be released under.

Even with the HS test mule, there’s no concrete evidence that this fuel-cell sedan would be a Lexus — still, it makes for some interesting speculation. Would you be interested in a hydrogen-powered Lexus?

courtesy of lexusenthusiast.com

Lexus Craftsmanship: LS Shimamoku Steering Wheel:

Win a Chance to Hit the Track in a Lexus LFA!

Have you always pined after the Lexus LFA supercar? If so, pay attention: as part of its annual Golden Opportunity Sales Event, Lexus is giving one lucky fan the chance to hit the track in an LFA.

The track in question is the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California, where the lucky winner will be able to flog the V-10-powered coupe along with The Skip Barber Racing School. If that isn’t enough for enthusiasts, the day’s drive in the LFA also comes with a one-on-one session with racer Scott Pruett, who has raced in NASCAR, Champ Car, IMSA, Trans-Am, and Grand-Am races.

Powering all LFAs is a 4.8-liter V-10 engine rated at 553 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque that power is routed to the rear wheels through a six-speed automated sequential gearbox. Lexus quotes a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. The automaker specially built a loom to weave the carbon fiber needed to create the car’s carbon fiber reinforced polymer body, and, unsurprisingly, gave the “base” car a price tag of $375,875, including destination.

Getting a chance to see an LFA – let alone to slip behind the wheel of one – will be a real treat, as Lexus is only building 20 copies per month of the supercar. Fans who want to win a chance to drive the LFA will need to act quickly – while the Golden Opportunity Sales Event may go on through Labor Day, the LFA sweepstakes closes on August 21 at 1:00 p.m. PDT. And for those who are thinking that they might be able to move the decimal point over on the LFA’s price tag thanks to the annual sales event, think again: GOSE offers don’t apply to the range-topping coupe.

courtesy of rumors.automobilemag.com

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