Showing posts with label Lexus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lexus. Show all posts
Lexus today unveiled the official LS 600h Landaulet, which will be used by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and Carlene Wittstock as their official royal wedding car on July 2, 2011. The Lexus LS 600h Landaulet features a special one-piece transparent polycarbonate roof, a Kevlar bodyshell and carbon fiber honeycomb structures. After the event, the car will be displayed at the Media Center and at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. No word on pricing at this moment.
Here’s a glance at the upcoming 2011 Lexus LS 460 Touring Edition. Set to hit dealerships in late June/early July, the Touring Edition will come in both the LS 460 Rear Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive models, and will have the following equipments: 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels (18-inch on All-Wheel Drive model), sport kit and grille, sport seats, wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob, matte brown wood trim, black and saddle leather-trimmed seats and premium floor mats. The 2011 Lexus LS 460 Touring Edition will have an MSRP of $73,000. [GlobalMotors]
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.
[insideline]
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Contrary to previous reports, the Lexus LF-A is not sold out.
The Japanese premium brand now says that there will still be some LF-A supercars available for lease to U.S. customers. Parent company Toyota told Inside Line on Thursday that there were still some production spots available for the car. Lexus will make 500 units of the LF-A. It appears that not all U.S. orders were from qualified buyers.
[Carscoop]
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.
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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.
[Autoblog]
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.
