RideLust

Fair warning: this commercial features a Lexus LFA spinning donuts around Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Rianne Ten Haken. Aside from that, it seems utterly pointless, and it lacks the embedded humor of Nissan’s recent SI Swimsuit commercials. I’ve watched this Lexus ad a few dozen times now, looking for some hidden meaning in the dialogue (because I’d never watch a video just for the bikini model), but I keep coming up empty. It does need less dialogue from the director, Yu Tsai, and even Rhys Millen manages to speak without saying anything relevant. I’d have to call it Nissan SI Swimsuit model ads FTW, but you be the judge. Video below. Read More…

Yes it’s true. Paris Hilton, the sex tape making, coochie-flashing, bubble-headed socialite has just received a $375,000 Lexus LF-A super car for her 30th birthday. The uber car was apparently bestowed upon her by American businessman, entrepreneur and apparently drunk boyfriend Cy Waits. Now for those of you that have been living under an automotive rock for the last year, lets go over some specs for the Lexus LF-A. It’s got a V10 that makes 560 hp and 354 lb.-ft. of torque, a six-speed sequential gearbox, carbon ceramic brakes, goes 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 201.94 mph… and it’s now in the hands of one of the biggest female boneheads to ever roamed the planet earth. Oh and by the way, did we mention that there are only going to be 500 made in total.
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Maybe it’s just me, but I found this commercial to be pretty damn funny. We’ve all been there, and if we’re lucky we had some advanced warning (though probably not as clear as the video below depicts). I don’t know about you, but when I see a driver doing 55 in a 70, blindly texting away, I get the hell away from them, quickly. I know he’s going to hit someone or something eventually, so I see it as my obligation to take myself and my car off his intended-victim list. I’d rather explain to a state trooper why I was driving at 85 in a 70, instead of having a trooper explain to my wife that I won’t be coming home. Ever. Read More…

Lincoln MKS keyless ignition. When you're done driving, turn it off. Image: Ford Motor Company

This just in: if you leave your engine running in an enclosed space occupied by people, bad things will happen. Carbon monoxide gas will build up, probably to deadly levels, unless the engine is shut down and the structure is ventilated. Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? Sadly, it isn’t, and that’s the basis of a recent lawsuit filed by a New York woman left brain damaged by carbon monoxide poisoning from a parked but running Lexus. The suit alleges that keyless ignition systems violate federal safety standards, as the vehicle can be left running without a driver present. Read More…

The 2006 Lexus GS 300. Image: Toyota

Toyota has announced a voluntary recall for 2006-07 model year Lexus GS 300 and GS 350 sedans; 2006-09 IS 250 models and 2006-08 Lexus IS 350 models in the North American market. These vehicles may have an incorrectly installed fuel pressure sensor, which has the potential to leak fuel if not torqued properly. Dealers will inspect the fitting and retorque if no leak is found. On vehicles with leaking fuel pressure sensors, dealers will install a replacement gasket and torque to the proper values. Read More…

If you wanted to demonstrate just how strong the unibodies used in your vehicles are, how would you go about doing it? Crash testing has been done so many times that no one finds it interesting anymore. Endurance racing is hardly impressive, so automakers are forced to come up with ever more creative ways to show just how strong their vehicles are. Lexus chose to create a “chain” of vehicles, suspended from a heavy duty crane and supported by their flagship LS sedan. To cap it off, Toyota hired racer Scott Pruett to drive the LFA and park it under the suspended vehicles. I wonder if his life insurance company approved this in advance; I’m guessing “no”. Videos below. Read More…

Performance cars as a whole have a lot to live up to. They need to have supermodel looks, Olympic athlete performance and a presence that can push Brad and Angelina out of the spotlight at any given moment. Not only do manufacturers need to accomplish this, but they need to do it in such away that people will lay out big money for their creations. Right now the North American International Auto Show is going on in Detroit and within those walls are some of the most righteous creations ever to hit the tarmac. Porsche for instance is there with their stellar new 918 RSR, as is Cadillac with the new CTS-V Coupe SCCA racer. Both of these machines stem from amazing road cars that have not only peaked our imagination, but have gotten us excited for things to come. Sometimes auto makers put out cars that are simply lackluster and for one reason or another, just don’t resonate with consumers. Below is a listing of 5 cars that have outstanding performance numbers, but are about as exciting as watching water boil.
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Over the summer we reported that Toyota’s chief test driver Hiromu Naruse, 67, was killed in a head-on collision while piloting the new 2011 Lexus LFA to the Nurburgring. Naruse had been the chief test driver for Toyota since the 1960′s and had a hand in just about every sports car that the company had ever produced. The above video was put together by Lexus to honor Hiromu Naruse, because without him, some of the most amazing automobiles ever produced may never have seen pavement. He was known as the “Nur Meister”, or “The One and Only Master” by all that knew him, as he logged more hours on the famed Nurburgring than any other Japanese driver in history. For Toyota and Lexus the loss of Hiromu Naruse was a tragedy, but for the rest of the us his contributions to the automotive world were priceless.

Source: Youtube.com

From the plaid pinstriping to the washboard wheels, Benny was absolutely certain his Lexus was the only one of it’s kind in the world. And for that, we’re thankful.

Source: That Will Buff Out

In a massive recall Toyota has announced that 740,000 vehicles here in the United States must be taken in for service due to brake issues. Apparently there have been some problems with certain cars and SUVs leaking brake fluid, thus causing your braking to fade over time, which is obviously not a good thing. According to the New York Times, the models included in the recall are as follows: 2005–6 Avalon, 2004–6 Highlander (non-hybrid), Lexus RX 330, 2006 Lexus GS 300, 2006 IS 250 and 2006 IS 350. Toyota is saying that the problem is stemming from improper brake fluid that may have been used when vehicles were brought in for maintenance, and that if it doesn’t contain the same polymers as “Toyota genuine brake fluid,” it could cause a brake seal to dry out. Personally I’ve never heard of such a thing, but when it comes to brakes it’s better to cover your ass. My recommendation is that if you own one of the above vehicles that you take it in for service immediately.

Source: NYTimes.com