Jalopnik Snap Jugdement: Considering we'll be seeing two all-new dedicated hybrids from Toyota, the formal debut of the 2010 Honda hybrid, who knows what from Nissan, and with the first fully-formed Chevy Volt revealed just a couple months earlier, the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is setting up to be a serious, next-gen hybrid battle royal.

More interesting to us, contrary to reports of the declining influence of the Detroit Auto Show and the rise of the LA Auto Show, is a trend of increasingly prominent Detroit unveils. Detroit will be showing off hybrids and meat-and-potatoes products — both at the forefront of consumers minds. While the LA Auto Show continues to feature lifestyle products like the Lexus LF-A and the Cadillac CTS Coupe. True, the 2010 Ford Mustang is dropping its top in LA, but that's to be expected given it's a convertible. Ironic, isn't it, that a state so obsessive about portraying itself as green gets mostly vain, luxury and low-volume while a city held up as the symbol of everything backwards in the auto industry displays the future? We think so.

[via DetNews]

For one, the new IS will get new wheels, more colors and a revised stability control system for the introductory model. More important is the news that the Lexus IS convertible is closer to a reality as Lexus has apparently trademarked the names IS250C, IS300C and IS350C. While we hope C stands for Wagon, we're not holding our breath.

[My.IS, Motor Authority via Motive Forums]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: A "drop in profit" is significantly different than a "multi billion-dollar loss," meaning Toyota isn't in the same boat as our struggling home-team automakers. Or are they? We really want to know what Credit Suisse analyst Koji Endo means when he says "The numbers on the surface don't look that bad, but when you look at what they are showing, the situation is extremely tough for Toyota." Are losses from a rising Yen, taxes, interest, global sales fluctuations, and other market forces having a bigger effect than Toyota is letting on? Either way, cracks in the armor are starting to show: Scion isn't the youthful gem it once was, Toyota's recent truck launches have been flawed, and the adage "Toyota can do no wrong" is no longer conventional wisdom. [Detroit News]

2008 Nameplate VDS Ranking
Problems Per 100 Vehicles
Lexus 120
Mercury 151
Cadillac 155
Toyota 159
Acura 160
Buick 163
BMW 164
Lincoln 165
Honda 177
Jaguar 178
Porsche 193
Mitsubishi 197
Hyundai 200
Ford 204
Infiniti 204
Industry Average 206
Audi 207
Mercedes-Benz 215
Nissan 224
Pontiac 225
GMC 226
Mazda 228
Subaru 228
Chrysler 229
Dodge 230
MINI 233
Chevrolet 239
HUMMER 241
Scion 243
Volvo 244
Saturn 250
Jeep 253
Volkswagen 253
SAAB 254
Isuzu 274
Kia 278
Suzuki 302
Land Rover 344

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: We commend the industry as a whole for taking big steps toward improving quality. We're just not sure how well this study reflects reality, though: After all, it weighs all problems equally, and the top five complaints include such trivialities as wind noise, excessive windshield fogging and noisy brakes. Granted, those things are irritating, but they're not the same as having your transaxle turn to dust after 10,000 miles. We'd like to see this study show where manufacturers rank on truly debilitating problems — things that render the vehicle inoperative or dangerous to drive. In the meantime, these rankings show how good cars, and car companies, have gotten on the quality front. And for everyone who isn't Lexus: Keep chasing after that brass ring, kids.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 7 August 2008 — Deterioration in vehicle quality during the first three years of ownership—determined by comparing long-term dependability rates to initial quality problem rates—strongly affects overall customer satisfaction as well as customer willingness to recommend their vehicle model, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today.

The study, which measures problems experienced by original owners of 3-year-old (2005 model year) vehicles, finds that, on average, customers report experiencing 75 percent more problems in the third year of ownership than during the first 90 days. Those models with the largest increase in problem levels show the most pronounced declines in satisfaction and the likelihood of owners to recommend their vehicle model. In addition, while no model has fewer reported problems in the third year of ownership compared with the first three months, those models that average less than 35 percent problem growth actually demonstrate improvement in overall satisfaction during the three-year period.

"Understanding and minimizing quality deterioration is critical for manufacturers, as it is a key driver of owner satisfaction and word of mouth recommendations," said David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power and Associates. "It is imperative that manufacturers design models that not only achieve high levels of initial quality but also attain high levels of longer-term dependability. Vehicle models that stand the test of time will help automaker profitability through superior owner satisfaction and recommendation rates."

The study also finds that five of the top 10 problems reported industry-wide in the 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study were also among the top 10 most frequently reported problems in the 2005 Initial Quality Study, suggesting that the problems are identified by owners during the initial ownership period, but have not been rectified by automakers during the three-year ownership period.

The problems include:

1. Excessive wind noise
2. Noisy brakes
3. Vehicle pulling to the left or right
4. Issues with the instrument panel/dashboard
5. Excessive window fogging

"Although automakers have achieved tremendous gains in initial quality and dependability in recent years by specifically addressing customer concerns, these particular problems still prove challenging for manufacturers," said Sargent. "The fact that these problems have endured throughout the industry for many years suggests that additional focus on these issues prior to vehicle launch would benefit not only consumers, but also automakers through increased customer satisfaction."

For a 14th consecutive year, Lexus ranks highest in vehicle dependability, improving by 25 problems per 100 vehicles since 2007 to achieve a score of 120 PP100. Following in the top five rankings are Mercury, Cadillac, Toyota and Acura, respectively.

In addition, Lexus garners six segment awards—the most of any nameplate in 2008—for the ES 330, GX 470, IS 300, LS 430, LX 470 and SC 430. Toyota follows with five segment awards for the Highlander, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra. Ford and Honda each capture two awards. Ford models receiving awards are the Crown Victoria and Ranger, while Honda earns awards for the Element and S2000. Models by Buick, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Mazda and Mercury each rank highest in one segment.

SAAB is the most improved brand in the study, although it continues to rank below the industry average. SAAB improves by 65 PP100 since 2007.

The study finds that long-term vehicle quality has improved by 5 percent industry-wide in 2008—with an overall decrease of 10 problems per 100 vehicles—compared with 2007. More than 60 percent of the 38 nameplates included in the study improve in 2008, compared with 2007. Among the 19 segments included in the study, the midsize premium MAV segment demonstrates the most improvement in 2008—36 PP100 fewer than in 2007. The compact car and midsize car segments also have much lower problem levels in 2008 than in 2007, and together account for more than one-half of the overall industry improvement.

"The gains in dependability for compact and midsize vehicles are good news for consumers who are downsizing their vehicles due to increasing fuel prices," said Sargent. "Consumers who purchase these smaller vehicles benefit not only from immediate gains in fuel economy, but also from improvements in long-term dependability, compared with previous years."

The 2008 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2005 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded from January through April 2008.

Find more detailed findings on vehicle dependability as well as model photos and specs by reading an article and reviewing brand and segment dependability ratings at JDPower.com.

Toyota is still expected to be several hundred thousand units ahead of General Motors at the end of 2008, mainly due to the fact that the same market forces hurting Toyota are decimating sales at the General. Coupled with the fact that Toyota is already working to switch truck and SUV production over to car production at its U.S. plants indicates a weak 2008 should be followed with a much-improved product mix for 2009; time will tell how quickly GM can move to introduce its new small cars like the Chevy Cruze to the market.

But perhaps the biggest indicator separating the two companies lies in what we affectionately refer to as "the bottom line:" Despite all the worldwide market issues, Toyota profit for the year ending next March is still expected to be $12.8 billion. Has GM made that kind of money since Nixon was in office? [Automotive News (Sub. Req.); Photo Credit: Off-Road Web]

We've never been to the home of hoonage, so we don't really know what Australia's roadside fatality rate on koalas looks like. But we assume it's a lot like armadillos in Texas and raccoons in Michigan — rare in the city, but not uncommon out in the sticks. Gail Gipp, manager of the Sunshine Coast's Australian Wildlife Hospital, said of the little marsupial, "He just shook his head and started to come around. Being hit at that speed, it is amazing he survived. He just clung on. He has a lovely placid, relaxed nature and I think that definitely helped him."

Ely was taken to the Wildlife Hospital where it was discovered that, although he had suffered only ruffled fur, the koala had a case of Chlamydia and would need to be admitted to the hospital for several months of treatment. We didn't even know koalas could get the clap. Ya learn something new every day. (Thanks for the tip Brett) [The Age]

Originally, Lexus's plan was to develop a new SC based on the LF-A, but softened-up a bit for the colostomy-bag crowd at which the current model is targeted. However, sales of the so-ugly-it-hurts $67,120 hardtop convertible dropped 40% during the first half of 2008, necessitating a total rethink. We guess the market for a 288 HP 16-mpg city, non-performance luxury convertible isn't as big as was once thought. [via Inside Line]

We've already mentioned that the company has a drag strip behind their main building but that's just the start of the Lone Star Motorsports Park racing facility they hope to build. The first phase of the track is set to be approximately 1.75 miles long with a 1.06-mile second phase and two small connections. The combined long track should have a maximum length of 2.54 miles of racing surface. One of the features they're hoping to build into the track is a separate entrance for celebrities (Nicholas Cage, for instance) who own the extreme cars but don't necessarily want to get hassled in the pits by dudes who totally loved National Treasure.

(also see our tour of Hennessey HQ, Hennessey Challegner SRT600 Exclusive First Look and Weird Hennessey Vehicles)

Nobody seems to have been hurt here, but there are definitely some bruised egos. It's worth the trip over to the BBC website to check out the video, as it's rife with funny British words and pronunciations like "sa-LEE-ka," talk of bonnets, and amusing Irish accents. We're going to hell, we know. [BBC]

Proportionally, the latest RX seems lower and longer, more crossover than SUV. No word on nomenclature, though this should continue to sport the same 3.5-Liter RX meaning it could be the RX350. Also possible is the addition of a V8 and, in a year, a hybrid model is a no-brainer.

Automobile Magazine's Best Road Trip Vehicles By Category

Best Seats: Volvo S80

Most Versatile: Chrysler Town & Country

Most Cargo Space: Dodge Sprinter

Best Entertainment System: Infiniti M35/M45

Best Fuel Economy: Toyota Corolla/Honda Civic Hybrid (tie)

Best To Sleep In While Moving: Lexus LS460L/LS600hL

According to the spy report below, after repairs to the damage from the late night crack up, the LF-A did start on the grid as planned, but only managed a best lap of 9:19.757. Shoot, a newby at the wheel of a Cadillac CTS-V could have bested this car (we know race traffic probably played a roll, but we retain the liberty to compare apples to oranges).

Lexus' race-prepped LF-A prototype crashed during their final late-night preparations and qualifying, before the start of the Nürburgring 24-hour race. The incident damaged the car, and squelched Team LF-A's efforts to familiarize themselves with driving night-time laps on the 'Ring. No specifics were available on the circumstances of the crash (did we say it was really, really dark?), but the LF-A limped back to the pits with damage to its lower front fender, and a serious gash to its rear quarter—both on the driver's-side. The damage was serious enough to force Team LF-A to load the car onto a flat-bed and leave the pits, in favor of Toyota's off-site 'Ring workshop used during the industry testing periods.

As the team was preoccupied with their banged up prototype, our shooter managed to scoop some revealing looks at some key LF-A details, including the LF-A's V-10 engin. In addition to what we engine shot, we also managed to get our best interior shots to date. Once again, despite the stripped-down nature of this race car's innards, the interior still shows some key details that point to the production-spec interior. And as reported earlier, the interior will clearly take major cues from the last LF-A concept from Lexus. Other interesting details gathered during Team LF-A's post-crash scramble to assess the damage: the LF-A's lovely carbon-fiber aerodynamic undertray, the operation of the car's horizontally-mounted door handles, and the car's Brembo brakes and front suspension set-up.

Team LF-A sources said that, in order to recover from the crash, they managed a mere two-hours sleep to get the car ready for the race the next day. The LF-A managed to make the starting grid, but within the first hour of the race the car began smoking from the rear, forcing a pit stop. The diagnosis was oil leaking from the transaxle, and a two-hour fix was required to get the LF-A back under way. At that point the LF-A had little hope of climbing the leader board. Amid varied reports on the LF-A's final results, our sources tell us that the Lexus covered 106 laps, and a best lap of 9:19.757 on lap 85. The LF-A's performance was good enough to finish in 120th place overall.

You really have to wonder about the person sitting on the other side of the DMV table when this proposal for a custom plate slide across the desk to them. Hmm. ANASLEX, nothing wrong there, right? Nothing could possibly be misconstrued as incredibly hilarious offensive here. Nope. Maybe the disturbing number of car sex stories lately has gotten to us, but we think Ana might want to reconsider this one. (Thanks Ken and thank you state of Ohio)

To his credit, McCartney apparently wasn't aware that this was how it was going to get there and will be "horrified" as soon as he finds out. Even the company that provided the freight handling of the car was surprised, saying "Everyone was shocked. The carbon footprint was enormous." This goes to show, everything with Paul McCartney is better when Wings aren't involved. (h/t to Jack K)) [Telegraph]

Lexus IS Spy Report

Last week's appearance of a disguised, and suspiciously fade-painted Lexus IS led to much speculation about the true nature of the camouflaged test car. Guesses on the ID of the IS ranged from a mid-cycle facelift for the production car, a new Hybrid model, while the roll cage, Recaros and trick paint suggested it was a Lexus-sponsored race car.

With its camouflage-free appearance at the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy Endurance race in Germany, the mystery is now solved. Those who guessed race car turned out to be right. The hood bumps under the camouflage that triggered much of the Hybrid speculation are nowhere to be found once the coverings were removed.

The TME/Team Gazoo IS competed in the first of seven four-hour endurance races. One six-hour and a 24-hour race complete the nine-race series. The newly identified IS race car is registered as a Lexus IS 250 in group SP5. Group SP5 consists of cars between 2.0- and 2.5-liters, with a minimum weight of 2,270 pounds. The race-prepped IS logged a fastest lap of just under 10:58, and an overall finish of 95th place with 21 laps covered over the 4 hours.

Mystery Lexus at the Nurburgring Nordschleife from MrBTG on Vimeo.
[BridgeToGantry]

Clearly, the lady cops are guarding this vehicle until someone with an understanding of Chinese creative properties litigation arrives. According to The Tycho, this vehicle will come with all the amenities "from DVD-screens to electric chairs," so there will be a way to dispatch of anyone criticizing the vehicle for its heavy influences. [The Tycho]

It includes a remote control. With this you can get out of the vehicle, activate the Park Assist Vision and it will park itself and lock the doors. With that time saved you could get into the mall a whole 30 seconds sooner than without the system. [WCF]

[The Passionate Pursuit]

Jeez, and people get all pissy when an automaker takes a couple of years to develop a new muscle car. Anyway, despite the development time, we're still excited to see this new Lexus in showrooms in either a V10 or V8-plus-hybrid flavor. And no, it's not just because we want to play with the retractable wing until it breaks off. Though that does sound like fun. Full spy report from KGP below.

The Lexus LF-A has hit the roads around the 'Ring, and some hot laps can't be far behind. The LF-A's retractable rear wing can be seen lowering in this sequence of shots.

This prototype is obviously still wearing some preproduction lighting, and some details are clearly lacking production-finished trim, but the styling looks basically unchanged form last year's prototype. It appears that Lexus may have finally locked-in the bulk of the LF-A's final design.

In a recent interview, Lexus' Australian chief executive confirmed that the LF-A is still being readied for production, although it may not reach showrooms until 2011. Even if that claim refers to the 2010 calendar year as a 2011 model, that still means a lengthy development course ahead. At that point, the LF-A's gestation will be approaching six years. Such a long development process is almost unheard of in today's automotive industry, although the Hyundai's recent entry into the luxury market with its new Genesis is another recent example. The Genesis showcased many design changes right up to its auto show debut, and the Lexus LF-A has been similarly tweaked over the course of its development.

One can't help but sense a whiff of uncertainty in Lexus' entry into the rarefied supercar realm, but they're certainly going to great lengths to see that its right when it finally reaches the market.

Lexus:
Lexus brought a video game setup that made me do a double-take. It wasn't big, gaudy or flashy, but it was a great partnership. Lexus had three driving simulators set up running the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 Prologue that's due out in mid-April. Since it was obviously a Lexus partnership, the only vehicle available to try was the Lexus IS-F. You'll get my first impressions on the game later, but it was unique how much Polyphony, the developer of the Gran Turismo series, put into this event. The first day of the show, the simulator was running a custom-build platform (meaning the developers sent out a special copy of the game just for the show), but Polyphony managed to overnight Japanese retail builds of the full game to be used on the simulators. A groggy representative told me he was up until 3 a.m. waiting for the retail build and setting up the simulators to properly work with a PlayStation 3 and the Japanese game. That a lot of midnight oil for a cross-marketing opportunity.

Saleen:
Saleen didn't have the biggest or most prominent booth at the New York Auto Show, but there was definitely a strong presence, at least from the video game perspective. Saleen and Rockstar games recently announced a partnership for Midnight Club Los Angeles. This game is slated for a third or fourth quarter release this year. However, Rockstar was happy to have a setup that allowed everyone, even our intrepid senior editor, the opportunity to play the game and showcase the exclusive partnership with Saleen right now. This was one of the more interesting video game integrations because Rockstar pulled out all of the stops to get the game to the show and promote both their new game; the Saleen Mustang S302 Extreme was also the star of the game. The game looks pretty good, and will probably keep people hanging around the Saleen booth. Obviously, the better a car comes off in a game, the more likely it is that the excitement embodied in an automotive brand will rub off on gamers.

Subaru:
Subaru has been at it with the video games for quite some time. This year, as at many past trade shows, they featured triple-screen simulators running Gran Turismo 4 Prologue. There were three simulators available, and a decent sized area of the Subaru booth was roped off to accommodate waiting lines. Subaru seems to have figured out that the game both keeps people hanging around the booth and, because it showcases the WRX STi, reinforces Subaru's devotion to motorsports. We're not just for hippies in Vermont and families in Berkeley, the message seems to be. We're down with speed and handling as well.

Toyota:
Toyota deployed a slightly different gaming setup to promote its big pickup truck. The Tundra Game had the look and feel of Paperboy and served as more of an advergame than something that was legitimate fun. Nevertheless, it shows that Toyota went to the effort of hiring designers and developers to create something game-like to include in the Toyota trucks booth, thereby catching a ride on the trend.

Volkswagen:
VW brought a nausea-inducing game. A driver's seat and steering wheel were attached to platform that spun around as the unlucky participant piloted a GTi. Spinouts could have induced vomiting. Note to the board of directors: You've got to play this video-game gambit right—causing potential customers to retch isn't the way to go.

State Farm Insurance:
State Farm brings their driving simulator to almost every show. It's a full-sized rig that sits on actuators, mimicking all of the bumps and bruises of real-world driving. Also included in the booth were three individual driving simulators running the Nascar 2003 game, unfortunately. State Farm continues to promote driving safe, but it doesn't seem to know that there are some new games out there. Oh well,"A" for effort, and for being something of a pioneer in this trade-show sub-genre.

Jeep:
The Jeep booth boasted two Nintendo Wii setups, running a skateboard game. There's no explanation why, but it seems that the Jeep booth is so boring that event-planning staff figure they need Wiis to keep people entertained. There's a sub-trend here, as Wii seems to show up in a lot of boring media-oriented contexts these days. I guess journalist have a lot of free time to perfect their Guitar Hero skills.

Conclusion
It's apparent that auto-related video games can be a big part of any enthusiast's life, so I'm happy to see Polyphony and Rockstar go balls to the wall by getting involved in the auto industry and recognizing the natural cross-branding and promotional opportunities at trade shows. And I would like to see more companies getting involved. How about Logitech setting up a booth demonstrating the wheels and pedals that they offer? What about seeing some of the other big racing-game developers? Burnout and Forza are a couple racing series that seemed to be absent from the show.

Sure, the L.A. Auto Show will never replace E3, or at least what used to be E3. But the video game industry is definitely beginning to link itself more closely with the auto industry—and the car biz is recognizing that hooking up with the massively profitable-game industry can provide it with a variety of marketing opportunities. Car shows tend to be about actual experiences; you finally see the cars in the flesh, as opposed to in photos or on videos. But this actual experience is fairly static, because the vehicles don't do anything except sit there and look pretty. Bringing them to life in a virtual realm can only help.

The design is symbolic, but we forget what the symbols are, and we were so cynically dismayed utterly starstruck by Pentastar Bob that we forgot to write 'em down—something about angles and a magical orb that seduces customer into car loans.... It was all incredibly juicy. Hummer was among the winners in this competition for laurels among nationally aired TV spots.

Hummer, with creative supplied by Modernista!, won for "Most Liked Ad" ("Like, it was the the ad that those in the vast IAG survey most, um, liked, you know"). It was that one of Hummers engaged in all manner of video game awesomeness (watch it here.) Obviously, the award you wanna win, if you're the standard-issue low-self-esteem marketing big shot.

Subaru won the very special "Green" award. Lexus and Chevy won for Best Overall Luxury ad and Best Overall Non-Luxury ad, respectively. Toyota Tundra won for Most Effective ad, and Hyundai Veracruz won for Most Effective New Nameplate Launch.

It was all incredibly moving. And then Nardelli started dispatching the neologisms.

The screens can operate independently or they can operate simultaneously. So if the kiddos want to watch the same movie they can without needing an extra copy of the DVD and the same applies with video games or other devices that utilize the RCA inputs. The units also include infrared headphones. The option is a very hefty $4,300, unfortunately, but regardless, other manufacturers should take note. This is how you execute backseat in-car entertainment. It's all about making the family vehicle as much like a taxi cab or police car as possible—you must separate the front from the back. [Carpages]

One will be the generation three Prius, the other a Lexus

"lifestyle wagon-like vehicle based on the Prius platform and drivetrain."

It makes sense, given that there's an Audi A4, BWM 3-series and Mercedes C-Class convertible. Why not an IS?
[Club Lexus via The Passionate Pursuit]

Anyway, it likely doesn't shift, the clock is hard to read because of the spherical nature of the shift knob, and there appears to be a Lexus emblem etched into the beautiful stainless steel. I doubt this cheap clock is really officially Lexus branded, but it does give you a reason to actually buy it for, you know, when the company gets sued to death by Lexus—then it will be an incredibly crappy collector's item! [Product Page via Coolbuzz]

Forbes Top 10 Luxury Cars Driven by Women
10) Lexus IS350
9) Cadillac SRX
8) Range Rover Sport
7) Audi A6
6) Volvo S40
5) Lincoln MKZ
4) Volvo V70/C70 - data was collected together for these two. Yeah, wagon and hardtop vert, same segment.
3) Volvo S80
2) Audi A3
1) BMW Z4

Detroit, USA - The engineers and designers at Lexus continue to use their groundbreaking LF-A premium sports car concept as a medium for expressing their ideas about what a high-performance sporting vehicle not only can be, but should be. In this latest expression of the LF-A, they have removed the car's top to create a high-performance roadster.

The LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fibre and aluminium body used for the LF-A coupe, which helps maintain the structure's strength and rigidity even without a top.

Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster is powered by a high-revving V10 engine that approaches 5.0 litres in displacement. The V10, capable of more than 500 horsepower and test-track speeds greater than 200 mph, is mounted in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front-axle centreline in what the LF-A's engineers refer to as a "front-mid" configuration.

The engine is connected via a torque tube and propeller shaft to a transaxle that is controlled by paddle shifters. The torque tube is a structural member that adds rigidity to the drivetrain and chassis while also reducing vibration.

Styling is rooted in the Lexus L-Finesse design philosophy, conferring the LF-A Roadster's front end with a compact, low-profile, aerodynamic shape. Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster stands just 48 inches tall, but the Roadster configuration adds a speed adaptive rear wing.

The rear is marked by a pair of wrap-around, arrowhead-shaped taillights that bracket a pair of large grilles. These grilles vent the heated air from the car's two rear-mounted radiators into the LF-A Roadster's aerodynamic wake. The radiators are fed cool air by two large intake ducts mounted just above the rear wheel wells. This aft radiator positioning not only allowed the designers to keep the car's front profile low and tight but also aided the LF-A's chassis engineers in their search for optimal weight distribution.

Helping to provide balance and scale to the design, which features an overall length of 175.6 inches and a wheelbase of 102.6 inches, are high-performance tyres on turbine-styled alloy wheels. The front tyres are 265/35R20s, while the rears are 305/30R20s. Like the LF-A coupe, the brakes consist of 14.2-inch cross-drilled, vented discs up front, and 13.6-inch cross-drilled, vented discs at the rear. The front brake callipers are six-piston units and the rear callipers use four pistons each.

Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept Preliminary Specifications
Body Type: Two seat roadster
Powertrain Type: front-mid-engine, rear-mid-transaxle
Engine: V10 (under 5.0-litres)
Transmission: SMT (sequential manual transmission)
Horsepower: more than 500
Top speed: more than 200 mph

Tyre Size Front: 265/35R20
Rear: 305/30R20

Dimensions (inches) Overall length: 175.6
Overall width: 74.6
Overall height: 48.0
Wheelbase: 102.6

ENDS

According to the team owner, Lexus was originally planning to enter the GT2 class in 2006. The first race for the Lexus will be the Twelve Hours of Sebring this March 15-18th. Let's just hope they don't drain the battery trying to synch their blackberry's phonebook with the bluetooth memory module. [World Car Fans]

Toyota Reports 2007 And December Sales

January 3, 2008 - Torrance, CA - With 12 consecutive years of record-breaking sales, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported best-ever year-end sales of 2,620,825 vehicles, up 2.7 percent over 2006.

There were 307 selling days in 2007, as compared to 306 selling days in 2006. There were 26 selling days this sales month and last December. [Source: Toyota]

Lexus Introduces All-New 2008 LX 570 Full-Size Luxury Utility Vehicle

December 20, 2007 - Torrance, CA - Lexus introduces the all-new, more powerful, more capable and more luxurious 2008 LX 570 premium luxury utility vehicle. With a host of technological advancements and a new high-strength chassis, the third-generation LX offers significantly increased performance and new safety features over the LX 470 model it replaces. The all-new roomier eight-passenger LX 570 casts about the same footprint as its award-winning predecessor.

Lexus established the paradigm for full-size, full-capability luxury utility vehicles when it debuted the original LX in January 1996. Since that time, the LX has won a multitude of awards for quality and value. For the third generation LX, Lexus retained the basic formula of the previous model, amplifying and enhancing its core attributes. The new LX 570 offers perhaps the most compelling combination of luxury, safety, on-road smoothness and off-road performance of any vehicle in its segment.

The 2008 LX 570 emphasizes Lexus identity with new L-finesse styling, combining it with the muscular strength and sense of security sought in a four-wheel-drive luxury utility vehicle. Under its dramatic new styling, the LX 570 is built on a more capable chassis and features an advanced new suspension system. With 383 horsepower, its new 5.7-liter V8 is 42-percent more powerful than the 4.7-liter V8 engine it replaces, and it is expected to achieve ULEV II certification.

The larger-displacement engine is mated to a new six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission designed and built to handle demanding tasks with Lexus smoothness and refinement. Not only do the powertrain advancements make the 2008 LX 570 more engaging to drive than its predecessor, but they also help increase towing capacity to 8,500 pounds, 2,000 more than the previous model.

New upgrades to the suspension and a full-time four-wheel-drive system enhance driving comfort and performance, both on- and off-highway. An electro-hydraulic system with four-wheel Active Height Control (AHC) and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) reacts more quickly and allows for a greater range of adjustment than the system it replaces.

"The original Lexus LX set the trend for the full-size luxury SUV, and the newest version, the LX 570, truly sets a new standard in luxury and technology for its class," said Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager. "The new LX 570 sets a high-water mark for a Lexus utility vehicle by providing the ideal combination of on- and off-highway capability while at the same time increasing the luxury quotient and roominess."

New Technology Showcase
Over the years, Lexus has debuted a number of new technologies in the LX, and the 2008 LX 570 continues that tradition. The LX 570 will offer a first-in-its-class Pre-Collision System with Adaptive Radar Cruise Control. In addition, LX 570 it is the first Lexus to offer a new Wide-view Front & Side Monitor feature designed for use in urban settings such as parking garages.

With cameras located within the grille and under the passenger side-view mirror, the driver can check hard-to-view areas by simply pressing a button on the dashboard and viewing the camera images on the standard navigation system screen. The Wide-view Front & Side Monitor functions up to a vehicle speed of about 7.5 mph and displays the front and side views simultaneously in split-screen mode.

New Lexus Design Theme with Muscular SUV Presence
The 2008 LX 570 luxury utility vehicle adopts many characteristics of the brand's L-finesse design theme. A wide stance and muscular cabin proportions are accented with subtle character lines and luxury touches such as chrome-plated door handles and moldings. The LX 570 conveys its Lexus identity most prominently from the front, where the wide grille, with its "arrowhead" corner treatment, character lines integrated into the bumper and large projector headlights convey a distinctly purposeful look.

Character lines in the hood help to convey the power of the new 5.7-liter V8 it covers. Wheel arches are