Lexus

Five years ago, you knew what a luxury vehicle was.

It might have been a Mercedes-Benz S600 with a V-12 under the hood, or a Porsche Carrera S boasting 355 horsepower, or a massive, bling-dripping Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum.

Different as they were, those vehicles all displayed look-at-me styling, maximum horsepower, and a sense of self-reward. Fuel economy was an afterthought. The overall rating on the Escalade, for instance, was 13 mpg.

But a deflated economy and rising green consciousness are changing the definition of luxury. In the new era of inconspicuous consumption, rational factors play a greater role in purchasing decisions, brand executives say.

Luxury brands need new selling points to bring hesitant buyers into showrooms--and social correctness is a big factor. Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, says sales of high-end luxury cars such as the Audi A8, BMW 7 series, and Mercedes-Benz S class have been hit especially hard.

For example, sales of the Lexus LS fell 44 percent in 2009. The Mercedes S class dropped 37 percent. BMW's 7 series and Audi's A8/S8 also posted big declines. "Those customers are the very people who are heading up corporations and small businesses, who are having to make tough decisions," de Nysschen says. "They might have the means, but it's just socially not the right time." … Read more

Last week, we showed you Toyota's FT-86 G Sport concept and highlighted a very cool feature called "GPS-track day" that allows users to playback GPS replays from a real life racetrack session on their copy of Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3. Polyphony Digital, maker of the Gran Turismo franchise, has released even more information about the system and a demo video. As it turns out, there's more to it than just GPS positioning.

The proper name for the "GPS-track day" feature is Gran Turismo Data Logger Visualization. When an appropriately equipped car is … Read more

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

In December we invited you to vote for the 2009 Tech Car of the Year from our five nominees. And in a unanimous decision between you, the voting public, and our Car Tech judges, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid wins the award. Although it faced some stiff competition, the combination of an excellent hybrid power train and the most advanced cabin tech in the business gave the Fusion Hybrid the edge. Ford and Toyota hybrid power trains work along similar principles, but Ford raised the bar by tuning it to work under electric power at higher speeds while delivering a very satisfying driving experience, with acceleration you can count on. With fuel economy pushing the 40 mpg mark, this midsize sedan makes trips to the pump infrequent.

On the cabin tech side, Ford complemented the hybrid power train with its Smart Gauge, LCD panels on either side of the speedometer, showing a variety of vehicle operating information. And Ford made Smart Gauge user configurable, a big leap from analog gauges of the past. Sync is standard, providing voice command and the kind of Bluetooth phone and MP3 player integration to which other companies are just starting to catch up. Sirius Travel Link feeds unparalleled and useful data sources into the navigation system, including traffic, weather, and fuel prices. And the Sony audio system is an excellent value, producing impressive sound quality.

… Read more

As 2009 rolls to a close, we look back at the cars we've reviewed over the last year to see which one should earn our Tech Car of the Year award. From our survey of the 100 or so cars we've reviewed, we're pleased to see that the adoption of cabin tech by automakers is becoming more prevalent and ever more sophisticated, with features such as hard-drive-based navigation with traffic reporting becoming common.

Among the cars we've seen, we picked out five that show the most innovative technology. These cars use technology to enhance the cabin … Read more

I'm still running through notes I made when visiting the 52nd Annual International Auto Show here in my current residence of San Francisco, California regarding cars and topics to feature here in this blog. I'm still rolling-rolling-rolling like Limp Bizkit (did I spell that right?) and about to get all environmental with a video about one of the several hybrids I saw at the 2009 IAS, the 2010 Lexus RX450h.

The RX450h isn't Lexus's first foray into the mid-sized hybrid game and really it isn't all that different cosmetically from the outgoing RX400h. Likewise, based … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Lexus' LF-Ch hybrid concept should be turned into a production vehicle and sold in the United States, said division General Manager Mark Templin.

The compact five-door hatchback debuted at the Frankfurt auto show in September and was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. If approved for production, the LF-Ch would compete with such models as the BMW 1 series and Audi A3. Lexus said the concept is a response to the growing demand, especially from young urbanites, for smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.

"We're showing it in North America to see if it can … Read more

It won't ship until late 2010, but the 2011 Audi A8 looks really good. The all-new fourth-generation A8 full-size luxury sedan has a 372 hp 4.2-liter V-8 with eight-speed transmission under the hood, and all-wheel drive.

This 8-minute video includes driving scenes and exterior shots, plus close-up detail shots.

The $75,000 car will compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-class, Maserati Quattroporte, Lexus LS460, Jaguar XJ/XJL, BMW 7-series.

A couple of weeks ago, Lexus made headlines with the unveiling of its first official "supercar" at the 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The Lexus LFA that debuted at SEMA is a performance vehicle that the automaker thinks will set the standard for sports and performance cars that have a high luxury quotient. Lexus has also updated its LX 570 utility vehicle for the 2010 market, and it has bells and whistles galore. It's a good thing you get so many extras with this LX, because you definitely won't get what you bargain for in … Read more

This last week saw yet another big auto show in the form of the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show ran from November 2 to Friday November 6, and boy, was there a ton of eye candy for us car enthusiasts. However, the SEMA Show was not open to the public--only auto industry insiders were allowed inside these doors full of what SEMA refers to as "automotive specialty products." This video is a teaser of some of the many automotive delights that were on display at this year's event.

Here we go … Read more