The last commercial we saw from Lexus was none other than the “Pursuit of Perfection” which featured the LF-A shattering a crystal glass with the use of its “perfect pitch”. And since Lexus is a good display of class and creativity, they have released another commercial that highlights the musical talents of the new IS sedan. The spot is called “Music Track” and features “122 percussion instruments arranged to create a precision-driving course full of angles and straightaways.” Each instrument comes equipped with a lever that is positioned to allow the cruising IS sedan to press it as it passes by. This positioning allows the Ultrasonic Blue 2011 Lexus IS sport sedan to become a master musician with each note it creates.

The commercial highlights the precision of the IS sedan, but the main man behind the wheel of the luxury vehicle is professional stunt driver, Eddie Braun. Together, the car and man duo are successful at playing each note without even coming close to knocking any of the instruments over. Nicely played, Lexus.

Video: Lexus IS – Music Track originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 8 September 2010 11:00 EST.

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The new 2010 Lexus IS-F is the brand’s first attempt at creating a performance machine to rival the German juggernaut. The car started life as an IS350, so we didn’t have high hopes for it right off the bat. The normal IS is a reliable and capable sports sedan; boring and plain in mostly every way. Then, it found the steroid cabinet.

The IS-F is very interesting to say the least. It’s got bulging front fenders, a 416 horsepower mountain of power, an eight-speed transmission, and a hard ride that would scare away most Lexus owners.

A useful car to Lexus? No, not even close. As pointless things go, the IS-F is on top of the pile. But, it makes a little sense when you remember that the one major flaw with the company was that it could never rival the Germans and their high-performance sedans. The sort of cars that sell in small numbers, but help automakers land big spots on automotive magazines and websites, like this one for example.

Hit the jump to read on.

BMW M3, Meet The Lexus IS-F originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 7 September 2010 13:00 EST.

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When you get into this category, it’s hard to say if one is better than the other. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and McLaren are all wonderful products, but is one better than the other one in the real world? Probably not, but there are a few things we can look at to try and determine a solid list.

When you have this kind of money, performance is expected out of these machines and that is a key thing to remember. Every car on this list is fast enough for most people. Many will begin to point out numbers and statistics to prove that their car should be ranked higher up. What they fail to understand is that most of the people who buy these machines will never get close to those numbers. For them, it’s more about the car. With that in mind, we will look at styling, prestige, luxury, and the sensations that you get when you sit behind the wheel.

There is a never a right answer when comparing these machines. Everybody has their own opinion and everybody will think they’re correct. We really had to think about this one long and hard because, well, we had no idea how to rank most of these machines. The top ten supercars for 2010 is just one of life’s great mysteries.

Nonetheless, we persevered on your behalf to try and rank today’s best supercars. We would also like to point out price was not considered in this ranking. If you can afford any one of these cars, most of the time price isn’t going to be a big deal.

Hit the jump to see the list.

TopSpeed’s 10 Best No-Limit Supercars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 08:00 EST.

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Next to the standard IS, Lexus will also unveil a facelift version for the top of the line IS-F at the Paris Auto Show. For 2011, the sports sedan will get an updated interior, an updated exterior, and a revised engine.

On the exterior, the sedan gets HID headlamps with integral, arrowhead, LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and a new a new Starlight Black GF finish. In the interior, it gets new dark sliver fiber inserts, and a change of contrasting stitching for the leather upholstery from white to blue. A revised front seat design offers improved driver support, and a new steering wheel improves grip and feel.

The 5.0 liter V8 engine delivers a total of 402 HP at 7000rpm and 500Nm.ft of torque at 5200rpm and is mated to an 8-speed Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic transmission with manual, paddle shift override. The IS-F makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.7 seconds and can hit a top speed of 167 mph.

Press release after the jump.

More details on the 2011 Lexus IS-F originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 11:00 EST.

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Lexus unveiled the current generation IS back in 2005 and, in its 5 years of history, this is the first time the model gets a real facelift. The official debut will be made at the Paris Auto Show and sales are to begin in early 2011.

For 2011, all IS models come equipped with high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, gain LED daytime running lights, receive new wheels and rear light designs, and a revised choice of exterior colors.

The IS 200d comes to replace the 220d and is powered by a new 2.2-liter diesel with an output of 148 HP. Also for 2011, the IS 250C will only be offered as an automatic model. Under the hood there will be the same 205 HP V6 engine, but with improved fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

And finally, the top version, the IS F-Sport, is heavily inspired by the ultra-high-performance IS F. It gets a new deep front spoiler with faired-in fog lights, new grille design, and a rear spoiler with integrated stop light. On the interior Lexus will offer F-Sport steering wheel, gear lever and sports pedals, and front seats finished in leather and Alcantara.

Press release after the jump.

More details on the 2011 Lexus IS originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 27 August 2010 09:00 EST.

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There’s no question that the Lexus LF-A is one of the fastest cars you can get your hands on. Unfortunately, the supercar’s speed also makes it a magnet for law enforcement authorities and, as this video will show you, the LF-A can now be associated with a different kind of fast: how fast it can get a speeding ticket.

In this video, Claus Ettensberger of CEC gets behind the wheel of a Lexus LF-A and takes it for a quick ride around the block. Twenty minutes later, Ettensberger returns to the dealership, but when he came back, there was a piece of paper sticking inside his windshield. Yes, dear friends, that piece of paper was a speeding ticket.

Turns out, during Ettensberger’s quick run with the supercar, he got flagged by local authorities for going 103 mph in a 35 mph zone. We don’t know what this dude was thinking, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that going three times over the speed limit is like heaving a stack of pancakes at a hungry man. The radar guns will take advantage of it.

The best part? The Lexus LF-A hasn’t even been released yet, so getting a ticket with a car that has yet to hit the streets is another feather you can add on Ettensberger’s cap.

Video: Lexus LF-A gets ticket for going 103 mph in a 35 mph zone originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 25 August 2010 19:00 EST.

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Prospective owners of the new Lexus LF-A will have something to cheer about as the company, in collaboration with US-based travel bag and suitcase manufacturer Tumi, is set to release a line of travel cases exclusively for the supercar.

The two-piece luggage set is set to come with the LF-A in a number of select markets, including Europe and America.

The two Tumi cases were created using materials like aluminum and carbon fiber, two materials that are predominantly used in the actual supercar. What’s more, the cases will also carry the corresponding vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car that comes with it. The two cases, a smaller case that could be used for light travel and a bigger case that can be used for longer travels, were also designed to snuggly fit into the trunk of the LF-A.

All 500 models will be produced 20-at-a-time per month with the supercar, together with the cases, set to be delivered to its customers beginning at the early part of next year.

Lexus releases exclusive LF-A luggage collection originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 20:00 EST.

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So, entry-level sports cars aren’t good enough. You make too much money to be seen in a Mazda MX-5 or a normal Ford Mustang. Your successful self needs something powerful and exciting. Well, there is plenty of choices in the market.

To be as precise as possible, there is actually an overwhelming amount of choices in the market, with each car being a little different. There are German performance coupes, American muscle, and Japanese street rockets. These machines have the same sort of mind-bending power, but the way each puts that power down is as different as Apollo and the Space Shuttle.

Due to that reason, we had a hard time putting machines like the Dodge Challenger in same category as the Porsche Boxster. How can you compare two machines that are so vastly different? Sure, we could have, but it just wouldn’t have worked. So, after the jump we have three – even though the title says ten – different top fives. The price cap is $60,000.

We broke it down like this. At the top we have four-door performance machines that use amazing power with epic grip and practicality. Then we have the coupes. Don’t get these coupes mixed up with the Corvette-type coupes because these European cars are tuned for a mixture of speed and cornering ability. Finally, we have the American straight road muscle. Cars that run the quarter miles as naturally as a sports analyst getting a prediction terribly wrong.

Hit the jump to read the lists.

TopSpeed’s 10 Best Mid-Level Sports Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 19 August 2010 17:00 EST.

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Canary Wharf in London is a modern business center, similar to La Defense in Paris. It was built up out of nothing and, as the buildings grew, the people flocked in. This was modern London and everybody wanted a taste. The area around the wharf has everything from expensive shops and restaurants to high-rise apartments. It has everything that anybody could possibly want except a history.

The normal Lexus convertible would fit well in this area. It’s not really a performance hardtop like its rival, the Infiniti G37 Convertible. The convertible Lexus is more at home cruising the avenues around the boutiques and making its way to party after high profile party, all while making the driver and passenger look good.

Thankfully, Toyota managed to inject a little life – which they don’t do often – into the convertible Lexus, as the SC430 was awful. It’s still no performance machine, but the IS250C is sure trying hard.

From The Ground Up: 2010 Lexus IS250C originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 19 August 2010 14:00 EST.

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Take a step back from the SLS AMG and take a look at the old SLR McLaren. It was more of a cruiser than an all-out performance vehicle, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Pretty good, as it turned out, wasn’t good enough.

Mercedes and McLaren took the SLR back to the garage and put their engineers to work and out popped the SLR 722. Taking a fast car and making it faster is the German way and they are at it again with their latest model. Unlike before though, the new SLS AMG GT3 isn’t road legal. This thing is a pure adrenaline pumping race machine.

We liked the basic SLS more than most performance vehicles on the market, including the Lexus LFA, so we should like this new version even more. Sadly, we have no idea how it drives because we aren’t racing drivers, even though we like to think we are sometimes. That’s not going to stop us though, as we take a look at the SLS GT3 and the LFA.

Hit the jump to find out.

Performance Car Comparison: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 vs. Lexus LFA originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 13 August 2010 08:00 EST.

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When the Lexus LF-A finally made its way out on the streets, it was inevitable that the supercar would likewise find itself in a race track sometime in the future.

Well, according to Motor Trend, the future, apparently, is now.

Reports are coming in regarding Toyota’s intention of bringing the Lexus LF-A to the FIA GT1 championship series where it is looking at taking on its Japanese arch-rival, the Nissan GT-R.

Despite talks for its entry into the GT1 series, the LF-A isn’t exactly a racing neophyte after participating at the Nurburgring 24-Hour Race in the past two years and even winning the SP8 class’ race this year. With enough racing development and experience under its belt, Toyota is becoming more and more confident that their new Lexus-branded supercar is ready to move into a more competitive racing series, one in which Godzilla has been running roughshod over recently.

The thought of watching these two Japanese heavyweights duking it out for GT1 supremacy is already getting us completely amped up. Let’s all hope that all this talk leads to a race-track smackdown between the two supercars.

Lexus to build GT-spec version of the LF-A for the FIA GT1 series originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 12 August 2010 11:00 EST.

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When Lexus brought out their famed LF-A supercar last year it came with a big but; customers in the U.S. would only be allowed to lease the supercar on a two year contractual lease plan. What’s more, the total amount ($300,000) had to be paid upfront as part of Lexus’ 1Pay Lease Program. This was done so Lexus could ensure no one could purchase Toyota’s ultimate hypercar and resell it for a profit within that two year lease period. A big ouch for those wealthy opportunists.

Now, since that idea is pretty much ridiculous and controlling, Lexus US has changed the terms of the sale. They will now sell the car, but only after a contract has been signed by the buyer which stipulates that the dealer has the first right of refusal to buy back the LF-A if it is within the two year period. Still ridiculous and controlling, but a decent business move.

And just in case people try to outsmart Lexus and sell the car without the dealer’s knowledge, you better be quick to read the fine print. If this was the case and the customer got caught, the dealer has the right to be compensated for the difference between what the buyer originally paid for the car and what he sold it for. Oh, and, they also get legal fees. Have we said, “Ouch” in this article yet?

Now if only we can get those big banks and credit card companies to sign a deal similar to the one Lexus has drawn up, then maybe they wouldn’t be making a killing while the little people who have kept them in business suffer. We’re just saying…

Lexus USA changes leasing terms for the LF-A originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 6 August 2010 16:00 EST.

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So what is with Japanese automakers and their growing fondness of making fun of their German counterparts these days? Heck, if we knew the answers, we’d tell you. But we don’t, so we might as well just tell you what’s been going on recently.

Last week, Nissan rolled out a hilarious new campaign centered on the Nissan 370Z and how it compares to German sports cars in its segment. The campaign even drew the ire of a number of car brands, most notably Porsche, who thought that their logo shouldn’t have been used in the whole advertising gimmick.

Now, another Japanese car brand has stepped out with its own new ad that continues what Nissan began a week ago: mocking its German counterparts. In this ad, which was released exclusively for the South African market, Lexus takes a few potshots at its competitors who charge an exorbitant amount of money on features – power seating, high powered sound system, reverse camera, voice-controlled navigation, USB and Bluetooth, among others – that, as far as Lexus is concerned, should come as standard for all vehicles.

While the ad doesn’t specifically mention which German brands Lexus is throwing stones at, you should notice that the charts Lexus used to illustrate their point bears striking resemblances to logos that we’re all too familiar with. Nice way to be subtle, fellas.

Lexus takes swipe at German counterparts in latest print ad originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 23:00 EST.

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You’ve finally got that big time job and you want something that isn’t too cheap, but you don’t want to spend $80,000 quite yet. There is much to choose from in the middle luxury segment and each car has it’s own unique characteristics that make it better, or worse than the competition.

Just like the entry-level luxury segment, the Germans have always had the middle levels to themselves. The Japanese and the American automakers have never been able to catch up. Yet, 2010 is a new year and things might be changing in the automotive marketplace.

Let’s take a look back at our previous winners before we begin with this list. We rated the Mini Cooper as the best small car and the Hyundai Sonata as the best midsize sedan. Finally, we rated the Audi A4 as the best entry-level luxury car on the market.

Hit the jump to see who we chose as the top mid-level luxury car.

TopSpeed’s 10 Best Mid-Level Luxury Cars originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 26 July 2010 16:00 EST.

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Japan and Germany have always been completely different in the automotive world. Actually, besides World War II, they are usually opposites on most things. One is a conservative nation that can be a bit boring, while the other is a nation of electronics, weird game shows, and amazing, yet crazy food.

The German automotive industry is one the best in the world. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and the many others have been making some of the best cars on the market. They are safe, reliable, and perfectly engineered. Nothing says quality like a German luxury car brand.

Japan on the other hand, tends to be less wild than their culture. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru aren’t perfectly engineered machines, but they are as reliable as the wind. There prices are cheaper and appeal to a greater mass of people than the Germans do.

Both of these automotive nations aren’t what you would call, supercar manufacturers. We usually look to the Italians for that sort of thing, but that hasn’t stopped these two from trying. Honda created the NSX, which flopped and Mercedes gave us the great SLR McLaren, but that didn’t sell well either.

Now, Mercedes has decided to give it another go and Toyota has decided to follow suit. One has gullwing doors and a design from the 1950s. Of course, we are talking about the Mercedes SLS AMG. On the other side, we have the Lexus LFA, a car packed with so much technology it can shatter a wine glass.

So, which is the better buy? Hit the jump to find out.

New Supercar Comparison: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG vs. Lexus LFA originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 14 July 2010 11:00 EST.

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People who have been waiting for Toyota to release a roadster version of the Lexus LF-A supercar should temper their expectations because the company has made it clear that the Lexus LF-A Roadster won’t be released now or anytime soon.

Pity, considering the LF-A is one of those supercars that people can’t seem to get enough of with the supercar’s initial 500-piece release getting scooped up in a matter of weeks. Despite being shown as a concept a number of years ago with favorable responses indicating a massive amount of interest from the public, the LF-A Roadster is still a few years – if it ever makes it that far – from seeing the light of the production line. For now, the Toyota-owned company will instead turn their attention towards further developing their already sizzling supercar, the coupe LF-A and the special edition Nurburgring Edition.

The Lexus LF-A is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 engine that delivers a maximum output of 560 HP at 9,000 RPM and a peak torque of 354 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM, with 90% of the total torque being available between the 3,700 RPM mark and the super car’s 9,000 RPM red line. As a result of such a road torque curve, the LF-A can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds and won’t stop until it reaches a top speed of 202 MPH.

Lexus will not build an LF-A Roadster originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 12 July 2010 15:00 EST.

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In its latest episode Fifth Gear put its hands on the brand new Lexus LF-A supercar. Behind the wheel was who other than Tiff Needell who seemed to really enjoy what he was doing! But we can’t really blame him, can we?

Lexus LF-A supercar is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 engine that delivers a maximum output of 560 HP at 9,000 RPM and a peak torque of 354 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM, with 90% of the total torque being available between the 3,700 RPM mark and the super car’s 9,000 RPM red line. As a result of such a road torque curve, the LF-A can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds and won’t stop until it reaches a top speed of 202 MPH.

Check out Tiff Needell’s full review of the Lexus LF-A in the two videos provided and let us know your impressions of the car.

One more video after the jump.

Video: Tiff Needell drives the Lexus LFA originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 9 July 2010 21:00 EST.

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Toyota needs to take a few classes in honesty because they are really awful at it. Toyota is the world’s largest automaker, yet they still can’t find the will to be honest with the public.

In a new report by Bloomberg, Toyota knew about the engine problems that have affected more than 100,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicle three years ago.

The automaker received its first complaint in March 2007 in Japan regarding defective valve springs that may cause the engine to stall, Toyota spokesperson Ririko Takeuchi said.

The problem begins when an unknown substance enters the material used to make the part, which causes the spring to weaken and break. Toyota addressed the problem in August 2008 by altering the design of the spring, but the company didn’t issue a recall because of the rarity of the problem, said Tokyo-based spokesperson Monika Saito.

This won’t help Toyota gain back the customer faith that it once had, prior to the recall of 8 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration. The company then recalled the Lexus GX 460 due to a roll over risk.

Toyota will recall 91,903 Lexis GS 350, GS 450h, GS 460, IS 350, LS 460, LS 600h, and the LS 600hL, as well as a few Toyota Crown cars in Japan. The problem may affect as many as 270,000 vehicles throughout the world, Toyota has said.

Stay tuned for more news on the Toyota situation.

Toyota knew about defective valve springs three years ago originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 23:00 EST.

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Toyota needs to take a few classes in honesty because they are really awful at it. Toyota is the world’s largest automaker, yet they still can’t find the will to be honest with the public.

In a new report by Bloomberg, Toyota knew about the engine problems that have affected more than 100,000 Lexus and Toyota vehicle three years ago.

The automaker received its first complaint in March 2007 in Japan regarding defective valve springs that may cause the engine to stall, Toyota spokesperson Ririko Takeuchi said.

The problem begins when an unknown substance enters the material used to make the part, which causes the spring to weaken and break. Toyota addressed the problem in August 2008 by altering the design of the spring, but the company didn’t issue a recall because of the rarity of the problem, said Tokyo-based spokesperson Monika Saito.

This won’t help Toyota gain back the customer faith that it once had, prior to the recall of 8 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration. The company then recalled the Lexus GX 460 due to a roll over risk.

Toyota will recall 91,903 Lexis GS 350, GS 450h, GS 460, IS 350, LS 460, LS 600h, and the LS 600hL, as well as a few Toyota Crown cars in Japan. The problem may affect as many as 270,000 vehicles throughout the world, Toyota has said.

Stay tuned for more news on the Toyota situation.

Toyota knew about defective valve springs three years ago originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 23:00 EST.

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