The Toyota brand has suffered tremendously as a result of recent recalls, with most of the damage coming from the recall of versions of 8 Toyota models resulting from occurrences of “unintended acceleration” or “sticking” throttles, depending on what you choose to call the phenomenon. While no Lexus models have been recalled specifically as a result of this issue (the IS 250 and 350, in addition to the ES 350 have been recalled due to loose floor mats), they have not escaped being included in the discussion.

Keeping this in mind, I think it would be wise for all Toyota and Lexus owners, as well as the general driving public, to check out the lessons offered by Mike Kojima of MotoIQ based on his encounter with a sticking throttle while driving a Lexus RX-7. Kojima goes beyond offering the common (but important) advice about shifting into neutral by offering a technical analysis of the problem with the aid of descriptive illustrations.

Hats off to Mike Kojima for making an intelligent contribution to the Toyota recall dialogue. Read his article in full at MotoIQ.com.

Lexus has been pretty active while its parent, Toyota Motors has seemed in no way able to distract people who’ve seemed unceasingly focused on recalls and safety concerns. In the midst of this, Lexus’ reputation has been largely unaffected and the brand is hoping that it will continue to garner positive attention with the production release of the popular LF-CH Concept.

The vehicle, officially named the CT200h, was created to be the “first and only full hybrid vehicle in the premium concept segment”, according to Lexus. It was designed with the European market in mind, and fittingly will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The LF-CH Concept was seen as a potential competitor to premium compact models from Audi and BMW, though the CT200h doesn’t look like it will be able to compete on the basis of performance alone, being that the “h” in the title stands for hybrid.

The hybrid CT200h will be powered by a combination of a 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The total output is documentent at 134 hp, which is a far cry from the 187 hp achieved by the HS250h sedan and is very short of what European competitors get using conventional power plants.

These performance comparisons come in to play when considering the CT200h’s positioning in the European market. If the car is released on this side of the pond, it will be the first of its class in North America, so competition would be a future concern. Comparisons to the A3 and the 1-series will become a more pressing issue to North American consumers if and when Audi and BMW decide that there is enough demand to bring their luxury compacts to our shores. In the meantime Lexus has the opportunity to test the North American, and I’m one person who hopes that they take advantage of this.

If you happen to be taking a trip out to Geneva this weekend, don’t forget to take a good look at the Lexus LFA. With only 500 specimens being produced, the chances of you seeing one up-close again are not very high.

The Lexus LFA has been the subject of a lot of talk since its unveiling at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Odds are that most conversations have not included comments like, “I can’t wait to pick one up”, and I’d say that it’s safe to assume that nobody is considering buying his and hers versions. If the fact that a worldwide total of only 500 vehicles will be built to order for specially selected customers wasn’t enough to shatter your dreams of LFA ownership, than the anticipated price tag of $400,000 probably was.

Prices for the 2012 Lexus LFA have been officially announced and the vast majority of car enthusiasts now officially know how far out of their price-range this coupe really is. The suggested retail price is $375,000. not including fees for delivery , processing, and handling. Before the price was made official, the auto media had already reported that this car will only be available on a lease-to-own basis. This has not changed. What’s still unclear is whether or not the Lexus supercar will be available to superrich Canadians. While the LFA is showcases on the Lexus Canada website, the price announcement was apparently not enough to warrant a Canada-specific press release. Maybe the folks at Toyota Motors, like me, assume that these wealthy canucks can either afford to pay import duties or already hold duel citizenship (no offense to my northern neighbors!). European buyers will have to travel to one London flagship dealership to pick theirs up, so it’s certainly possible that Los Angeles or another city could become home to Lexus’ North American LFA distribution center, though given the size of the country, it could be difficult for L.A. to serve the needs of the 150 LFA lessees coming from who knows what states and provinces.

If you want to know more about what a very exclusive set of motorists (probably not including you or me) will experience behind the wheel of the LFA read Road & Track’s 2011 LFA Driving Impressions.

An unknown photographer has captured recent spy shots of what looks like a production version of the Lexus LF-CH. Acclaimed by many, this 5 door luxury compact has been designed with European drivers in mind, and is seen as a competitor to popular BMW and Audi models.

Based on these photos, which were taken from the rear and show the car under a layer of plastic wrap, the LF-CH that will be seen on highways as early as 2012 will have a slightly more subdued look than what was unveiled at auto shows three years earlier. So now that we know more about what this vehicle might look like, some may already be salivating over this hatchback. But, a word of warning; you may not want to build up your LF-CH hopes high yet.

There are still big questions, besides what this supposed production LF-CH looks like unwrapped and from other angles. Will the hybrid power plant that accompanied the LF-CH concept to the 2009 auto shows be seen in the 2012 production model? Is this going to be a limited release, in the spirit of the upcoming LFA? And, most importantly, will this sporty hatchback be sold in North America or will Lexus tease US and Canadians by making this a Euro only model?

From what I’ve heard, there is serious doubt that the Lexus LF-CH will be seen on this side of the Pacific, though Toyota is expected to incorporate a lot of the concept’s features into models for this market. This is all speculation for now. It’s still possible that Lexus will attempt to establish itself in the luxury hatchback market that European carmakers don’t seem to believe is sizeable enough to target. So, don’t give up hope on purchasing the American designed Lexus LF-CH from American (or Canadian) dealers.

Click here for spy photos of possible production Lexus LF-CH

Toyota Motors has been the target of a barrage of criticism over major recalls due to serious safety risks, yet this has not deterred those considering adding a Lexus LF-A to their fleet, nor has a price that’s likely to be in the ballpark of $400,000 (equivalent of 37.5 million yen). The LF-A, which debuted in production form at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, is Lexus’ challenge to the ever more popular GTR for Japanese supercar supremacy -  though one would expect a difference in performance would reflect the more than $300,000 difference in price. With plans to produce only 500 vehicles, made to order at a rate of 20 per month, Lexus has stated that formal expressions of interests have already exceeded the number of allotted vehicles. Even if your name is high on the list of those interested who can afford to shell out close to half a million bucks on a Lexus, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll find yourself behind the wheel of this one. Because of such high demand, Lexus has decided that those on the list who can most enhance the profile of this limited edition will be handpicked to get one. By “get one”, if you live in North America, I mean to say “rent one”. The 150 LF-As allocated to make the journey from Japan to the States and Canada will only be available for lease, with the option to purchase after two years.

The Lexus LF-A is scheduled to go to production in December 2010 and deliveries should follow soon after in early 2011.

The first official shots of the all-new 2010 Lexus GX460 have surfaced online ahead of the luxury 4×4’s world premiere at next week’s ‘Auto Guangzhou 2009′ car show in China. Please check out the article our friends at Carscoop wrote concerning the new Lexus GX460.

The Lexus IS350C, which makes 306 hp in stock form, is now putting out a claimed 405 hp with 6 psi of boost from its ProCharger supercharger. An intercooler and piping provided by Yonaka keeps the air charge cool, and a Lexus F-Sport exhaust helps the car breathe.

The near–IS F levels of power are accompanied by IS F–aping looks, including custom front fenders and side skirts, plus a radical two-inch flare for the rear fenders. The “Foxy Green” paint is broken up by glossy and flat-black accents, like a Seibon carbon-fiber rear wing, flat-black headlight housings, smoked taillight lenses, grille inserts, and the Lexus logo in the rear. Black iForged wheels measure 20 inches all around and are slowed by a set of six-piston F-Sport Big Brakes with 14-inch discs. Everything is suspended by adjustable Yonaka coil-overs.

NAFTC

I wanted to alert our readers on a fascinating program that is underway concerning the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Propulsion systems at NAFTC. The NAFTC (National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium) recently implemented state-of-the-art hybrid vehicle training for technicians, instructors and other interested participants. Over the few months several NAFTC member instructors from throughout the U.S. will attend a five day “train-the-trainer course”, held in locations nationwide, certifying them to conduct the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Propulsion Systems course in their own schools and local communities.

Through lectures and hands-on exercises, participants gained a deeper understanding of hybrid electric vehicles, and they are now NAFTC approved to relay this knowledge to others. Tom Berryman, the Director for Automotive Programming at Lawson State CC believes that the spreading of this knowledge should be a priority. “If we want to lessen our dependence on other countries from oil and, to be truly innovative and self-sufficient, we need to spread this knowledge throughout our communities.”

Photo Credit: CarandDriver.com

The 2012 Lexus LFA is an exotic, two-place, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe costing roughly $350,000. The chassis and body are made largely of carbon-fiber composite, just like those of an Enzo or a Mercedes SLR McLaren. Per Lexus’s scales, the car weighs 3263 pounds—less than a Corvette ZR1. The engine is a 4.8-liter V-10 codeveloped with Yamaha. It’s a compact unit that makes 553 horsepower at 8700 rpm and revs to a giddy 9000 rpm. Maximum torque of 354 pound-feet peaks at 6800 rpm, with 90 percent available between 3700 and 9000 revs.

The interior is restrained but tasteful. The car we drove had a mixture of supple leather, carbon fiber, Alcantara, and “satin metal” adorning the cockpit. Lexus will offer seat coverings in 12 shades of leather or 10 alternate hues of Alcantara, with three color choices for the Alcantara headliner. “Roomy” describes the cabin, although luggage space is minimal.The most remarkable interior features are seatbelt airbags—which inflate in a crash to spread the impact’s forces over a broader section of the body than a traditional belt—and the instrument display, which is as cool as liquid nitrogen. Alter the vehicle settings, and the large central tachometer, which also incorporates a digital speedometer and a gear indicator, changes appearance.

Photo Credit: CarandDriver.com

The Lexus LFA is the most exciting car to come out of Japan since the GT-R, as it should be for the money Lexus is charging. But it’s more involving than the Nissan and a much more special experience. In many ways, its closest natural rival is the Ferrari 599GTB, although the Lexus is more visceral and exciting and better balanced and more nimble. At the same time, the LFA is easy to drive at everyday speeds, quiet at cruise, and refined, just like a Lexus should be. Whether people can equate the brand with a hugely expensive, hugely competent sports car will be interesting to say the least.

Photo Credit: CarandDriver.com

The new 2010 Lexus RX450h retains all the characteristics that have contributed to the immense success of the RX350. These include remarkable styling, luxurious comfort, and great roominess among other appealing features. With essentially the same powertrain as the previous RX400h, the second-generation RX hybrid gains some displacement and horsepower from the combined system, resulting in a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 295 hp.

The all-wheel drive model utilizes three electric motors; one starter that recaptures braking energy and two others that drive the front and rear wheels. The RX450h weighs only 382 pounds more than the RX350, allowing it an EPA city/highway rating of 30/28 mpg. With responsive steering, an incredibly smooth ride, and an interior of the highest quality, there are hardly any striking lows about this Lexus, except perhaps the noteworthy price premium.