Car Moon

A Carscoop reader from Japan tipped us off about this video showing the new Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Edition (or at least that’s what the Youtube poster claims we’re seeing here) lapping the famous Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes and 22.85 seconds. The poster videotaped the run from a video screen set beside the LF-A Nurburgring Edition.

According to the person who shot the clip, Lexus raced the car just before this past weekend’s 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race kicked off.

Whatever your opinion of royal families, you can’t deny that they know a thing or two about spectacular weddings, as evidenced recently by the huge viewership of the Prince William-Kate Middleton tie-up.

Now, another European royal is about to tie the knot: on July 2, Prince Albert of Monaco will stand on the altar besides Carlene Wittstock and exchange vows for richer or poorer (just saying...), better or worse etc.

And Lexus is the one providing the newlyweds’ transportation by building a one-off version of its top of the range LS 600h limo. This version, which has been engineered by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet and took over 2,000 hours to complete, is a Landaulet.

A bespoke sports car priced over than $370,000 and of which only 500 will be produced worldwide, isn’t something you normally expect to see at a drift event. But in the Land of the Rising Sun, everything goes when it comes to burning tires and wowing crowds.

Making its appearance on the sidelines of the 2011 D1 Grand Prix Tokyo drift was this stock Lexus LFA, which you can enjoy in action in the video that follows after the break.

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different. Read more »

With monthly average sales of around 2,000 units this year, Lexus’ cars continue to be a scarce commodity on Europe roads and we somehow doubt that being crowned the official vehicle of His Serene Highness [very sic…] Prince Albert II of Monaco will help improve the Japanese automaker’s position in the market. Read more »

The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California, is one of the most iconic hotels in the United States, nay the world. Built in the 1920s, it has since featured in countless movies, television shows and music videos. So it figures that sooner or later someone would get the bright spark idea of using it as a giant billboard for their product.

Enter the world of Lexus who, with the help of some cutting-edge 3D projection mapping technology, turned the side of the Roosevelt into a Michael Bay Transformers-esque advertisement for its new CT 200h hybrid hatchback. Walls shift around and rotate; gaping holes appear and flowers, roadways and other objects all spring to life out of the eighty plus year old façade.

Normally, the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition wouldn't be something that you'd read about or see on Carscoop, but being that Lexus is involved in the 2011 issue, we....couldn't leave you in the dark about the LFA's presence in the photo shoot with Dutch supermodel Rianne Ten Haken.

Owning a supercar like the Lexus LFA is not always a walk in the park. With 552HP on tap, it has enough oomph to get you in serious trouble and, given the $375,000 price tag and limited run of just 500 units, it would be a shame to wrap this beast around a tree. So, it’s definitely good news that Lexus will offer a driver development program for LFA owners that will run from March 8 to 15, at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

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.

In 1971, one of the greatest one-on-one boxing matches took place in New York's Madison Square Garden: the bout between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier. So big was this event, advertisers dubbed it, 'The Fight of the Century'. Now, two different contenders take to the ring (uh...tarmac). The reigning champion: the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE. The challenger: the Lexus LFA. Video after the jump.

Lexus wants to give people a chance to call the shots in a new video campaign focusing on its upcoming 2011 CT 200h five-door hatchback. It's called "Dark Ride".

The luxury marque is making a short action film with a recognizable star racing around it a new model. Now you're thinking, "Wait, didn't BMW do this a while back? And Audi (kind of), more recently?"

Ah, but those films weren't interactive...

There's only so much that can be said about a drag race between a Nissan GT-R and the Lexus LFA. It's a traditional competition pitting Japan's two Euro-fighting high-tech supercars against each other in an attempt to figure out which one is faster in the quarter mile.

No matter who's faster, the better buy should be clear. At a $300,000+ price gap, it won't be hard to figure it out; on the other hand, exclusivity has no price.

Thankfully, Motor Trend showed us how the duel would play out. While informative, it ain't Top Gear with the Jezza. To watch it through Motor Trend's eyes, check it out after the break.

Japan's tuning specialist, ASI, thinks the Lexus LX570 full-size SUV needs a good ol' bump in styling and performance.

The tuner's Invader package takes care of the looks, although there has been no news yet of what engine upgrades are supplied. With the basic 5.7 liter churning out 381 horsepower, any intake/exhaust/ECU tuning would likely bring that number above 400.

ASI has bigger plans than just the standard tune-job, though, with a nigh-600 horsepower package on the way. It should run to 60 in under 5 seconds.

To no one's surprise, in the three months that have passed since the official introduction of the LFA at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009, the number of formal expressions of interest in purchasing the $375,000 V10 supercar is already far greater than the limited production run of only 500 examples, Toyota's subsidiary announced today.

Two separate accidents that occurred in downtown Los Angeles today lead to the arrest of two people on suspicion of DUI (driving under the influence). This strange incident started when a female driver in a Lexus IS, who was later arrested for DUI, crashed with another car that allegedly drove off after the accident. A few minutes later, and while a cameraman was filming the incident, a third car with three people inside slammed into the Lexus!

Here's your chance to get a taste of the looks and sounds of the new Lexus LFA in real-life conditions as the Japanese company brought its Ferrari-challenging V10-powered supercar to the Cars and Coffee event last month in Irvine, California. Watch the two films after the jump, and don't forget to say 'ouch' at about 43 seconds into the first video...

If you have been keeping up with us here at Carscoop, you probably know about the custom made Lexus IS 350C that Fox Marketing is preparing for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November. We've already shown you a teaser rendering as well as some photos of the car taken during the development phase but now, Fox Marketing has released detailed specs along with the first live photos and videos of the lime-green hardtop convertible that comes equipped with a supercharged version of the stock 3.5-liter V6 pumping out some 406 horsepower.

Other mechanical upgrades include a reworked suspension with Yonaka SPECII 36 way adjustable coilovers and 14-inch disc brakes with six-piston calipers.

The team over at Fox Marketing also dressed up the IS 350C with a custom made wide bodykit that includes front fenders and side skirts from the IS-F sports saloon along with 20-inch black alloy wheels wrapped around in Toyo T1R rubber.

Source: Fox Marketing , Via: Autoblog

Fox Marketing 2010 Lexus IS350C

Engine:

• Jashaan Autosports powered by ProCharger Supercharger System (405hp @ 6psi)
  
• ProCharger C-2 Blower
  
• Yonaka Intercooler Type 10 22x9x3
  
• Yonaka 2.5 inch Stainless Intercooler Piping
  
• Yonaka Couplers & Silicone hoses
  
• AMSOIL 0w-30 Signature Series Synthetic Fluids
  
• AMSOIL EA Oil Filter
  
• AMSOIL Antifreeze
  
• F-Sport Exhaust
  

  Interior:
  

• Lexus Cream White Interior
  
• BASF R-M Black Painted Interior Parts
  
• Classic Design Concepts Light Bar
  

  Exterior:
  

• BASF R-M Foxy Green Paint
  
• BASF R-M Black Paint
  
• Custom Lip molded front spoiler
  
• Custom IS F front fenders
  
• Custom IS F Side Skirts
  
• Custom 2 inch fender flares
  
• Custom Rear bumper flare
  
• Custom SEIBON Carbon rear wing
  
• Custom BASF R-M Carizzma Flat Black Grill Ring
  
• Custom BASF R-M Black Grill inserts
  
• Custom BASF R-M Foxy Green Lexus badge
  
• Custom BASF R-M Black Lexus rear logos
  

  Lighting:
  

• Lightwurkz Custom BASF R-M Carizzma Flat Black Headlight Casings
  
• Lightwurkz Custom 3 prong LED turn signals
  
• Lightwurkz Custom shaved center running light
  

  Brakes:
  

• F-Sport Big Brakes 14 inch 6 piston Calipers
  

  Suspension:
  

• Yonaka SPECII 36 way adjustable Coilovers
  
• TunedParts Rear Brace
  

  Wheels & Tires:
  

• Front: 20x9 iForged Sprint BASF R-M Carizzma Flat Black w/ Gloss Black Lips – Cream white bolts
  
• 245/30/20 Toyo T1R
  
• Rear: 20x11.5 iForged Sprint BASF R-M Carizzma Flat Black w/ Gloss Black Lips – Cream white bolts
  
• 305/30/20 Toyo T1R
  

  Partners:.Lexus, BASF Refinish, AMSOIL, Yonaka, iForged, ProCharger, F-Sport, Jashaan Autosports, Classic Design Concepts, Lightwurkz, Mugsy's Repair, Detrich Autobody, Impressive Signs, Tuned Parts, ClubLexus.com, my.is

Continuing our Lexus LFA news-orgasm, following the leaked shots and the official high-res gallery and details, we now bring you a promotional film of the $375,000 limited production Japanese supercar that was formally introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show today. Due to go on sale in late 2010, the rear-wheel drive LFA is motivated by an all-new 4.8-liter V10 with 553 horsepower. That's good enough for a zero to 62mph (100km/h) in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 202mph (325km/h). But enough with the talk. Hit the jump to check out Lexus' first-ever supercar in all its glory.

*Updated II: 40 Official High-Res Photos Have Been Added After The Jump --> Just a few hours before its official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, and the first photographs as well as a video of the production version of the Lexus LF-A supercar have made their way onto the internet. From what we've been informed by our inside people, the LF-A features a new, front-mid mounted V10 engine that churns our approximately 550HP with power being sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters for a 0 to 100km/h sprint time of about 3.7 seconds. Stay tuned for more updates on Lexus' first ever supercar but until then, hit the break for the photo gallery and video.