Watch a Lexus IS-F Drifter Drive On Top of a Set of Concrete Blocks

After watching the following videos over and over again, the kindest explanation we can give about this incident that took place during the demo drift run at last week's Tokyo Auto Salon is that something went wrong and all of a sudden the driver of the Lexus was confronted with a locked steering wheel and stuck gas pedal.

Now, if that's not the case, then the driver of the IS-F racer not only has a lot of explaining to do but he should probably also avoid making any public appearances for the near future…

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Nitrous Overload Sends Lexus IS 350 Smashing into the Wall

Like the say, “with great power comes great responsibility”. So when you decide to make use of Nitrous oxide (also referred to simply as NOS) to juice up your engine's performance on the road or on the track, you should be prepared to handle the butt kicking effects.

The owner of this gunmetal grey Lexus IS 350 sedan allegedly gave an overdose of NOS to his six-cylinder engine during a quarter mile drag race with another IS model and the results were disastrous, though the outcome could have been much, much worse if the other car didn't manage to slip away…

Head on past the break to see the video for yourself.

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Lexus IS 350C by VIP Auto Salon with Trick Paint Job and a Supercharger Set for SEMA

Looking to offer enthusiasts more customization options, Lexus will bring several project cars to next week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas, including an IS 350C prepared in cooperation with VIP Auto Salon.

The Japanese car specialist started with a unique Chameleon paint job that changes color when viewed from different angles. The hardtop convertible from Lexus also gains a Seibon carbon fiber hood, an aero kit comprising of a front lip spoiler, side skirts, rear diffuser, boot lid wing, and headlamp trims.

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Video: Lexus IS-F Goes Under the Crusher in California for Street Racing? Not So Fast…

A video showing an if not brand new, a not so old Lexus IS-F V8-powered sports saloon being crushed to death is making the internet rounds today.

The person that uploaded the specific clip says that local police officers in the state of California crushed the vehicle after they confiscated it for illegal racing. We looked around on the web, but we couldn't find any information regarding this claim.

Sounds like a great story but before you rush to accept the Youtube poster's version of the incident, you may want to know that we discovered the same exact video uploaded in December of 2010, but there's no mention of the car being confiscated.

Furthermore, we also found another recent clip of a Hyundai Genesis sedan being destroyed by the same crusher (notice the background and the blue color on the metal structure).

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TRD Introduces Lexus IS F Circuit Club Sports Package Inspired by Last Year's Concept

It's been over a year since Lexus unveiled the conceptual IS F Circuit Club Sport (CCS for short) at the 2010 edition of the Tokyo Auto Salon, but Toyota's TRD division has not forgotten about the prototype model.

TRD has just made available to the public an assortment of performance and styling accessories for the latest IS-F sports saloon, all inspired by the CCS concept .

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Lexus Updates IS Sedan, Convertible and IS-F for 2012 Model Year

Following on from the recent announcement on the 2012 IS-F in Europe, Lexus has released details on the mildly updated IS series for the North American market.

The three iterations of the IS series, which include the sedan, convertible and the high-performance IS-F, remain virtually unchanged for the new model year as the upgrades are limited to color and equipment features.

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2012 Lexus IS F: European Model gets Revised Chassis

Even though only a year has passed since Lexus revised its European market IS with a Euro 5 compliant 5.0-liter V8 and some minor styling tweaks such as the LED front lights and a new instrument panel design, the Japanese carmaker has just introduced a 2012MY version of its high-performance sports sedan.

The big news for the new model year IS-F is the updated chassis with Lexus promising a better overall driving experience and improved comfort thanks to the new shock absorbers, larger stabilizer bars and a revised suspension geometry.

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Lexus Calls UK Buyers to Enjoy the Summer with Limited Edition IS 250C

While Britain may not be the ideal place to enjoy an open top model, Lexus is calling UK buyers to take a look at its new limited edition version of the IS 250C coupe-convertible. Exclusivity for the IS 250C Limited Edition comes in the form of a distinctive black and red semi-aniline leather interior along with a numbered badge fixed inside the glove-box. Read more »

BMW 3-Series Still Top Dog despite Strong Competition

In the ingloriously named, “small premium car segment”, the BMW 3-Series is king. A good all-rounder with sporting pretensions and cred, a nice assortment of engine and equipment options, and perhaps most importantly, a variety of body styles including a coupe and station wagon derivative that have ensured its market supremacy.

All 3-Series models are doing their bit to keep sales high. According to a study released by R.L. Polk & Co., from 2008 through this past February, the 3-Series sedan covered around 60 percent of the model's retail registrations, with the coupe, convertible and station wagon versions accounting for the rest of the sales.

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Lexus Announces 2011 IS 350C F Sport Special Edition

Lexus has unwrapped the limited run 2011 IS 350C F Sport Special Edition convertible, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. later this month. Only 175 units will be built, each carrying a $55,120 (not including $875 destination) sticker and some styling and performance upgrades over the standard model. Read more »

Lexus Issues Voluntary Recall on 245,000 GS and IS Models in the U.S.

Lexus has issued a voluntary safety recall involving some 245,000 cars in the U.S. because of a potential defect that may cause fuel leakage. The models affected by the recall include the GS300 and GS350 from the 2006-2007MY, the IS 250 from the 2006-2009MY, and the IS 350 from the 2006-2008MY.

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Lexus Tries to Lure UK Buyers with Special Edition IS Advance Models

Lexus has announced the availability of a pair of new special edition cars for the UK market called the IS 250 and IS 200d Advance. As is common with most special or limited edition models these days, the new IS cars are distinguished by the added -and not unique- features to the standard equipment. Read more »

VIDEO: Lexus Sets the Bar High, Chains Four Cars on LS in New TV Ad

In another sign that luxury automakers in the U.S. are raising the stakes -or so to speak- with their latest commercials, following Audi's recent A8 ad, Lexus has released a new TV spot as part of an advertising campaign to demonstrate how far the company goes to achieve perfection.

This particular broadcast ad is titled “Chain” and it shows a crane slowly lifting the front end of a LS, which is attached to four more Lexus models (RX, GS, ES and IS) using nothing more than cables and stretch bars. At the end of the spot, a $375,000 LFA comes into the shot and parks directly below the chain of vehicles weighing a total 21,000 pounds.

The key point here is that the commercial is real and that no special effects were used for its creation as Lexus proves in the 'Behind the Scenes" video.

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New Toyota Recall, this time for Toyota Avalon and Highlander, and Lexus GS300, IS250, and IS350

Toyota has announced a voluntary recall of some 740,000 vehicles in the United States to address a potential leak problem with a seal in the brake master cylinder. The models that are being recalled in the U.S. are the 2005-2006MY Toyota Avalon, 2004-2006MY Highlander (non Hybrid) and Lexus RX330, and 2006 Lexus GS300, IS250, and IS350. Another 600,898 vehicles were recalled in Japan and approximately 200,000 in China for the same issue.

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Paris Preshow: 2011 Lexus IS-F gets Euro 5 compliant V8 and new instrument panel

European fans of the Lexus IS-F rejoice; this is one sports car that won't be axed on the other side of the pond due to the introduction of the more stringent Euro 5 emissions standards. Unlike the current generations of the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R and Mazda RX-8 -just to mention a few, the IS-F will make it to the 2011 model year thanks to its tweaked 5.0-liter V8 that is now fully compliant with the upgraded Euro 5 norms.

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2011 Lexus IS with Minor Facelift Unveiled in Europe, comes with new 150HP Diesel

Carmakers continue to roll out product announcements ahead of next month's Paris Motor show. The latest is Lexus that revealed details on its revised for the 2011 model year, IS series for Europe, which benefits from some modest cosmetic tweaks, additional standard features and the introduction of a new diesel model.

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Identity Crisis: A Honda Civic Sedan with Lexus IS Buttocks and Toyota Crown Fascia

To be honest, we are not sure if we should shake our head with a smile or applaud the owner of this latest find. What you see here is a latest generation Honda Civic sedan from Thailand with a Toyota Crown face transplant, and a Lexus IS350 rear end, modded in the so-called VIP style. What a mix... Apparently, Japan's "Junction Produce" tuning shop had something to do with the build. While the styling may not appeal to all, there's little to find fault with the execution. More pictures after the break.

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Lexus Officially Announces Recall on U.S. Market Models to Fix Engines

Toyota today notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of its intention to recall certain Lexus models in the United States to fix faulty engines in the automaker's latest quality problem.

The recall affects approximately 138,000 Lexus vehicles powered by 4.6 and 5.0 liter V8 and 3.5 liter V6 engines in certain 2006, 2007 and 2008 GS, IS and LS models. No vehicles from the current 2010 model year nor 2009 are affected.

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Lexus U.S. Says 137,000 Cars May have Faulty Engines in the States

Toyota's U.S. division has just issued a statement regarding potential engine faults on Lexus models sold in the States. The automaker said that around 137,000 vehicles could be affected in the U.S., including the IS 350, GS 350, GS 460, GS 450h, LS 460, LS 600hL, noting that current model years are not affected.

Earlier today, Toyota announced that approximately 270,000 vehicles (Lexus IS, GS and LS, and Toyota Crown) sold worldwide risk engine failure.

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Toyota May Recall Up to 270,000 Cars Including Lexus IS, GS & LS Over Engine Problems

It looks like Toyota might be hit by another recall (the second one in a week after the HS 250h announcement) as the Japanese automaker admitted today that about 270,000 of its Lexus IS, GS and LS, and Toyota Crown vehicles may have a problem causing engines to stall.

In particular, the world's biggest carmaker said it discovered "improperly functioning valve springs" in some engines that could lead to abnormal engine noise or unstable idling, and in some instances, even cause the engine to stop while in motion. Toyota said that there are no reported accidents related to this issue.

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