We are now taking orders for the all-new GX, designed to help you conquer the everyday with ease.

Call or visit Scholfield Lexus or click here to build your new 2010 GX 460 : http://www.scholfieldlexus.com/NewModelsPageDetails?model=gx

I’m a car nut, so when I lived in Chicago, going to the Chicago Auto Show was pretty much an annual pilgrimage for me.  Now that I’m in Arizona, the idea of going back to Chicago in the dead of winter just to see the new models and concept cars; well, I think I’ll hold off- at least this year.

But I’d still like to be able to drool over the new models and concept cars, so I was happy to learn about the Arizona International Auto Show, going on today through Sunday at the Phoenix Convention Center.

According to The Arizona Republic, the manufacturers scheduled to show off their new must-have new rides include Chevy and their new Camaro, the 2010 Ford Taurus and 2011 Super Duty, Lexus’ hybrid HS250h, and Hyundai’s Genesis Coupe. And Lexus won’t be the only manufacturer there with new ‘green’ offerings- Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Ford, and GM nameplates Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac will be among those showcasing new fuel-sipping hardware.

In addition, there will be some drool-worthy dream (for all but the most well-heeled attendees) cars on display- Rolls-Royce, Bentley’s new Azure, Aston Martin (for those of you who, like me, dream of one day rolling like James Bond), Maserati, and Ferrari.  Lamborghini will have a Gallardo Spyder on display… and Porsche will have its all-new (and first-ever) four-door Porsche Panamera there for potential owners to check out.  These ne plus ultra iterations of the automobile (and in all likelihood, most destined to be garage queens) are all on display courtesy of their respective local dealerships: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Scottsdale, Bentley Scottsdale, Aston Martin Scottsdale, Scottsdale Ferrari-Maserati, and Lamborghini North Scottsdale.

The show will be open Friday and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Admission is $9.00 for adults (well, anybody 13 and over); seniors, military, students, and children (7-12) are $5.00, and anybody under 6 gets in free. Sunday is even ‘Family Day’, so kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult!

I don’t know what day I’ll be going, but I will be there, camera in hand, so be sure to check back for my photos from the event.  If you go, please share your 2009 Arizona International Auto Show photos by posting them (or links to them) in the comments!

Thanks!

Dan, a.k.a. @PHXPhoto

Lexus has announced an interesting sale strategy for their LF-A. The car will only be leased.

It was thought at first that this would be everywhere, but Autocar later confirmed that this strategy would only be used in the US.

This strategy is being used to prevent people from buying the car and storing it to later resell it, once it appreciates in value. The car will be leased for 2-year periods. The customer can still custom order absolutely every small details for the car though. At the end of the 2-year period, the customer can choose to purchase the car.

Source: MotorAuthority and Autocar

Pictured above is the last generation Toyota MR2, also known as the MR2 Spyder and the MR-S. It was a fine car, a proper driver’s car in fact, with a manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and no trunk, so that you don’t mess up the weight distribution with your luggage. Sadly, it was discontinued in 2007, and this was the end of Toyota’s fun cars era. The era of boring Toyota had begun already, the last step was to get rid of the MR2.

Toyota has been trying to change lately though. They’ve made the Lexus LF-A, and the Toyota FT-86 is on its way as well. Only issue is, the LF-A has been ruined by its automatic transmission, and the looks aren’t too pleasing either. Oh, and to make the FT-86, they had to recruit help from Subaru, who thankfully know how to make a fun car. So technically it’s not a Toyota, more of a Toyubaru, or a Subayota.

In an effort to try improving some more though, they may be reviving the MR2. This is only a rumour as of now, and details are quite scarce, but apparently the car will be a two-seat two-door coupe with a mid-mounted engine. It may adopt the MR-S nameplate in Japan while using the MR2 name over in North America.

Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? A return of a brilliant car, and it looks like it’ll be a worthy successor. Yet again there’s an issue though. The car will be a hybrid. Yes, a hybrid. The engine will be coupled to an electric motor in a more performance oriented version of the Toyota Synergy Drive system, the same system used in the god awful Prius.

Maybe I shouldn’t base what it will be like on what the Prius is like. After all, it says the system will be more performance-oriented. The car itself will be as well. So maybe it’ll work fine in the MR2. But no. As I said at the beginning of the article, the last MR2 was a proper driver’s car. A proper driver’s car cannot have an eco-compromise, that would be just wrong. A driver’s car should have everything done to improve the driving experience, there’s no room for tree-hugging technology. Even if it were any fun, it would still come with the other hybrid downsides: High starting price, high price in the long run, and not as eco-friendly as it claims to be.

So if this is true, Toyota has messed up yet another chance to redeem themselves. Maybe the details aren’t true though. Perhaps a proper MR2 is on the way. In the same way though, a new MR2 may not be on the way at all. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Source: Autoblog

Washinggton, 26 November 2009 - Toyota Motor Corporation berencana mengganti pedal gas 4 juta mobil di Amerika Serikat menyusul laporan yang disampaikan Lembaga Nasional Keselamatan Jalan Raya Amerika Serikat (National Safety Highway Traffic Administration/NSHTA) September lalu. Penggantian akan dilakukan mulai April 2010.

Seperti diketahui, pertengahan September lalu, NSHTA mengumumkan pedal gas mobil Toyota menyangkut di karpet sehingga gas tiba-tiba tertarik dan mobil melaju kencang tak bisa dikendalikan dan menimbulkan kecelakaan. Lembaga ini juga merekomendasikan Toyota untuk menarik kembali produknya yang dinilai bermasalah itu.

NHSTA juga mengatakan, sebuah laporan kecelakaan terjadi di California yang menewaskan seorang pengemudi dan tiga anggota keluarganya terjadi pada September. Kecelakaan terjadi karena pengemudi tidak bisa mengendalikan mobil yang melesat dengan tiba-tiba akibat pedal gas tertarik oleh karpet lantai.

Perbaikan pedal gas ini merupakan langkah penting bagi Toyota untuk memulihkan citranya sebagai pabrikan otomotif terbesar di dunia setelah berita penarikan kembali produknya diumumkan ke publik pada September lalu. Terlebih, selama bertahun-tahun produk Toyota dikenal tidak hanya nyaman tetapi juga aman.

“Reputasi Toyota benar-benar terpukul (dengan peristiwa tersebut),” tutur Aaron Bragman analis otomotif dari Lembaga Konsultansi IHS Global Insight seperti dikutip Associated Press, Kamis (26/11).

“Dan langkah perbaikan merupakan hal yang sangat penting bagi Toyota. Sebab, hal itu merupakan pilar bisnis bagi pabrikan ini,” tambah Aaron.

Sementara itu sumber di Toyota menyebut, dalam rencana penarikan yang dirilis Rabu (25/11), dealer Toyota akan menawarkan (sementara) pedal gas kepada para pemilik mobil sembari menunggu pabrikan mengembangkan model pedal gas yang terbaik.

Proses penggantian sementara itu akan dilakukan awal Januari mendatang. Sedangkan pedal baru yang permanen akan dipasang pada awal April.

“Reputasi Toyota benar-benar terpukul (dengan peristiwa tersebut,” tutur Aaron Bragman analis otomotif dari Lembaga Konsultan HIS Global Insight seperti dikutip Associated Press, Kamis (26/11).

“Dan langkah perbaikan merupakan hal yang sangat kritikal bagi Toyota. Sebab, hal itu merupakan pilar bisnis bagi pabrikan ini,” tambah Aaron.

Penggantian pedal itu tidak hanya pada varian Lexus ES350 saja, tetapi juga pada sedan medium Camry yang merupakan sedan paling laris di Amerika. Bahkan, Toyota Prius yang merupakan sedan hybrid terlaris di Amerika Serikat itu juga masuk dalam daftar penggantian.

Juru bicara Toyota Amerika, Irvin Miller, mengatakan pihaknya sangat serius menaruh perhatian pada masalah ini. Namun, sebutnya, Toyota percaya bila disebut electronic control system mobil produknya bermasalah.

Menyinggung penggantian pedal gas dan karpet lantai yang akan dilakukan itu, sumber Toyota lainnya mengatakan, karpet lantai mobil hanya dijual di Amerika. Oleh karena itu penarikan kembali produk yang akan diganti hanya terbatas pada produk yang dijual di Amerika Utara saja.

I’m sure most women often get blasted by remarks on why we buy so many handbags when we probably only need a few.  Well my answer to you is that “we can, we like, so we buy”.  A luxurious handbag, one that nestly sits at least above $250, is a superb gift for any girl to receive; under stretching your wallet when purchasing will only exemplify a man’s lack of understanding on women and also that they’re cheap.  Cheap is the number 1 no-no in the girls guide to dating 101!  Anyways handbags are a daily essential for women; let’s see, we carry our couture wallet, mirror, lip gloss, make up case, keys, etc…. Men, on the other hand, seem to get away with carrying a little clutter in that little pocket behind their butt.   

If you are a man reading this your brain is probably still looped in a knot. I myself am an enthusiast on understanding gender differences in an effort to scale down any ugly unconscious ignorant behavior.  So to be fair, let me kindly provide the gents with a more testosterone driven example to understand our obsession over luxurious ($250+) handbags.  On an apple to apple basis, women value handbags just the way men value their cars.  A dowdy handbag is like a bad hair cut that will add 10 years to a girl in her prime years.   Using the same, but reversed, analogy, an aging 50-year-old dude driving a Ferrari 458 Italia will attract girls up to a century younger than his age! 

So very much like cars, handbags are a status symbol in society; the more luxurious “it” handbag we carry the higher the rank in enviable-ability and desirability we’re perceived by others.  Similarly, a guy racing down the street in a prestigious fast car will probably be overwhelmed with a rush of cocky adrenaline.   Like women buying expensive handbags to flaunt, I do believe a lot of men buy cars to make other men jealous.  Some may view this behavior as insecurity but you can’t deny the reality that beauty always over wins the beast.  Elegance and quality does come with a price and expensive handbags and cars are priced at that latitude for a reason. 

Both designer handbags and cars have a resell value.  With that said I would go as far as saying that unlike cars, handbags do not depreciate in value as poorly.  An uber luxurious handbag will rarely depreciate at all in value and will actually appreciate in value like a piece of  Picasso painting. For example, if I can get my hands on a limited edition designer handbag, like the Chanel “Diamond forever” Classic bag, it will be an $261,000 investment that will only incrementally grow in value year over year.   Only thirteen of these pricey Chanel bags were created with only five available stateside. The alligator-skin bags featured clasps set with 334 diamonds (3.56 carat) in the shape of Chanel’s trademark double-C logo. Eighteen carat white gold was used to fashion both the clasp and the bag’s long shoulder strap.  I admit $261,000 may be a bit off the chart pricey but there are many other limited edition handbags with a long wait list that are potential profitable winners in the near future. Now compare this to the no name brand $20 Walmart handbag and you will have lost more than your $20,nonetheless the lack ability to make money on it!

Again much like cars the definition of ‘luxury handbags do have sub-categories; there is the upper-echelon luxury handbags, the mid luxury handbags, and the budget luxury handbags.  I am by far no car aficionado but let me just provide you a comparable gist of the similarity between cars and handbags

UPPER-ECHELON LUXURY

Examples of upper-echelon luxury handbags includes Chanel, Givenchy, and Hermes

MID-LUXURY

Examples of mid-luxury handbags includes Botkier, KALE, and EKatrina New York

BUDGET LUXURY

Examples of budget luxury handbags includes Trace by KALE and Tres by Treesje 

Despite categories, all handbags preempted luxurious are all of quality and class and just might be worth spending your next pay check on.  All in all handbags are just one of these designer products that makes the female population go crazy over.  So women can be a bit irrationally crazy at times, but what’s new right!?  So boyfriends/husbands out there, tis the season of giving so go out and buy your girl a luxury handbag, preferably in the upper-echelon sector for me please!

More news about Toyota’s accelerator issue. A concerned reader has e-mailed us about this issue, asking for our input, and I’m happy to inform him that Toyota has finally finished negotiations with the NHTSA and announced a fix for it, and will soon be offering it to owners of affected cars. This will be the largest recall in the automaker’s history, with about 3.8 million cars affected.

Toyota will be reconfiguring and reshaping, or in some cases replacing, the accelerator. The floor surface under it will be reshaped.

This will involve having to train dealers how to reshape accelerators. New accelerators will be shipped in April. If you have your pedal reshaped now, you are still eligible to get it replaced with the new pedal once it is shipped.

Another part of the fix is if your car is fitted with Toyota or Lexus-made all-weather floor mats, you will get a new set of redesigned front mats.

There will also be a brake override system installed on certain affected models. It will automatically turn off the engine if both the accelerator and brake pedal are depressed simultaneously. The cars that will be getting this particular part of the fix are the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and 2006-2010 IS350. This part of the fix appears to be limited to vehicles fitted with a push-button start system, which the exception of the Toyota Prius, which has the system but isn’t getting the brake override system. Only issue I see with this system is that left-foot braking and heel-and-toe downshifts aren’t possible without the engine shutting down, and while the Camry, Avalon and ES350 haven’t got sporting credentials, the IS250 and 350 have, so it’s a bit of a shame.

Here is the full list of affected cars:

• 2007 to 2010 Camry
• 2005 to 2010 Avalon
• 2004 to 2009 Prius
• 2005 to 2010 Tacoma
• 2007 to 2010 Tundra
• 2007 to 2010 Lexus ES 350
• 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS 250
• 2006 to 2010 Lexus IS 350

If you own any of these cars, as I mentioned in previous articles, remove your driver’s side floor mat and contact your local dealership to arrange to get the fix installed. You can also look up the number of your country’s branch of Toyota or Lexus and contact them directly.

For those not reading this, Toyota will send notifications to owners of the Avalon, Camry, and Lexus ES 350 by the end of the year, while owners of any of the other cars will receive notifications during the beginning of 2010. There’s no word on when exactly the recall begins, but if they begin notifying people at the end of the year, then it should be available by early 2010.

Source: Autoblog

Source: AutoBlog

As I reported earlier here on Road Reality, Toyota is in hot water over stuck gas pedals.  A statement this morning from Toyota gives us their solution for the recall, as well as a timeline for its resolution.  While it’s too late to save the lives of the California State Trooper and his family, who died as a result of this flaw, it’s a wake-up call to Toyota and the rest of the manufacturers.  Any manufacturer that doesn’t incorporate a “smart throttle” which cuts engine power when the brake pedal is pressed needs to think long and hard about how to get that feature into all of their future vehicles.  The crash which brought this issue to the forefront of the news also brings with it the question of how to stop a car equipped with an engine start/stop button, versus a traditional key and ignition cylinder.  Read the original post for how to stop said vehicles.  Continue reading to find out what Toyota is doing to keep drivers safe.

Before the end of 2009, owners of the Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES 350 should expect to receive a letter informing them that their car is on the recall list.  In 2010, owners of the other affected vehicles (listed at the end of this post) will also receive recall notices from Toyota.

The recall will start in early 2010, and the first step is reshaping the gas pedal of the recalled vehicles.  Next, the floor mats will be replaced with a new one, designed to help prevent the stuck gas pedal.  Toyota will also offer a new design of the gas pedal, starting in April.  The Camry, Avalon, as well as Lexus IS 250/350 and ES 350 models will be modified to add a “brake override” system which cuts engine power if both the gas and brake pedals are pressed simultaneously, and Toyota is confident that these solutions will work to prevent any more problems with the affected vehicles.

The affected models are the following:

• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2004-2009 Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2007-2010 ES 350
• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS 350

by John Suit

Source: Automotive News

Last Thursday I launched PROJECT: Purple Goldfish. The response has been fantastic. After 5 days I’ve had nearly 60 examples of purple goldfishes.

I thought it would fun to compile my first Top Ten list from the initial list of 50.  Without further adieu …

10.  DoubleTree Hotels (a tri-fecta submitted by Matthew Hirsch, Kelly Leslie and Tom Haidinger)  They give warm chocolate chip cookies to all guests when they check in: http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/promotions/dt_cookie/index.jhtml

9.  Whole Foods (submitted by Claire Gallo) When you shop at Whole Foods in West Hartford, CT and buy fish, meat or poultry . . . they offer to give you ice for free. Very nice touch, especially if you have other errands or plan to shop around town.

8.  Les Schwab Tires (submitted by Cody Goldberg) Two great examples from Les Schwab Tires. The service people jog to your car when you pull in to the service center. They fix flats for free . . . whether you bought tires there or not.

7.  Trader Joe’s (submitted by Amy DeRobertis). There’s a fun theme going on here — from Giuseppe Joe’s to Trader Jose’s, the notion of no middle man is seen on its product labels as well as in the mentality of its Hawaiian shirt wearing ‘associates.’ And the ongoing bevy of free samples at its dedicated sampling stations keeps you interested in the constantly evolving choices and happy rather than devastated when your favorite entree goes missing. There’s bound to be something just as great coming down the pike.

6.  Caribou Coffee (submitted by Laura Howells) Caribou Coffee gives you a complimentary chocolate-covered coffee bean with your coffee. This makes me so happy that I seek out the Caribou Coffee whenever I have a layover at the Minneapolis airport. Take that Starbucks.

5.  Double shot of Starbucks to retort (from John Miller) The free cup of brewed coffee with a pound of beans at Starbucks. Not only is it a $2 perceived value, it is instant gratification and appreciation of the brand/ product. (from Peg Connor)  Starbucks, in partnership with iTunes, gives away a free “pick of the week” song every tuesday…you load the code into your iphone and, bingo, you’ve just expanded your musical palate at no charge. I take pains to patronize local businesses, but this perk (pun intended) compels me to stop by Starbucks once a week.

4. Wells Fargo (from Suzanne Lainson) I’ve been going to the same savings-and-loan for years. When it was World Savings, they offered free coffee in the lobby. It wasn’t good, but it was something. When World became Wachovia, they eliminated the coffee. Now that Wachovia has become Wells Fargo, the branch I go to (I don’t know if they are all like this) is now offering GOURMET coffee. Yay!! It’s very nice to have a good cup of coffee when I am waiting in line.

3. Lexus of Greenwich (submitted by Tom Haidinger) – The Lexus of Greenwich Service Team is outstanding and delivers lagniappe in a very meaningful way. With a typical dealership service experience, the “little something extra” you receive is a grease covered paper floor mat left behind (but otherwise you can’t really tell if your car has been serviced). At Lexus of Greenwich you get your car back looking like its brand new – they wash your car inside and out and vacuum it too! It simply feels good to get into your “freshly serviced” car when its been washed as well!

2.  Mario’s Barber Shop (submitted by Jeff Mard) Free lolipop w/haircut (they have cool lolipops, not just regular ones)… does the trick for my 5 yr old every time.

1.  The Fillmore (submitted by Gene Willis a.k.a Chief Wahoo) One from San Francisco…The Fillmore, a famous music auditorium which has hosted everyone from The Grateful Dead to Snoop Dogg….at the end of each show they hand out a limited number of music posters….free. Each poster has it’s own unique artwork, and the date of the show and artist. People collect the posters, and sometimes look forward to getting the poster as much as the show. Generations of posters are framed and make-up the walls. Also, when you enter the Fillmore, there is a bucket of free apples and someone who welcoming you to the Fillmore. No wonder it’s one of the most loved places to see a band perform live.

Some thoughts on why I love the Fillmore example and why I think the posters + apples* are brilliant.  It scores high on the four ingredients of a marketing lagniappe:

Unique – the posters are handbills that are distinctive in size

Relevant – it’s not cookie cutter, each poster is designed with the artist in mind

Limited – a limited run creates that ‘one of a kind’ special feel

Authentic – the posters are handed out when the concert-goers leave the venue.  It’s a nice small gesture that leaves a positive note.  A great tradition.

*In the early days Bill Graham often stood next to a huge bin of fresh apples at the front exit saying good night to the patrons and handing out apples

HELP me catch another 943 purple goldfishes for a great cause.  Click here to send me your example.

Новое поколение внедорожника, представленное на Седьмом китайском автосалоне в Гуанчжоу, будет именоваться Lexus GX460.

Автомобиль построен на базе 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser, выделяясь иными фарами, радиаторной решеткой, бамперами, а также хромированной окантовкой боковых окон. В салоне изменения затрагивают не только руль и щиток приборов, но и центральную консоль. Кроме этого, для отделки интерьера Lexus GX460 использовались более дорогие и качественные материалы.

Lexus GX460 2010 модельного года станет, скорее всего, оснащаться новым 4,6-литровым мотором V8, аналогичным тому, что установлен под капотом пикапа Tundra. Двигатель развивает 310 л.с. и 441 Нм крутящего момента. Новый агрегат придет на смену 263-сильному мотору объемом 4,7 л.

В Европе и США автомобиль должен поступить в продажу в начале следующего года.

источник – donbass.ua

Hey folks, well today is a pretty shitty day, I got my period. I woke up early got all dressed up nice straightened my hair, put make up on because I had an interview to go to.
Well it’s a bit far but still. My interview was at a Lexus dealership . It’s at erin mills. Anyway, so I did all that and I’m pretty sure they don’t want me because to finish off the interview the guy said ” Well, we’re still in the process of interviewing other candidates , but you will certainly hear from us if you meet the qualifications .( With those cynic grins on their faces. ) ” Which translated into realistic understanding means, thanks for coming but you’re not hired. So, I need a job. Bad.

On my way to the interview I was passing Pearson airport and it was the coolest thing, a plane was landing and one had taken off and was flying over Highway 427… IT was wicked , I got stuck in a trance for 5 seconds or so and nearly didn’t see the people breaking in front of me.

All I could think was… Where was that plane headed… And wished I were on it. Sometimes I have the urge to just drive in and ask if there are any standby tickets, and just get on a plane to god knows where.

Oh well.. Where is that investor!?

Tokyo, 24 November 2009 - Pabrikan otomotif asal Jepang, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) memboyong varian Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) premium, Lexus GX 460 ke ajang pameran otomotif terbesar di China, Guangzhou Motor Show yang dibuka Selasa (24/11) ini.

Rencananya, generasi teranyar Lexus itu akan diluncurkan awal 2010 mendatang. Sumber Toyota seperti dikutip autoworld menyebut, mobil ini dibekali mesin V8 4.600 cc yang mampu menyemburkan tenaga hingga 300 daya kuda.

Sementara torsi maksimum 446 Newton meter (Nm) disalurkan ke keempat rodanya melalui piranti transmisi otomatis enam tingkat percepatan.

“Yang istimewa dari mobil ini adalah, sistem torsen all-wheel-drive dimana sensor torsi differensial tengah torsen mampu membagi 60 persen daya ke roda belakang di saat kondisi laju mobil normal,” papar sumber tersebut.

Bahkan, pada kondisi tertentu kemampuan membagi daya itu bisa ditingkatkan hingga 70 persen guna meningkatkan stabilitas pada waktu mobil melesat di jalan menikung. Terlebih sistem suspensi mobil ini menggunakan kinectic dynamic suspension system yang merupakan pengembangan teknologi suspensi yang dilakukan Toyota.

Perangkat tersebut, bisa mengurangi gejala oleng ( body roll). Sebab, perangkat itu mampu mengaktifkan silinder hidrolis kecil yang dipasang pada alat yang disebut anti-roll bar. “Bahkan, disediakan (opsional) perangkat adaptive variable suspensionmulti-mode untuk peredaman secara elektronik, sehingga suspensi bisa diatur sesuai keinginan pengemudi,”

Kenyamanan suspensi bukan satu-satunya fitur kenyamanan yang ditawarkan mobil ini. Sebab, di jok bagian depan terdapat ventilasi dan pemanas, AC climate control, wiper dengan sensor air hujan, sensor lampu senja, kamera belakang, sistem audio berfitur bluetooth dengan sembilan speaker menjadi fitur standar.

Sedangkan perangkat navigasi satelit, perangkat audio kelas premium bermerek Mark Levinson dengan 17 speaker serta pemutar di DVD menjadi fitur opsional. Soal keamanan, jangan ditanya. Sebab, mobil ini dilengkapi sederet fitur keselamatan meliputi kontrol stabilitas, kontrol traksi, antilock brake system (ABS), electronic brake force distribution (EBD) dan brake assist (BA) dengan dilengkapi monitor untuk mengontrol kondisi perangkat-perangkat itu saat digunakan.

Namun, pihak Toyota belum memberikan keterangan ihwal harga yang dibanderol untuk mobil tersebut. Hanya disebutkan, varian SUV premium teranyar itu untuk tahap awal baru dipasarkan di Amerika.

Foto 01 | Foto 02 | Foto 03 | Foto 04 | Foto 05 | Foto 06

O superesportivo LF-A, com preço tabelado em 380 mil euros, não será vendido de maneira comum. O modelo só poderá ser negociado em leasing, para evitar que o valor afaste compradores. O período é de dois anos, com opção de compra ao final deste período. A informação foi revelada pelo vice-presidente de vendas da Lexus nos EUA, Brian Smith, em entrevista à agência Automotive News.

De acordo com o executivo, a Lexus quer, oficialmente, evitar que alguém compre o veículo e o venda em pouco tempo, o que poderia arranhar sua imagem. Além disso, a produção limitada a 500 unidades poderia fazer com que os concessionários aumentassem demais o valor cobrado pelo modelo.

É uma estratégia compreensível e bastante válida neste meio. Será suficiente para fazer do LFA um sucesso?

There is something wrong with Jaguar. I can’t point out exactly what, but I can explain it by an example. See, you meet a girl when you were eighteen. She is all very pretty and perky. But thirty years later, when you meet the same girl, now an old woman, she has become the queen of gone horribly wrong aging. What will be actually going on in your mind at that point … “Ah, all those rumors of her about hard drinking and snorting the white powder were true after all!”

Scary Aging

The same is with jaguar. Jaguar used to be the epitome of British beauties. The everlasting prettiness of a Jaguar E-type sitting on your front porch for an example. But then she decided to go communist, gained some extra pounds and developed affection for quick money from retired dentists in Florida. Instead of becoming a cougar she became an ugly dying camel.

Dental Wagon - Ugly Duckling of British Motoring.

Now, Ian Callum and his professed love towards Jaguar, is trying to save her family reputation. I cannot discount Callum as just another car designer. He is a visionary, a genius, an artist. But somehow, all his hard work does not feel right. In my dream world if Callum had designed the new S class, it would have been a huge success. In the real world though, he is designing the new luxury barge from Jaguar called the XJ. It is all good looking and futuristic and a break away from the bad aging. Even then, it doesn’t help Jaguar a little bit.

Future is a bit too late!

The old pictures of an ugly Jaguar are still very vivid in people’s minds. So are the scary stories of doors coming off and engine refusing to budge to your desperate attempt at turning the keys. It all feels like, a brilliant plastic surgeon trying to hide away all those crow feet and wrinkles under a thin layer of aluminum shell. Nobody and their accounts manager will be willing to put that kind of cash into an expensive car like the XJ, especially if you look at the fact that it is from a company with the worst financial history.

Well appointed but histrionic.

Even the company is late in recognizing its potential. If you take a closer look at the XFR, you will be amazed by the difference. Though performance wise the Brit cat is a bit behind the curve as compared to an M5, it is the best car to own and use it on a daily basis as a high performance sedan. Do you know why? It is because; it is by far the most fuel efficient high performance sedan ever. It falls into a lower tax bracket, due to its lower emissions. On the road, at stop and go traffic, it feels much more comfortable than the M5 too. Also, the nosy pretentious Prius driving neighbor of yours will never get to know, you are driving an R version of the Jag. This is because there are minimal visual cues separating it from its slower siblings. The car has minimal branding of the R badge unlike the M5. If you are like me, a big fan of the badge delete program, then you will love the Jag. Take off that R lettering, and only an auto geek can spot you as a R driving enthusiast. For all other Jack, Dick and Sally it is just the run off the mill XF.

Supercharged Brit cat musical!

But, nobody, I mean nobody in this world, wants not to be ostentatious. If you have a Bentley, you will take it to the busiest street in the world. This means, you will have to suffer the bumps on that 20 inch low profile rollers, you will scrub the front bumper against the kerb, the ten year old hawker who doesn’t know what a Bentley is: draws a nice picture of your wife’s bottom on the silver chrome body work using the one rupee coin that you threw at him, you will stop the entire traffic of the city because you have to scold your brilliant and patient driver who is putting up with your stupidity of driving a huge arse Bentley on a crowded single lane.

Bavarian over engineering marvel.

Cat from Coventry.

The sad reality is, no matter how much prettier the XFR is than the M5, how much better it feels to drive on a busy street than the M5, it will never be a legend as the M5. It will be remembered in a few corners of the world as a car that also ran for the laurels of the best high performance sedan. People will remember only vaguely, like the Lancia Stratos. This Brit cat does have a few good points in its favor, but it is way too little to be rescued by them. The Jaguar also knows very well of this sad situation. The present economy is also not helping things very much for the British legend. The car is an understated performance monster. But the time that we live in, we need everything loud and bling. The recession has not taught anybody any lesson. The only lesson that the recession has taught if at all is, even if you are poor and your business is nose diving into the cesspool of brown, smelly things, your wife and your children are unwilling to compromise on the lifestyles that they are used to. They will leave you, if you give a bit of a hint about going bankrupt, allowing you to look at an even more expensive lawyer bill. And Sadly the Jag is never part of that lifestyle.

Fun in motion.

Verdict: If the XFR was a new Mercedes, people would have been ready to forgive the stupidity of Daimler. It is that good.

Forget!

Y a beaucoup de GS sur le BloG, surtout celles avec un 2jz et évidemment, les belles que Orido conduit. Vous me direz que j’aime bien les Gs : c vrai

Lexus has revealed first details of the new-generation 2010 GX 460 luxury SUV, the US brother of new Toyota Land Cruiser. The new 7-seater SUV is powered by a new 32-valve DOHC 4.6-litre V8 engine with aluminium alloy cylinder heads and obstruct, as well as dual Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i). It is more athletic, more able and quieter than the old 4.7-litre it replaces.

The most powerful engine is 221kW (301hp) and acme torque is 446Nm (329 lb-ft) made at 3,500rpm. Driving all four wheels is a 6-speed automatic transmission. The Lexus GX 460 retains the GX 470’s 6,500-lb. Designers did not stray far-off they’re proven styling formula. The car is directly recognisable and skin a three-bar front grille with chrome surround, integrated front fog lamps, low-profile roof rails and operation embark courtesy lamps.

Read more (details and photos)!!

Lexus insists the vehicle is a fitting off-boulevard tamer gratitude to some technologies. A strengthened Torsen differential distributes country 40:60 under ordinary pouring circumstances but varies it depending on the necessary. Others enter the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) which can lessen most body-roll outlook by as much as 50 percent, the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) with three dynamic modes, Rear Adjustable Height Control (AHC) and Crawl Control to help the car through treacherous smooth, mud or snowstorm. It rides on superior 18-shuffle alloy wheels with 265/60 R18 tyres.

The interior is as luxurious as it is versatile. For request the second row seat can slide up to 4.1 inches and is also foldable. The third rowed has an ability fold-tedious order for luxury functionality. Items such as a potential moonroof, spit-sensing windscreen wipers, three-zone habitual climate regulate, a rear camera, a hard disc instinct, Bluetooth connectivity, leather trimmed and heated/ventilated seats (front) and steering turn audio reins are on the paradigm skin menu.

Came across this nice group of cars on Import NC thats been around since 2003.  They have everything from full drag to laid vip styled rides even the clean and classy style.  I am always happy to see car guys still sticking to the club/crew/team side of the auto culture it keeps it strong!

TEAM RPM Site

Fysh Clothing Co.

]]> http://arapacis.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/15-new-vehicles-to-look-forward-to-for-2010-2011/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:48:57 +0000 bmoredlj http://arapacis.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/15-new-vehicles-to-look-forward-to-for-2010-2011/

The recession is technically over and before long, companies might actually start frakkin’ hiring people for jobs again…that is, if this isn’t just a financial bubble prefacing a double-dip recession. Naked short-selling aside, the auto industry is reaching into the future with great abandon, apparently unconcerned enough with the shakiness of the recovery to pump out some new, interesting, and in some cases, downright spellbinding new cars, trucks, and what-have-you. There will be new marques to choose from, as well as new forms of power. Here are fifteen such vehicles I’ve selected that I’m looking forward to. Complications notwithstanding, all of these should be on the road in the next year or two, if they aren’t already.

1. Buick Regal - An old name gets slapped on a new, very German car that is gorgeous and may actually be fun to drive as well. Moreover, it apparently will be powered exclusively by four-bangers. Not only is a high-performance version possible, we may (fingers-crossed) even get a wagon version, which would be awesome and hilarious at the same time: Buick wants younger buyers, so is a relatively big FWD wagon the way to go? For me, maybe.

2. Cadillac CTS Coupe - The latest and perhaps best iteration yet of 21st Century Cadillac zaniness. Art + Science Fiction. And the first hard-roof coupe from Caddy in seventeen years. It looks like nothing else on the road and has that same concept car aura of the new Camaro. Because its a bit smaller than the sedan, it should be faster too…which brings me to the V-series version, which is also coming.

3. Chevy Cruze - Chevy wants a “flawless” unveiling for the replacement for the boring Cobalt and its clone, the Pontiac G5. Looks to get 40+mpg on the highway. GM going small and Direct Injection with engines. Forget the Volt, this thing is important. If Chevy can’t steal some sales away from the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla with this, all is for naught.

4. Ferrari 458 Italia – A new Ferrari is like a new American fighter jet – really expensive, unobtainable, and almost pointless even – the F450 hasn’t aged a day – but nevertheless more than welcome. It looks and sounds the business, and with tons of F1 tech in it, it will most certainly drive the business too.

5. Ford Fiesta - It’s coming. How much different it will look from the European one isn’t known, but Ford has been without a small car since the Kia-based Aspire, which was pathetic. The Fiesta hopefully begins a trend of “cheap but not rubbish” small cars by American carmakers (unlike the awful Chevy Aveo, the only subcompact any of the Detroit 3 currently sell.)

6. Fiat 500 - Fiat Group bought Chrysler, which is awesome because it means Italian cars that don’t cost six figures will again be sold here soon. In Europe, the 500 is extremely popular, and also re-skinned as a Ford Ka, but in America the Nuovo Topolino will be sold at Chrysler dealerships, giving that sinking ship a badly-needed small car. It should sell well to people who want a car that’s cheaper and cuter than a MINI and fresher and more fun than the aged VW New Beetle. Also, it’s Italian. ‘Nuff said.

7. Lexus LFA - The most interesting Lexus ever. Not saying much, but the amount of labor and attention to detail that went into this taut driving machine cannot be overlooked. Neither can the $375,000+ price tag. Lexus will still lose money on every one they sell. One of only two radial carbon fiber looms in the world weave the A-pillars together. A manically-anal-retentive gearhead’s wet dream, this.

8. Mahindra Pickup - This awkward, dowdy pickup will likely beat the Tata Nano as the first Indian vehicle sold in America. It runs on diesel engines, which I love, and is tough, durable, and no-nonsense (well, except the optional chrome grille.) It should also be cheap. Hopefully the government will permit their sale, because they can do the same farm and labor jobs as much larger American pickups but are far more fuel efficient and take up less space.

9. Mitsubishi Outlander - If there was a Comeback Crossover of the Year category, Outlander would win it hands down. While its European cousins the Peugeot 4008 and Citroen C-Crosser were brought to market with bold, in-your-face looks, The Mitsu was plainer than white bread, and more forgettable too. That ends immediately with a menacing new face with an Evo-inspired grille, more power, upscale-r interior, and very untrucklike road manners. In other words, it’s better in every way.

10. Nissan LEAF - Though being heralded with far less pomp and circumstance than Chevy’s $40,000, four-seat Volt, Nissan’s electric car for everyone will likely beat it to dealers. It also aims to be cheaper and more practical. But yes, it does somewhat resemble a parrotfish.

11. Saab 9-5 - The first all-new Saab seemingly ever, the new 9-5 flagship will go on sale when new sort-of owner Koenigsegg, figures out exactly how they’re going to make it. While there’s nothing groundbreaking here, the new 9-5 marks a return to more of that Saab quirkiness that was mostly lost during GM rule, when marketers thought comparing a TrailBlazer clone to a fighter jet would make people want to buy the 9-7x.

12. Scion iQ - While not a 100% sure thing, it is likely Toyota’s teeny-tiny iQ will come to America as a Scion, since they’d prefer young, hip people buy it than the average Toyota customer, who is about 75. While perhaps not as miniscule as a Smart, the iQ is better packaged, has at least one back seat, doesn’t look as stupid, carries Toyota’s vaunted reputation for quality along with it, and won’t be quite as overpriced. Hopefully its axles won’t rust away after three years!

13. Suzuki Kisashi – Suzuki’s had a bit of a raw deal in the U.S. as purveyors of stretched Equinox clones and dull-as-paste, chintzy Daewoos. The homebuilt SX4 shook things up, being the cheapest AWD car as well as the cheapest with satnav standard. They take it up a notchwith the very Japanesey Kisashi, a smart, Jetta-sized sedan that bucks the more-is-more trend and goes instead for driver involvement and all-around quality. Suzuki’s marketing sucks, but hopefully this will sell well, because it looks to be a fine car and a bargain to boot.

14. Toyota/Subaru Compact Sports Coupe - Pretty much nobody needs a sporty coupe more than Toyota, except for maybe Subaru, so the two decided to save some time and develop one jointly. I’m looking forward to their final results. So far we’ve only seen the Toyota version in concept form (and monkey-butt red metallic paint.) The Subaru will likely be larger and of course feature standard AWD. The last Subaru coupe was the epic-but-pricey SVX, while Toyota’s Celica died a slow death. Here’s hoping they have better luck with what will be far superior machines.

15. VW Golf TDI - What was the Rabbit became the Golf then the Rabbit again and now the Golf again. Golf Mark VI is more refined and mature Golf ever, and so is the TDI’s diesel engine. Not only that, the TDI is fun. Fun to dart around in. Which means even if you have to drive a little further to find a diesel pump, you’ll be grateful. And it gets 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. The Mercedes SLS AMG.
Gullwings = WIN.
Q.E.D.

A Lexus apresentou a linha 2010 do GX 460, utilitário-esportivo feito sobre a plataforma do Toyota Land Cruiser. O modelo entra no lugar do atual GX 470 trazendo visual mais moderno e acabamento mais requintado. Seu motor é menor, mas está mais potente e econômico.

O propulsor adotado no SUV de luxo é um 4.6 V8 de 301 cv e 45 kgfm de torque. O consumo de combustível caiu 13% em relação ao 4.7 que deixa de ser oferecidos. Ainda assim, não há média melhor que 7,3 km/l em ciclo combinado. A transmissão é sempre automática sequencial de seis velocidades.

De série, o primo rico do Land Cruiser traz terceira fileira de bancos com acionamento elétrico, segunda fila deslizante e com aquecimento, dez airbags, suspensão com ajuste dinâmico, nove alto-falantes e navegador com disco rígido e DVD para os passageiros de trás. Há ainda ar-condicionado de três zonas, controle de velocidade por radar, sistema PCS pré-colisão, aviso de mudança involuntária de faixa e câmeras frontais laterais. A tração é integral e permanente.

Os preços e os números de desempenho ainda não foram divulgados.

GALERIA

Este coche dara mucho que hablar