Lexus’ first attempt at a sports model to get up the noses of go-fast German rivals was the IS F Sport, a small sedan that arrived in NZ in October 2008 priced at $137,000 and running a revvy 5.0-litre V8 engine driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed gearbox. Ride/handling was poised and accurate on smooth surfaces but not so good on broken ones, where even patchwork … [Read more...] about Lexus RC F: optional is the ‘Michael Schumacher mode’
Lexus
New Audi Q7 sheds weight equivalent to a ‘concert grand piano’
The new Audi Q7 weighs in at 1995kg, around 325kg lighter than the outgoing model, shedding bulk that is roughly “the equivalent of a concert grand piano”, says the carmaker. Audi took the covers off the second-generation SUV before its first official unveiling at next month’s Detroit motor show. It revealed a smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient Q7 that will arrive in … [Read more...] about New Audi Q7 sheds weight equivalent to a ‘concert grand piano’
New Benz estate and hybrid sedan add to a world of alphabet soup
Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning to introduce 19 new models between now and 2020, some of them refreshes of existing variants, others occupying new segments. The M-Class SUV name goes, replaced by a G-Class variant … it’s more than ever a world of alphabet soup in the A-, B-, C-, E-, G-, S-Class and AMG model ranges. A couple of those ‘new’ examples in the … [Read more...] about New Benz estate and hybrid sedan add to a world of alphabet soup
Opening the door to new SUV and something Lexus NZ missed
Luxury Japanese carmaker Lexus is claiming a world-first patent for the design of the door handles on its new SUV, the hybrid NX – but you won’t find a word about it in the New Zealand press release. The Lexus marketing people at parent Toyota’s compound in Palmerston North somehow overlooked the ground-breaking design, which reportedly took engineers in Japan three years to … [Read more...] about Opening the door to new SUV and something Lexus NZ missed
New Lexus out to muscle its way into compact SUV market
Lexus might have been the first to bring hybrid drivetrains to the softroad SUV market – but it is the last to bring them to the one that matters most, the compact segment. Its new NX, sort of a scaled-down version of the RX, will be here in October, chockablock with whizzbang bits and pieces like a wireless phone charger (Apple iPhone users will need a special adapter), and a … [Read more...] about New Lexus out to muscle its way into compact SUV market