Lexus LF-A achieving top speeds of over 218 mph, production model to look very different

The Lexus LF-A has been long considered a competitor to the company’s Japanese-rival - the Nissan GT-R. Well, if AutoExpress is to be believed, the LF-A will leave the Nissan GT-R in the dust in terms of speed and price.

Sources close to Lexus say that the engineers were not at all happy about the LF-A’s top speed of 199 mph. After some revisions, tuning and testing, the 550-hp 4.8L V10 engine is reportedly allowing the LF-A to achieve a top speed of over 218 mph. Yes, that’s faster than the Nissan GT-R, putting the LF-A in the Ferrari Enzo and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 category.

Sources say that the actual production model will look very different from the prototypes seen at the Nurburgring. Basically we’re in for a surprise.

Production will be limited to 500 units with some units getting a sports package version with a wider bodykit similar to the one on the race version that raced in the 24-Hour Nurburgring. Pricing is expected to come in around £140,000 ($223,820 USD) to £190,000 ($303,756 USD). The production model will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in Oct.

Toyota looking to boost 2010 Prius production

Toyota said today that it is considering revving up production of its 2010 Prius to meet better-than-expected demand, a move similar to the one Honda made when it launched its 2010 Insight hybrid in February.

“We are considering steps to increase production to meet demand,” Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco said.

While this is good news for treehuggers or those that hate the Honda Insight, the news is a sigh of relief for workers involved with manufacturing Toyota vehicles. Toyota was among the first Japanese automakers to halt production earlier this year as demand was hit by the global financial crisis.

Toyota has confirmed that it has received over 80,000 orders for the 2010 Prius, which it rolled out earlier this month. The Japanese automaker declined to comment on reports that the number had jumped to 110,000.

The 2010 Toyota Prius is on sale no with prices starting at $21,750.

Lexus HS 250h luxury hybrid (First drive)

(Credit: Lexus)

When we first saw the Lexus' new luxury hybrid, it was being revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Recently we were given an opportunity to preview Lexus' new HS 250h, a vehicle that the automaker is calling the world's first luxury dedicated hybrid. It also calls the HS an economy luxury car, which to us seems a bit of an oxymoron.

As I approached the vehicle, my first thought was, "Oh my, they've Lexus-ified and hybridized a Corolla! This is going to be a disaster." I couldn't have been more wrong.

True, the HS 250h looks like your run of the mill boring Toyota/Lexus econobox, but under the rather plain skin is a rather exceptional vehicle, particularly when it comes to cabin tech.

The floating center console lifts the controls up to be easily reached.

(Credit: Lexus)

The HS 250h's dash is an ergonomic dream. Its floating center console lifts the climate and audio controls up to where they can be accessed without reaching. The flip up navigation screen is moved up to the top of the dash, where it can be viewed out of our periphery without taking our eyes off of the road.

At the bottom of the console, Lexus' new remote touch controller falls naturally into the drivers' hand. A sort of joystick-trackball hybrid, the remote touch controller uses a control stick that is moved with your fingertip to select options from the HS' icon-based interface. Movements are 1:1 with where the pointer is on screen, so there's never any issue with losing cursor. Haptic force feedback notifies the user through touch when an option has been selected, which assists in navigation without taking eyes off of the road for too long.

Lexus HS 250h - World’s First Hybrid-Only Luxury Vehicle

With the introduction of the world’s first hybrid-only luxury car, the 2010 HS 250h, Lexus brings the promise of sustainable luxury to the forefront of the auto industry. In the process, the brand also elevates luxury transportation with innovative engineering and intelligent, driver-inspired design that offers excellent roominess and nimble maneuverability. Each new generation of Lexus [...]

Toyota Prius Harvests the Rewards of its Ecological Plastics

When it comes to environmental performance, new Prius’s achievements are not just about the fuel economy and clean running offered by its Toyota Hybrid Drive full hybrid powertrain. Toyota’s determination to reduce emissions and promote sustainability prompted it to research and develop the world’s first injection moulded material to be derived from plant matter. This new [...]

Toyota Aurion Touring Special Edition Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Toyota has launched a new special-edition Aurion to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary in Australia. The refreshed Aurion “Touring” Special Edition offers more than $2700 of added equipment at no extra cost compared with entry-level Aurion AT-X sedan. Quad Cam V6 Aurion delivers more power than any other normally aspirated Australian-made six-cylinder car with 9.9 litres/100km [...]

New Generation Toyota Prius Unveiled

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Car Review: 2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport strikes agreeable balance

The small crossover segment, where the neo-sorta-trucks live, is one of the hottest battlegrounds for consumer dollars. Small skirmishes go on in the border regions; confused vehicles don’t know whether to be mud-slingers with brash attitudes or optioned-up urban sophisticates. Toyota’s RAV4 certainly brings sophistication, and though it can venture off road a bit, it’s not a jumbled, mixed-up mess. The RAV’s classification-straddling lets it serve the whims of a broad array of potential buyers.

Wanting to cover all the bases, the RAV4 can be had in a variety of configurations, from a basic front-driver with four-cylinder power up to a leather-lined, four-wheel-drive Limited with a silly-powerful V6. A Sport version seeds right in between the base and Limited, carrying a satisfying level of equipment. There’s an allure to the big horsepower delivered by the six – especially when it costs as little on EPA ratings as the RAV’s 3.5-liter – but these days, “adequate” is riding a wave of newfound popularity as Americans struggle to pinch more pennies. In keeping with that spirit, when it came time to test a RAV4, we decided to try life with a four-cylinder 4WD Sport.

Toyota to further cut North American production

Toyota announced that it would further cut production at many North American plants over the next few months in a move where it will try to reduce its vehicle inventory by half.

“This is a tough environment, and it may continue for a while,” said Jim Wiseman, vice president of external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America.

Wiseman said that in addition to the cuts, Toyota is also doubling efforts to cut costs at its facilities. According to Automotive News, Toyota’s U.S. marketing boss Jim Lentz said that the U.S. inventory of unsold cars and trucks should be in line with demand by May.

Toyota’s spokesman Yuta Kaga declined to state the actual number of vehicles involved in the cuts.

2010 Toyota Prius US pricing

The redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid goes on sale in the US from late May with Toyota today announcing pricing will begin at US$22,750 - which in an ideal world would mean an Australian price tag of $32,560.
A stripped-down base model version will join the line-up late this year for just US$21,750.
The third-generation Prius comes with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing 73kW which combined with the car’s electric motor can produce a total of 100kW.
The US Prius comes in five trim levels and includes standard safety equipment across the range such as ESP with Traction Control and ABS.
The second model in the range, priced at US$22,750, adds push-button start, a six-speaker stereo system, six-way adjustable driver’s seat and seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag.
The most expensive trim level, at US$28,020 includes Bluetooth, heated front seats, an eight-speaker JBL system and 17-inch alloy wheels.
© Source: caradvice