Autoblog

Lexus challenges passengers to control their heart rates... in a hybrid

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Sedan, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Lexus

Picture the scene: You're in a quiet place; a forest. The grass is green, the sky a perfect shade of blue. It's sunny; the temperature is hovering somewhere near perfect and a gentle breeze wafts by. You look at the pretty flowers - bend down to reach one... then, BAM!

No, we're not talking about Bambi versus Godzilla - though we do offer Marv Newland a healthy round of applause. What's we're talking about is the Lexus GS Hybrid. Or, more specifically, the car's Italian advertising campaign as seen in the video below.

Lexus claims its 2013 GS 450h can accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 5.6 seconds, courtesy of its 3.5-liter V6 engine and electric motor hybrid powertrain that puts out a combined 338 horsepower. Combine that level of thrust with rear-wheel drive and a professional driver and you've got yourself some fun at the race track.

Lexus decided to put this combination together, mixing in a blend of new-car shoppers to see what effect its hybrid sedan had on the heart. Scroll down below to watch it all unfold.

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Lexus challenges passengers to control their heart rates... in a hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus working on more efficient GS 300h

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, Luxury

Lexus is looking to expand its hybrid range with the addition of a second gasoline-electric GS model, according to Auto Express. Currently, Lexus offers the GS 450h, powered by a 3.5-liter hybrid V6 that produces a combined 338 horsepower.

The new model, likely to be called GS 300h, will use the smaller 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powerplant found in the Toyota Camry Hybrid and newly introduced Lexus ES 300h. In the ES, the hybrid system puts out a combined 200 horsepower and is estimated to return a combined 40 miles per gallon.

Of course, the 2.5-liter mill could be tuned differently for use in the modestly sportier, rear-wheel-drive GS. But with the possibility of 40 mpg on tap, Lexus would surely have a fighter for the upcoming Audi A6 3.0 TDI.

Lexus working on more efficient GS 300h originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Lexus Super Bowl ad to star 2013 GS

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Lexus, Luxury

Given a moment's thought, it's a little surprising that Lexus, a luxury brand that changed the game, has never run an ad during the Super Bowl. But the home of L-Finesse not only has nine new or updated cars coming out this year, led by the 2013 GS, it has a new attitude, which will be "uncontained" in a 30-second spot while ~~the Niners play the Patriots~~ the NFL champion is decided.

The ad will be supported by a campaign called "TweetDrive Engineered by Lexus," and those with a Twitter account and a bunch of correct answers will have a chance to win a trip to that Bowl of Superness. The spot arrives on February 5. For now, you can watch the teaser trailer and check out the press release and contest details after the jump.

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First Lexus Super Bowl ad to star 2013 GS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Lexus GS 450h [w/video]

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, First Drives, Luxury

Lexus' Best Compromise Yet

Ever since the Prius unexpectedly became the Xerox of hybrids and a greenie icon, Toyota has been trying to figure out how to apply the technology to its other models. Its results have been decidedly mixed, nowhere more so than with its luxury lineup. But with the 2013 Lexus GS 450h, Toyota thinks it has finally figured out what a hybrid luxury car should be.

From a sales perspective, the first-generation GS 450h was a disappointment. While we liked it quite a bit when we test-drove it a couple years ago, Lexus just hasn't been able to move the metal. Introduced to much fanfare in 2006 as a 2007 model, the GS was Lexus' second hybrid and the first rear-wheel-drive hybrid on the market. Lexus touted it as a performance sedan, even as Toyota was heavily marketing its hybrids as fuel sippers. Whether consumers were confused or not, they never took to the hybrid GS. Sales peaked at just below 1,800 in that first year and have gone down in each successive year. In 2010, Lexus sold barely 300 GS hybrids, roughly four percent of total GS sales, which were about 7,000.

The cognitive dissonance presented by Lexus hybrids has been an issue since the brand launched its first, the 2006 RX 400h SUV. Only marginally more powerful than the standard RX, its improvement in fuel economy was similarly slight at launch. The LS 600hL - the brand's halo car before the LFA sports car came along - is a six-figure, 20-mile-per-gallon hybrid marketed as having V12 performance with V8 fuel economy, the rough equivalent of ordering a Diet Coke with your Super Size Big Mac Extra Value Meal. The "Lexus Prius" HS 250h, with neither particularly good fuel economy (35 mpg combined) nor any sporting aspirations, has been a critical and sales disaster and is rumored to be on the chopping block. While Toyota's simple, "better mileage" definition of its hybrids is clear, Lexus has combined green machine and muscle car in varying doses, such that you never quite know what you'll be getting with a gas-electric Lexus.

Continue reading 2013 Lexus GS 450h [w/video]

2013 Lexus GS 450h [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Lexus GS 450h does the electric slide

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, Luxury

What might the 2013 Lexus GS 450h add to the additional performance goodness delivered in the 2012 Lexus GS 350? More power and more fuel efficiency, for starters. The second-gen hybrid system boots out 338 total horsepower for a 5.6-second sprint to 60 mph. That's 32 hp more than the GS 350 and a 0.1-second improvement on the stoplight run.

Fuel economy gets an "expected" 30 percent improvement - the quotes meaning the sedan's fuel use hasn't been officially certified, but anything in that ballpark will be a tremendous gain. If it's a GS 350 with instant torque, that would be enough for us, but we'll look forward to driving it soon and finding out ourselves. A press release lays out the particulars and our gallery of high-res photos shows them off.

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2013 Lexus GS 450h does the electric slide originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus debuts GS450h ahead of Frankfurt

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, Luxury

With three different variants of the 2013 Lexus GS in the pipeline, Lexus is taking to the Frankfurt Motor Show to highlight the hybrid version just a few weeks after the GS 350 debuted in Pebble Beach.

Nothing's particularly different on the outside of the GS 450h compared to its standard sibling, with the exception of a few hybrid badges and Lexus' trademark blue logos. Under the hood, an Atkinson Cycle 3.5-liter V6 with a 13:1 compression ratio, some intake tweaks and a high-output, water-cooled electric motor brings output up to 338 horsepower and an undisclosed amount of torque. In standard Eco mode, the PCU dolls out 500V on justice while Sport increases voltage to 650V to maximize off-the-line acceleration. Lexus claims a 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds, but isn't giving up fuel economy numbers just yet.

All the runnings bits from the standard GS carry over unchanged, including the Lexus Dynamic Handling System with four-wheel steering. Expect more from the show floor tomorrow, but in the meantime, check out the first batch of images and press release below the fold.

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Lexus debuts GS450h ahead of Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Lexus GS 450h to debut in Frankfurt

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus

Perhaps Lexus was none too happy with the open-handed slap Infiniti dealt it in the luxury-hybrid-sports sedan war. Sure, those two are the only ones playing that game, but if you're in the fight you want to win it, right? Lexus is certainly not going quietly in this battle, and the Japanese automaker plans to bring a new weapon to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The German auto show will be the stage upon which the 2013 Lexus GS 450h makes its world debut. No details on the sporty electric-and-gas-swilling sedan have been released, but we assume the four door will utilize the current 450h's 3.5-liter V6 in combination with an electric motor. Once we land in Frankfurt and get up close with the 2013 GS 450h, we'll be sure to bring you all the juicy stats.

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2013 Lexus GS 450h to debut in Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus teases GS F-Sport and GS 450h

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus, Luxury

Lexus may have debuted the 2012 GS 350 as part of last week's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance festivities in California, but the automaker isn't quite done with the rollout of its new rear-wheel-drive sedan. Seen here, Lexus has just released two teasers of two more models in the GS range: the sportier looking F Sport and hybrid-enhanced GS 450h.

Like the rest of Lexus' F-Sport treatments, we don't expect the GS F-Sport to be much more than a trim-and-tape job, though some suspension tuning may be in store for this model. It's been long rumored that Lexus is preparing an honest-to-goodness GS F performance model, so the F Sport trim ought to be similar to what the automaker offers on its smaller IS sedan.

The GS 450h will likely use the same 3.5-liter V6 and electric motor setup that's found in the current car, though some small massaging should hopefully improve fuel economy ever so slightly. We'll have the full details on both cars later this year.

Lexus teases GS F-Sport and GS 450h originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus GS takes its turn on the 'Ring

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Lexus

Lexus GS spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lexus LF-Gh Concept from this year's New York Auto Show is slowly making the journey from pure conceptual creation to full-on production car, albeit, in the form of the GS sedan. Our trusty spy photographers have caught a Lexus GS prototype out on the Nürburgring, and its LF-Gh-inspired cues are clearly in evidence despite heavy camouflage.

Up front, the LF-Gh's squared-off headlights have translated over to this GS test mule, complete with LED daytime running lamps. Even the "aggressive and bold spindle-shaped front grille" from the concept looks to be intact, as are the upward curving detail lines that form the outline of the lower side air intakes in the front fascia.

Mum's the word on what's under the hood, but we'd be shocked if it wasn't some sort of hybridized powertrain, perhaps similar to what's already found in the GS 450h. The production car likely won't debut until the end of 2011 or early 2012, so we'll keep our ears to the ground for more information until then.

Lexus GS takes its turn on the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankfurt Preview: 2008 Lexus GS tweaked to perfection

John Neff — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Green, Lexus

click above image to enlarge

Lexus' itinerary for the Frankfurt Motor Show next month includes the European debut of the IS-F and the worldwide debut of this model, the 2008 Lexus GS 450h. The new GS 450h also clearly shows how the standard GS models will be tweaked for the 2008 model year. A new front bumper and tweaked headlight design, as well as new side mirrors with integrated turn signals, are the most obvious changes. The interior gets updated too, but Lexus only issued an image of the exterior, so we'll have to wait a couple of weeks to see what's going on inside the car. Also of note is a new "active stabilizer system" available on the GS 450h to improve the car's handling, perhaps attempting to compensate for the extra weight of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

Check out a high-res version of the new 2008 Lexus GS-450h by clicking the image above, and since the styling tweaks are subtle, we've also included comparison shots with a 2007 model after the jump.

[Source: Carscoop]

Continue reading Frankfurt Preview: 2008 Lexus GS tweaked to perfection

Frankfurt Preview: 2008 Lexus GS tweaked to perfection originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus hybrid shows well in first endurance race

Stuart Waterman — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Sedan, Lexus

Autoblog readers will recall that we reported on Lexus' plans to enter a modified GS450h hybrid in a 24-hour endurance race last month. Well, the race has been run, the results are in, and the big Denso-sponsored Lexus came home a remarkable 4th in class and 17th overall. Making the result even more significant is the fact that the Tokachi 24 hour race marked the first time a hybrid vehicle had entered an FIA-sanctioned circuit race.

Lexus team SARD ran a conservative race, their first competition outing with the new car, steadily moving up the overall classification from 30th at the six hour mark to 17th after 18 hours.

Despite being stripped and lightened for racing, the big sedan still passed over the scales nearly 300 lb over the allowed minimum weight for its class - a huge disadvantage that probably contributed to a mid-race pit stop to change brake rotors. The hybrid powertrain necessitated some unusual pit stop procedures - the crew had to regularly replenish the dry ice cooling system for the trunk-mounted batteries.

With the FIA already looking at regenerative braking and alternative powertrains for its flagship Formula 1 series, don't be surprised to see more hybrid cars in international motorsports in the next few years.

More pics after the jump.

[Source: Lexus team SARD]

Continue reading Lexus hybrid shows well in first endurance race

Lexus hybrid shows well in first endurance race originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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