Auto shows seem to have become risky business for car manufacturers. After the BMW 750i that was stolen at the Detroit motor show earlier this year, now more disturbing news comes from the Chicago Auto Show, where the Toyota booth attracted unwanted attention.
According to local newspapers, seven new Toyota models had their interiors vandalized by three young men, aged 20, 21 and 28. We don"t know what really caused this deviant behavior, but one report attributes it to the fact that the three vandals were allegedly angry "about American jobs going overseas".
And it seems they wanted the Japanese cars to suffer badly, judging from the tools they used - screwdrivers and razor knives. The three young men were arrested on Wednesday evening before the show"s closing time when guards noticed them acting suspiciously around a Toyota Camry. The mess they made inside the seven cars is substantial: dashboards were left smashed and ripped, seat upholstery sliced, windshields scratched, speakers cut open and turn indicators broken.
According to the police, the damage to the cars is estimated at $30,000. Interestingly, they had no preference for a particular model, vandalizing a Camry, a RAV4, a Land Cruiser, a Prius, two Tundras and one Lexus ES350. Funny thing, no accelerator pedal or floor mat were damaged...
Lexus has unwrapped the limited run 2011 IS 350C F Sport Special Edition convertible, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. later this month. Only 175 units will be built, each carrying a $55,120 (not including $875 destination) sticker and some styling and performance upgrades over the standard model.
The limited run hardtop convertible comes in a choice of two new colors (Starfire Pearl or Obsidian), and features bi-Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, special exterior badging and 19-inch alloys in a dark graphite finish, wrapped around in 225/35 Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Heated and ventilated black-red leather sport seats with red stitching plus a new wood trim spice up the cabin.
Lexus is also offering a comprehensive standard equipment package, which includes navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, rear back-up camera, voice command, Lexus Enform telematics system with Safety Connect and various XM services.
To improve handling, the Japanese brand"s engineers fitted the F Sport model with new Bilstein shock absorbers, shorter springs and a sway bar.
?The F Sport Special Edition builds on the IS 350C and takes the fun of the convertible up another notch,? said Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager. ?The racing inspired F Sport accessories on this car were precision engineered specifically for this vehicle, allowing us to provide performance without compromise.?
Lexus has issued a voluntary safety recall involving some 245,000 cars in the U.S. because of a potential defect that may cause fuel leakage. The models affected by the recall include the GS300 and GS350 from the 2006-2007MY, the IS 250 from the 2006-2009MY, and the IS 350 from the 2006-2008MY.
The company said that due to insufficient tightening, the connection between the fuel pressure sensor and a certain fuel line could loosen over time, resulting in a possible fuel leak. No accidents related to the problem have been reported to date.
According to statement from Lexus" parent company Toyota, the firm"s dealers will inspect the vehicles and if no leakage is found, will tighten the sensor with the proper torque. In case of a confirmed fuel leak, the gasket between the fuel sensor and the delivery pipe will be replaced and the sensor tightened. As expected, all operations will be conducted free of charge.
Lexus has issued a voluntary safety recall involving some 245,000 cars in the U.S. because of a potential defect that may cause fuel leakage. The models affected by the recall include the GS300 and GS350 from the 2006-2007MY, the IS 250 from the 2006-2009MY, and the IS 350 from the 2006-2008MY.
The company said that due to insufficient tightening, the connection between the fuel pressure sensor and a certain fuel line could loosen over time, resulting in a possible fuel leak. No accidents related to the problem have been reported to date.
According to statement from Lexus" parent company Toyota, the firm"s dealers will inspect the vehicles and if no leakage is found, will tighten the sensor with the proper torque. In case of a confirmed fuel leak, the gasket between the fuel sensor and the delivery pipe will be replaced and the sensor tightened. As expected, all operations will be conducted free of charge.
Lexus has announced the availability of a pair of new special edition cars for the UK market called the IS 250 and IS 200d Advance. As is common with most special or limited edition models these days, the new IS cars are distinguished by the added -and not unique- features to the standard equipment.
Based on the regular SE specification, the new IS 250 and 200d Advance models come equipped with a hard disc drive (HDD) satellite navigation system, rear parking camera, heated electrically adjustable front seats, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.
These extras would normally cost an arm and leg if they were to be added to the SE separately, but in this case, the new Advance IS 250 costs just an extra ?340 compared its SE equivalent (?26,495 on-the-road), with the diesel-powered IS 200d coming in at an additional ?130 (?24,995).
In another sign that luxury automakers in the U.S. are raising the stakes -or so to speak- with their latest commercials, following Audi"s recent A8 ad, Lexus has released a new TV spot as part of an advertising campaign to demonstrate how far the company goes to achieve perfection.
This particular broadcast ad is titled ?Chain? and it shows a crane slowly lifting the front end of a LS, which is attached to four more Lexus models (RX, GS, ES and IS) using nothing more than cables and stretch bars. At the end of the spot, a $375,000 LFA comes into the shot and parks directly below the chain of vehicles weighing a total 21,000 pounds.
The key point here is that the commercial is real and that no special effects were used for its creation as Lexus proves in the "Behind the Scenes" video.
?It isn?t enough to just say that we pursue perfection, we want to demonstrate the great lengths we go to in our pursuit,? states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.
?The new broadcast spot allows us to focus on the foundation of our vehicles, the chassis, and show its almost unbelievable strength. In fact, we feared that it would be so unbelievable, we invited a physicist and structural engineer to witness the shoot, to prove that it did, in fact, occur without the use of special effects or computer generated-imagery.?
Lexus has added the new CT 200h dedicated hybrid model to its Japanese line-up in an attempt to boost flagging sales in its home market. The company"s first entry in the premium-compact segment is also its cheapest offering with prices in Japan ranging from 3.55 million yen to 4.33 million yen (about US$42,600 to US$52,000).
Originally designed with European customers in mind, the CT 200h has also made its way to North America as well as China, with more countries to be added to the list. In the U.S., the CT 200h is priced from $29,120.
The five-door hatchback from Lexus features the same hybrid powertrain as the Prius mating a 1.8-liter Atkinson cycle combustion engine with an electric motor, nickel-metal-hydride battery and a generator. Lexus said that using the 10-15 test cycle of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the CT 200h returned a fuel efficiency of 34 km/lt (equal to 79.9 mpg US or 2.9 lt/100km).
The company said it plans to sell around 1,500 units a month of the CT 200h in Japan.
Chinese automaker BYD marked its fourth consecutive appearance at the North American International Auto Show with the world premiere of the S6DM hybrid, with the DM in the name standing for "Dual-Mode".
The gasoline-electric hybrid is based on the Chinese firm"s S6, a mid-size SUV model first introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2009. And no, you"re not the only one to find the overall styling of the S6 reminiscent of the previous generation Lexus RX.
The Warren Buffett-backed battery and car maker claims the S6DM is "the world?s first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV". Under the hood, the Chinese model is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and three electric motors. Two 10-kilowatt electric motors drive the front wheels while a more potent 75 kilowatt motor powers the rear wheels. A six six-speed dual clutch transmission handles power transfer.
Despite the "Dual-Mode" moniker, BYD says the system offers three driving modes including electric only, hybrid gasoline-electric and gasoline engine only. In detail, here"s how the Chinese automaker describes each mode:
THREE DRIVING MODES
Fully electric (BEV) mode: At normal speeds, the vehicle can operate in its all-electric mode, with the electric motor (M2) propelling the rear wheels.
Hybrid gasoline-electric (HEV):
1. 2WD: The gasoline engine not only directly powers the vehicle, but also drives the electric motor (M1) at the front wheels to charge the battery pack.
2. 4WD: When more power is needed, the gas engine and the electric motor (M2) power the vehicle together. If the combined power is enough, the gasoline engine will also drive the electric motor (M1) to charge the battery pack. As speed increases, the gasoline engine can take over seamlessly with support from the 6-speed DCT; when braking, the gas engine automatically shuts down and the electric motor (M2) takes over.
3. 2WD: When battery power is low and not much driving power is required, the gasoline engine drives the electric motor (M1) to charge the battery pack and the electric motor (M2) powers the vehicle by itself.
Gasoline powered: When driving on the highway or in case the battery pack is depleted, the gasoline engine can power the vehicle on its own very efficiently.
According to BYD, the S6DM can travel over 38 miles (60km) purely on electric power (BEV) and over 500km (310 miles) combined when engaging the gasoline engine.
BYD said that the S6DM is amongst the models being considering for the U.S market. At the Detroit show, the company"s Chairman, Wang Chuanfu, pushed back the brand"s U.S. launch to the first quarter of 2012.
A new special edition model has been added to the UK range of the Lexus RX450h hybrid crossover. Named the SE-I, the new model sports a host of accessories said to be suited for those "who love the great outdoors" - always according to Lexus.
On the outside the so-called Lifestyle model adds roof rails and a rear bumper protect, plus front and rear under-run plates. Interior features of the package include a tough boot liner, claimed to be designed to cope with muddy boots, and a warm / cold storage box.
Lexus says that if these features were to specified individually, it would cost buyers up to ?1,500, but brought together for the new RX 450h SE-I Lifestyle they add just ?499 to the on-the-road price of the crossover for a total of ?48,899.
