The more things change, the more they stay the same: Lexus recently unveiled the latest iteration of its three-row, body-on-frame SUV, and it bears a striking resemblance to the anachronistic, high-sided truck that came before it. The vehicle you see here is set to reach showrooms in January, replacing the aging GX470. A 301-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 tags in for the 470's 4.7-liter lump; it brings with it 38 more horsepower, thirteen percent better fuel economy (15/20 mpg versus the 470's 14/18), slightly more torque, and a new six-speed automatic transmission. A host of interior improvements, new sheet metal, and an updated frame come along for the ride.

Frankly, we're not quite sure what to make of this. The GX and 4Runner have spent the past few years in the equivalent of SUV no-man's land, the place where outdated, capable-yet-dull trucks go to be forgotten. The GX occupies the same demographic territory as the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML — leather-lined station wagons on stilts, both — and it's significantly cheaper than either, but something is missing. Yes, it's remarkably capable off-road. And yes, it's a good answer for people who want little more than towing capacity, build quality, and three rows of tech-heavy seats. But why does the phrase "affordable luxury" have to mean anodyne styling? Or, for that matter, prehistoric chassis technology?

Here's hoping that the next GX will be good enough to make these questions irrelevant. We'll know more after the L.A. show, but for now, take a look at the gallery and the attached press release.

What Lexus USA is trying to do is to prevent speculators from driving the price of the already super-expensive supercar into the stratosphere. The LFA is supposed to be the flagship of a new focus on competing with other automakers on performance and exclusivity as well as quality. Giving Lexus that shine means controlling the customer experience to the last possible degree and that means insuring we don't see the LFA up for sale on eBay.

So what Lexus USA is doing is creating a special lease arrangement in which the company will retain the LFA's title for two years before turning it over to the owner. That's not a traditional lease model involving deposits and finance arrangements, it's just being called a "lease" because "customers will arrive at a private deal with the company about how much they're going to pay and when (always totaling the identical total price), then the company will turn over the title after two years" takes up too much space.

So yes, you can still walk into an American Lexus dealer with a whale penis leather briefcase full of ill-gotten gains and walk out with an LFA, you just won't get the title in the mail for two years. That restriction only applies in the US. Well-healed European Toyota enthusiasts will be receiving their titles immediately.

Production of the 552 HP supercar commences next December, with each being built to order. Make sure you check out our review of the 2011 Lexus LFA.

Things we did not know about the Lexus LFA:

1. When accelerating at an engine speed of about 3,000 rpm, the driver hears a powerful harmonic sound structure centered around 250Hz, which is the primary component of combustion tone.

Hmm. Ok. Got that. Next?

2. At a high engine speed of about 6,000 rpm, the harmonic sound structure is centered around 500Hz. This produces a sound that is rich and smooth.

Ooh! Cool! That makes sense.

3. Sub-path: This side path is a sound conveyance duct with a primary resonance frequency of 500Hz. The dragon eye adds a feeling of richness to the somewhat rough air intake noise.

Wait, "dragon eye"? I'm confused — weren't we talking about...er...uh...wait, what?

Nevermind. Just listen to the thing by clicking the video above. Thank you, Yamaha. I have no idea what you just said, but you reached out, and you touched a brother's heart.

[Yamaha]

Well, Russ didn't actually say that. He's too nice to say something like that. But, what he does say seems to refute Toyota's inference that IIHS selectively choose certain vehicles for testing and the insinuation that the IIHS was trying to mislead the public by only selecting three cars to fail an "extreme" test. Russ tells us

"Toyota was notified in January that roof strength would be a new test. The IIHS asked automakers to flag any vehicles they'd like to have included. Toyota had plenty of opportunity to flag other Toyota, Lexus or Scion models — including being present at roof strength tests at the IIHS facility — but choose not to. So IIHS assumed that there were no models that met the new guidelines. If there are other vehicles Toyota would want to include they were able to submit them at that time or at any time in the process — including right now."

So basically, bring it Toyota, don't sing it.

This doesn't refute Toyota's other contention that the new test is "extreme." As we said before, we're not sure whether or not the new roof-crush test is extreme, but we will point out again that not only did other automakers have vehicles that passed it, but the 'yota Camry passed it as well. We'll also reiterate we're not sure how far the argument of "it was too hard" will go with consumers and the general public.

Toyota would probably do more to show it stands by their vehicles ability to pass this new roof-crush test by flagging their entire lineup to allow the IIHS to test it. Unless, of course, they know the vehicles won't pass — which, in essence, proves the IIHS point.

The strut holding up the hood? It's carbon fiber. Correct. Carbon fiber. How cool is that?

In fact, the more we look at the LFA, the more we gain a little insight into why it took Toyota so long to develop it. Some would call it overkill, but there are a limited number of ways to get someone to pay $400K for a Toyota. Anyone else think the intake looks like the Predators head?

[Toyota PR TwitPic]

Update: We've pulled the video at Lexus' request, look for it again in the near future.

You don't really understand how massive the shaft of the torque tube is until you see an Aisin employee's hand atop it.

What's most impressive about the piece is details like the seats, instrument panel, engine and the suspension can all be seen. According to Lexus, the sculpture is constructed from transparent acrylic boards that have been sanded and polished. All we know is it's simply epic. See how the looks-cold-as-ice acrylic LFA compares to the real thing in the live shots in our gallery below.
(Hat tip to Jack!) [Autoblog via MyModernMet]

Full Disclosure: Lexus wanted us to drive the LFA so badly they flew me to Miami and put me up in a fancy hotel. Also, they fed me cornbread with jalapenos in it. If anyone wants to bribe me, southern food is definitely the way to do it, but I'd really have preferred country ham biscuits and red eye gravy.

You've probably been bewildered by how much attention one car from a previously maligned automaker is getting on this and other enthusiast sites. But the attention we've paid pales in comparison to the attention to technical detail Toyota's displayed in the design and construction of the LFA. The car's gestation has taken nearly a decade not because the program had problems or limited resources, but because Toyota decided to design and build nearly every element of the LFA, its first ever supercar, in-house. Where most companies — Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche included — contract out things like gearboxes and the design and construction of carbon fiber components, Lexus chose to teach itself how to make those things better than anyone else, then build its own tools in order to make them.

Take the carbon fiber, for instance. To make the LFA's, Toyota created one of only two circular looms in the entire world, then used it to simultaneously weave one tube of carbon inside another. They built this system just to make the A-pillars on the car.

This all sounded like little more than corporate grandstanding to us. It's the largest car company on earth patting itself on the back for being able to use the money it got selling the automotive equivalent of beige orthopedic shoes to build some fancy tools.

That attitude lasted all the way to turn 6 at the Homestead Speedway road course. An over enthusiastic application of the sharp throttle had the 552 HP, 4.8-liter V10 spinning rapidly towards its 9,500 RPM redline and the tail sliding out towards the grass. Normally that'd have been an oh-shit-I'm-going-to-break-a-$400K-car moment, especially in an unfamiliar supercar, but in the LFA it barely requires conscious correction as it just blended into rocketing down the following straight at three-figure speeds. In fact, oversteer in the LFA doesn't feel so much like oversteer as it does like the rear tires are sitting on castors and being pushed around by a couple of assistants. There's no body roll, no drama, just complete communication and smooth recovery. The reason for that? The impossibly anal approach Toyota took when building the LFA.

The LFA has an unprecedentedly low center of gravity of 17 3/4" — located directly beneath the steering wheel's rim. So far a conventional attribute executed perfectly, but how that CoG got there is way more complicated. First, the engine is located way back in the engine bay and mounts to a 6-speed rear-mounted transaxle through a carbon torque tube. The oil coolers are in the front fenders, while the radiators are at the rear to aid weight distribution, they're fed by the shoulder scoops. That creates a 48% front, 52% rear distribution for the 3263 Lb curb weight. That accounts for the CoG's position front-to-rear, but not vertically. That was achieved by using a world's first counter gear to raise the relative height of the torque tube, allowing the engine to be mounted incredibly low in the car, accounting for the CoG's height.

Of course, that's still only part of the story. The rigid drivetrain assembly (engine, torque tube, transaxle) is connected to the car by four mounts positioned at the geometric extremes of the unit. With no twist in the assembly due to torque, this arrangement eliminates the effect of power delivery on the chassis, there's no torque reaction.

You see where this is going?

Of course, the reason I was over aggressive with the throttle is that the engine revs extraordinarily quickly. From idle, it can be bouncing off the 9,500 RPM fuel cut off in just 6/10ths of a second. That's thanks to an incredibly low reciprocating mass, but achieving that wasn't simple either. They used technology developed by Toyota's F1 program to develop the block, for example, which was cast in the same foundry, using the same technique as the F1 engine. The same goes for the gearbox. The paddle-shifted hydraulically actuated 6-speed features a traditional H-pattern over the more popular dual clutch design because it was determined that the two clutch plates of the latter would negatively impact that low reciprocating mass. Shift speeds are adjustable, taking just 2/10ths of a second a their fastest, but can be slowed to "smooth" for everyday driving; at their fastest, they're anything but.

Transitioning off the incredibly powerful brakes — 15 1/3" diameter carbon metallic discs at the front with Brembo Monoblock 6-piston calipers — and onto the super sensitive throttle isn't currently as smooth as easily driving on the edge of grip requires. But these LFAs are pre-production prototypes and will be continually refined before production begins December 2010. Lexus plans to "break the molds" after just 500 LFAs and plans to build each car for a customer's own bespoke requirements. The company half-jokingly estimates that there's "30 billion" potential combinations of spec.

With only a 202 MPH top speed, a 3.7-second 0-60 MPH time and a 7:30 ‘Ring time, the LFA isn't going to be a bench racer's dream. But we actually admire Toyota for eschewing the conventional, numbers-based approach to supercar success. The LFA's 500 lucky customers aren't buying bragging rights, they're buying the most comprehensively complete supercar package ever made. As a statement of technological ability and performance intent, the LFA firmly establishes Toyota firmly within the upper echelons of sports car manufacturers. The real payoff to us enthusiasts isn't going to be the the incredibly rare LFA, but the trickle down reaching forthcoming Toyota FT-86 sports car and other future Toyota performance models. If the FT-86 can be 1/20th the car the LFA is, us everyday enthusiasts are in for a real treat.

To be certain, the Toyota FT-86 Concept is only a concept, without definite numbers on anything, but based on what we understand to be the targets for the production program, we're comparing an optimistically priced $20,000, 200 HP FT-86 against a pessimistically priced $400,000, 552 HP Lexus LFA. On the one hand, you can call the FT-86 a bargain, on the other you can call the LFA efficient.

Either way, we're just amazed Toyota debuted two cars we can be excited about at the same auto show.

Click through to see the technical presentation given to automotive journalists today.

[Lexus Configurator via Carscoop]

And here's what the new Lexus flagship super car looks like with its clothes on — in case you need any reminding.

While Lexus showed off the LFA here in Tokyo, they wouldn't let journalists hop inside and they certainly weren't letting journalists do some hot laps. So, seeing the tach and speedo in a display case was the best we could manage.

And to be clear, it's not entirely all-digital. There's still a non-digital cowl over the speedo and tach, but all the data is digitally displayed and customizable — but it's not like Range Rover's all-digital LCD screen. But the level of clarity and lightning-fast speed in which it moves is fairly astonishing. Click next to see more.

The coolest part is how it turns red when you hit the redline. Very trick display.

889speedshop will be adding their well-known touch to the Lexus LFA 889, making the already exclusive supercar even more-so. With a planned production run of just five cars, the LFA 889 will include the addition of an even lighter carbon-fiber hood and fender skins with an additional duct just ahead of the door. The front fascia has been revised for a more aggressive appearance and higher flow ducting for the front brakes. Out back a carbon fiber splitter will be added and the variable spoiler will be replaced with a fixed carbon fiber unit. Wheels will be also be quite exotic, featuring hollow core spokes beneath the even blacker finish.

Tuning will be kept subtle, with a freer-flowing titanium exhaust system and intake and a light ECU reprogram good for a planned 20 HP bump. Most importantly is the cost, which is expected to add $65,000 to the LFA's $400,000 price tag.

If you believed any of this you're not gullible, you've just been conditioned to expect this kind of thing from shops that love putting out renders of cars before they get them.

However, if you get your hands on an LFA and have an extra $65,000 sitting around, our graphics team can probably make this happen in real life and not just in their awesome renders.

Jeez, get your minds out of the gutters kids!

Yes, at $400,000 you could buy many Nissan GT-Rs for that kind of money, but from what we're told, the Lexus LFA is worlds beyond even the GT-R's capability. This type of assertion is the kind of thing which bends the limits of our fragile little minds, but we'll just have to wait and see. Give that Toyota is the master of suppressing excitement in favor of boring cars for the masses, we suspect they had to find something as an outlet for the creative energies of their best engineers. The LFA seems a natural, if not wildly expensive inevitability.

For those of you who have been quietly shaking your heads as Toyota has year-after-year sunk into a malaise of performance and style, the LFA is a shot across the bow. Let's just start by stating the currently available vitals:

- Top speed: 201.94 MPH
- 0-62 MPH: 3.7 seconds
- Redline at 9,000 RPM
- 4.8-liter 72-degree V10
- 553 hp @ 8,700 RPM
- 354 lb-ft of torque at 6,800 RPM
- Titanium valves, connecting rods, exhaust manifold, forged aluminum pistons,
- dry sump oil system
- Six-speed sequential gearbox
- Torsen limited slip differential
- 65% of the body is carbon fiber
- 3,263 pounds with a 48/52 weight distribution
- 15.4" front carbon ceramic rotors with six-piston monoblock calipers up front , 14.2" rear
- Production limited to 500 units

At 3,263 lbs, the LFA is smack dab in the middle of what's considered respectable heft in today's mainstream supercars. Mated to a V10 with a 9000 RPM redline and 560 HP, 354 lb-ft of torque and an already demonstrated F1-like engine note, it'll no-doubt be an absolute riot to drive, assuming you're one of the 500 lucky few to snap one up. At 3.7 seconds 0-62 MPH, you might be able to outrun the car's gravitational pull of awesome.

The vehicle was spotted by user Adrey at the NAGTROC forums. We've seen plenty of versions tarted-up versions, but this person appears to be driving what seems like a full production version, as opposed to those camo'd LF-As running around the 'Ring earlier this year. We'll learn more soon, but we at least now know it'll carry over the RemoteTouch system that debuted on the Lexus HS this year.

UPDATE: Now there's video of it, the dam of LF-A news is breaking.

(Hat tip to Chuck!)
[NAGTROC]

[Carsuk.net via WorldCarFans]

Here's the story, straight from a Lexus dealership employee and poster on the CamaroZ28 forum — along with the step-by-step instruction manual. Just click next:

so....toyota told dealers that any vehicle listed on the recall is forbidden from sale until this "floormat fix" was performed. this was not up to dealers, toyota gave specific instructions on how to do this.

so for us at lexus, that meant every new and used ES and IS sedan.

loaner cars were not done because they are not for sale at the time.

toyota said to remove all weather mats from cars if they had them in the trunk.

then, take the driver seat floormat and puncture or drill 2 holes behind each matclip, and ziptie to the seat rail.

so, every one of those cars on our lot (including show room cars of course) now looks like this crap.

we shut down service an hour early, and had valets and porters pulling cars in the shop, with techs drilling and ziptieing mats.

it took nearly 2hrs to finish every car.

(Hat tip to Jeremy!)

Toyota says it will order an immediate floor mat recall at the behest of the Department of Transportation after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four family members in San Diego. The Toyota and Lexus models affected include:

2007-10 Camry
2005-10 Avalon
2004-09 Prius
2005-10 Tacoma
2007-10 Tundra
2007-10 ES 350
2006-10 IS 250 and IS350

If, for some reason you're unable to pull the mat out of the driver's side of your car and you experience "unintended acceleration" you are to immediately "pull back floor mat. If that doesn't work, stand on brake pedal with both feet." Seriously.

[via Twitter]

Oh, there were also plenty of Infinitis and Acuras to be picked over for nice non-engine parts, but for every Q45 there must have been five LS400s. Some of them were very clean, too. I sure hope some of these cars survived to become LeMons racers!

As beautifully engineered as Lexus vehicles are, the sight of your typical ES300 or GS430 in The Crusher's waiting room doesn't really bring a flood of tears to my eyes. But an extremely straight '87 Cressida? Nooooooo! Imagine destroying your Cressida so you can buy a Focus!

That's right, many mid-to-late-80s Cressidas and Maximas were caught up in the Clunkpocalypse, joining all those high-end BMWs, Jags, and Benzes.

The LF-A was caught lapping the Nurburgring (obviously, given the photo above) on a buff book press drive of the soon-to-be-revealed super car. Here's the full spy report from the folks at KGP:

We just caught a near production-ready Lexus LF-A prototype almost completely free of camouflage, giving us our best look yet at the upcoming supercar very close to showroom trim. This is the first time that the LF-A's revised front air-intake design has been seen uncovered. The final shape of the finessed side intake is also more apparent on this clean, white prototype. Finally, remove the white tape from the tail-light, and you'll have the final shape of the LF-A's rear-end, and the fully-trimmed rear exhaust vents and rear diffuser.

The LF-A is expected to be built using a carbon fiber chassis, keeping weight down to approximately 3,300 pounds. A V-10 should produce at least 550-hp, channeled through a GT-R style auto-manual tranny. The LF-A will probably reach production sometime in 2010, with low production numbers perhaps commanding a $400,000 price tag.

Lexus LF-Ch Premium Compact Hybrid Concept to Make North American Debut at 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show

· Visually Striking Compact Hybrid with Dynamic Design Philosophy
· Dramatic and Modern Interior Complements Innovative Hybrid Drivetrain
· Driving Enjoyment Paired with a Sustainable Focus

TORRANCE, Calif. (Sept. 9, 2009) – Lexus today announced the LF-Ch compact hybrid concept, which will have its world premiere on September 15, 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show, will be on display for the first time in North America at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show in December.

As the latest concept hybrid vehicle from Lexus, LF-Ch offers dramatic style, premium features, an innovative drivetrain with low emissions, and impressive fuel economy in a sporty yet versatile five-door package.

"Lexus has been leading the luxury hybrid market ever since we came out with the RX 400h in 2005," said Mark Templin, Lexus division group vice president and general manager. "To continue raising the hybrid benchmark, we need to continue exploring hybrid technology in different segments. The LF-Ch concept gives us the opportunity to gauge consumer reaction and help us determine whether or not this would be viable for production."

The LF-Ch concept was designed by Calty Design Research Inc., Toyota's North American-based research and design center located in Newport Beach, Calif., and will allow the brand to study the needs of young urbanites and consumer values in a compact luxury vehicle.

"The LF-Ch concept is the next evolution of the compact luxury vehicle," said Kevin Hunter, president of Calty. "We were able to create a beautifully designed hybrid with a deep sense of mystery and intrigue."

Designers created an intriguing contrast between the powerful, machine-like surfaces, fluid forms and details that appear hand-sculpted.

The exterior of the LF-Ch concept exudes strength and simplicity with a wide stance, broad and high-shoulders, an arching roofline that flows into the rear spoiler, and sheer surfaces wrapped in a contemporary yellow paint. To give the sporty five-door concept the illusion of a sleek coupe, designers cleverly blackened the B-pillar and hid the rear door entry button in the chrome molding.

An aggressive grille with a wide front bumper and air dam gives the hybrid concept a powerful personality in keeping with its dynamic lines. Efficient and bright LED taillights and headlamps also add to the vehicle's personality. The concept is marked with hybrid details including its blue Lexus logo, which is shared across the Lexus family of hybrids, and hybrid side badging.

Inside, designers created an elegant cabin that is contemporary, and functional with metal and leather trim. Metal surfacing stretches the length of the asymmetric dashboard and blends with leather trim to provide a luxuriously handcrafted and soothing environment. The artistic leather, and metal detailing is also visible on the door panels, instrument panel and seats.

A blue headliner light, that borders the roof and contrasts with the yellow exterior, turns on to reveal an ambient pattern reminiscent of a sophisticated lounge. A wide grip steering wheel with integrated paddle shifters makes for a spirited driving experience. The instrument panel features two, large twin dials with a uniquely embellished turbine blade design.

The LF-Ch is powered by the latest generation of Lexus Hybrid Drive technology. A drive mode-switch allows the driver to select between four modes: Normal, Eco, and EV plus a Sport mode that amplifies throttle response for the most enthusiastic drivers.

Lexus' Remote Touch controller with user-adjustable haptic feedback, also currently found on the 2010 HS 250h hybrid and RX luxury utility vehicles, allows the driver or front passenger to operate the navigation, audio and climate systems.

The LF-Ch has four sport seats that feature trim lighting along the cushion's edge for cabin illumination. Rear passengers can enjoy headrest-mounted iPhone® docking capability for audio and video entertainment. In addition, the LF-Ch has storage in the rear seat armrests for small items such as iPods®, PDAs and cell phones.

"We look forward to hearing feedback on the LF-Ch," said Templin. "We hope consumers like what they see so we can change the luxury hybrid marketplace again."

# # #

More pictures and the full story at Cars.com.

The Lexus LF-CH comes complete with all the marks of a concept vehicle: hybrid drive, expensive lighting, metaloflourescent paint, hand-cut tires, tiny mirrors, and metallic trim everywhere. Underneath all that is a clear look at where the company is heading, hoping to pick up market share in Europe's competitive premium compact marketplace where the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Mercedes B-Class currently dominate.

While it's possible the five-door hatch will eventually be offered with a hybrid powertrain, expect an entire suite of four-cylinder diesel and petrol varieties.

Lexus LF-Ch
* Premium compact concept with Lexus Hybrid Drive
* Practical 5-door body, meeting the core needs of customers in the premium compact market
Reinforcing Lexus' position as the only manufacturer to offer a range of hybrid vehicles, the LF-Ch concept will make its world premiere the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
LF-Ch combines stylish design and full hybrid technology in a practical 5-door compact package to fulfil the needs of the most demanding premium compact segment customers.
Benefiting from an electric-only driving capability, a key feature of Lexus Hybrid Drive, LF-Ch will allow for virtually silent urban driving with zero emissions.

[AutoBlog.it via World Car Fans]

While the concept wears hybrid badges, expect the production vehicle to offer a range of powertrains starting with a plain-old earth-killing inline-four and ending with a full hybrid capable of limited-range and low-speed electric-only operation. We'll get a better idea of which Toyota platform this is based on when we see it live later this month.

The press release follows:

Lexus LF-Ch

* Premium compact concept with Lexus Hybrid Drive
* Practical 5-door body, meeting the core needs of customers in the premium compact market

Reinforcing Lexus' position as the only manufacturer to offer a range of hybrid vehicles, the LF-Ch concept will make its world premiere the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

LF-Ch combines stylish design and full hybrid technology in a practical 5-door compact package to fulfil the needs of the most demanding premium compact segment customers.

Benefiting from an electric-only driving capability, a key feature of Lexus Hybrid Drive, LF-Ch will allow for virtually silent urban driving with zero emissions.

We don't know if the SZ will reach retirement communities in the US or be confined to elderly Japanese drivers only, but it's black honeycomb grille and unique wheels add visual aggression to the big Lexus, while paddle shifters appear to be the only genuine performance enhancement.

The 2010 Lexus LS 600h receives a Lexus HS 250h-style grille, new wheels, turn signals integrated into the mirrors and revised taillights and headlights. Inside, there now appears to be a night vision system integrated into the instrument cluster.

The 2010 Lexus LS 460 doesn't get that hybrid grille, but does receive the rest of the tweaks. [via Lexus Enthusiast]

My first ride in a hybrid vehicle was on a cold and damp winter afternoon four years ago in Budapest traffic, returning from a photoshoot for my then-employer’s Christmas card, which depicted a twisted nativity scene (if you must, you can see yours truly in a skimpy lamb suit at this hyperlink). The then-new Lexus RX400h was the perfect vehicle for crawling along at 5 MPH: eerily silent, very comfortable and with the added touch of environmental relief. Nino Karotta and I watched in awe the cute tree icons we received from the car after every 50 kW or so produced, as if they were bonuses in a videogame.

It was not hard to imagine roaming the countryside in a Toyota hybrid and have trees sprouting in our wake, substituting biomass for a hybrid car’s actual emissions, which are made not of cellulose but of noxious smoke. Less smoke, but smoke nevertheless.

This was years before Toyota itself produced an advertisement for the Prius on this very theme, titled Harmony, which is by far the most hippy thing I’ve ever seen. YouTube’s robotic brain seems to agree: it’s throwing up all sorts of Woodstock footage as related video.

Toyota is now following up its ad with live flowerscapes made of 20,000 flowers each, planted by California’s freeways. I’m hoping they also plan on making a digital version of it, where a program in the Prius’s computer would light up a pixel representing a single flower after every 50 kW produced. Then, upon completion of the entire image of a thousand megawatts, you would get hit with an upgrade notice for a Lexus. You can’t re-plant the entire Amazon Basin with a single car, after all, can you?

Photo Credit: Toyota USA, Balázs Fenyő, Lexus

Click next or on any individual video to enjoy the delightful destruction of premium and luxury vehicles and see how much each crash cost on the open market.

(special thanks to Lex Walters, the super diligent intern bringing you these great crashes today)

2008 BMW 5-Series
MSRP: $58,800

2003 Mercedes E-Class
MSRP: $54,850

2008 BMW X5
MSRP: $54,800

2007 Cadillac STS
MSRP: $53,360

2008 Mercedes M-Class
MSRP: $52,750

2006 Cadillac DTS
MSRP: $49,695

Nissan Pathfinder
MSRP: $42,100

2004 Cadillac SRX
MSRP: $46,595

2009 Cadillac CTS
MSRP: $40,760

2009 Audi A4
MSRP: $40,400

2003 BMW Z4
MSRP: $40,250

2005 Volvo V70
MSRP: $39,255

2003 Saab 9-5
MSRP: $39,040

2008 Lexus RX350
MSRP: $38,800

2009 Acura TL
MSRP: $38,505

2009 Audi Q5
MSRP: $37,200

2005 Acura MDX
MSRP: $36,900

2008 Mercedes C Class
MSRP: $36,900

2008 Nissan 350z
MSRP: $36,740

2010 Toyota Tundra
MSRP: $36,560

2009 Hyundai Genesis
MSRP: $34,521

2008 Lexus IS250
MSRP: $34,485

2007 Mazda CX-9
MSRP: $33,875

2004 Chrysler Crossfire
MSRP: $33,620

2007 Lexus ES350
MSRP: $33,470

We're a little leery of the Corolla underpinnings on what looks to aim for the grown-up hot hatch market, but it sounds like Lexus might finally be putting forward an offering for a slightly younger market. The as-yet unnamed five door hatch concept will debut at Frankfurt with the production version coming along at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010. The car will get a four cylinder in base trim and the 187 HP 2.4-liter hybrid powertrain out of the Lexus HS250h for the top-of-the-line model. If the performance is in any way backed by the looks, Lexus might finally have an entry that'll sell to the under-40 crowd. [Edmunds Straightline]

It's not just their taste in vehicles that impresses us. Look how they talk about their new $88,000 (£53,376) toy:

Humberside Police have taken delivery of a Lexus IS-F in order to make life more difficult than ever for those looking to travel to the region to commit crime.

I don't know about you, but I'm totally changing my plan to commit a crime in Humberside to another English county no one's heard of. My entire plan hinged on the Humberside Police force chasing me in a vehicle that took in excess of 5 seconds to reach 60 MPH. Damn.

LEXUS IS-FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Humberside Police have taken delivery of a Lexus IS-F in order to make life more difficult than ever for those looking to travel to the region to commit crime.

Specially trained officers spent 12 months evaluating a number of high performance vehicles that are set to replace the current Subarus which have proved highly successful in enabling the Roads Crime Section to target organized criminals in the area. Following a stringent evaluation process the decision was taken to purchase the Lexus IS-F after the vehicle proved to be exceptionally capable of remaining stable in high speed operational policing environments, despite carrying the extra weight provided by the £30,000 worth of on-board computers and communications equipment.

Sergeant Mike Peck of the Humberside Police Roads Crime Section said: "The purchase of the vehicle was far from an easy decision and involved research and advice from the force fleet manager, financial managers and a vehicle dynamics expert. The Lexus was tested during a 12 month period along with similar vehicles and proved itself to be ideally suited in providing a dynamically safe high performance chassis along with an electronically stable platform for the computer equipment. In the past this equipment has placed huge demands on vehicles but the Lexus IS-F easily met with our requirements. The final product provides a most formidable package and is undoubtedly one of the most advanced police vehicles in the world which in turn enables my officers to deal with the criminals who use the roads for serious and organized crime."

The Lexus IS-F has a performance tuned 5.0-litre V8 engine capable of reaching 62mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 168 mph and was supplied by Steve Kelly, Centre Principal at Lexus Hull who has been working closely with the Humberside police regarding the sale.