By Ben Schaffer

Bulletproof Automotive

First time I’ve seen this. The rear canard/fender setup is NUTS! Front shot after the jump.

By Ron

aka WayTooFurious

I always enjoy hearing about the next big thing that will take on car makers like Ferrari and Porsche. It puts a smile on my face knowing that someone may actually come up with something better, and Lexus’s LF-A super car might just do it. The LF-A isn’t exactly ground breaking news—after all, it was 2005 when it made its debut as a concept car at the Detroit Motor Show. However, it looks like the sexy beast is finally going to get some serious testing ahead of its 2009 release by running in the 24 hour race at Nurburgring in May. Powered by a V10 engine that produces 520 hp, the rear-wheel drive LF-A looks like it could give some serious competition to the other supercars. Get the full story here and check out some cool spy video of the car on the track on CarDomain.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

There were a couple of cool meetups in Chicago last weekend, and Ben Levy got a bunch of great shots at each. You can see a small sample after the jump, or go to his website to see the rest--the Club Lexus meet and the EuroTeknik meet.

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I guess I missed this Five Axis IS-F at SEMA, but photos of this car do not do it justice. Mike Musto was really digging the wheel color and is thinking he might use it on his current project. More pics after the jump, including the spec sheet--six inch wide body kit by Five Axis, 20 inch Five: AD wheels, big Brembo brakes, etc. And of course I have a walkaround video.

By Ron

aka WayTooFurious

This had to be the most frustrating car that I looked at tonight: no one at the Lexus stand could tell me that much about it. What I do know is that the Lexus IS F will be powered by a 300 kw (402 hp) 5-Litre V8 which will be controlled via an 8-speed direct-shift transmission using paddle shifters. It will sport 19” BBS forged alloy wheels, and naturally it will have sport-tuned suspension. It has a good-looking aggressive stance and it was the only car at the show sporting four tailpipes! The "F" stands for Fuji raceway where the car was put through its paces during its development. Check out this cool promo at the Australian Lexus site.

By Sean

Editor

• T3 Audio has made a name for itself in the SPL Competition world.... Not only do they have insanely loud woofers, but they seem to be quite good at blowing up windshields at every competition due to the immense pressure inside their competition vehicles! Check it out, we've got a ton of pics and a video of a windshield actually blowing up at USACi nationals last year. Crazy.
• I'm not sure why every other Auto Blog website is claiming that this Lexus rear seat entertainment system for the RX series is such a hot item?? We think it's absolutely hideous and way overpriced. Read the rant and see what you could actually get in the aftermarket for that same cash!
• The install crew at Alpine are a creative bunch of mad scientists. Not only do they build the hottest demo cars in the Mobile Electronics industry, they've also figure out ways to better dispose of their trash. We've got video of their homemade 5-gallon cash crusher!

By Jason

Tunerzine

We over at Tunerzine.com had the privilege of borrowing a Lexus IS-F for a week. We teamed up with professional photographer Steve Demmitt, and will soon be publishing a full-length feature on the car. Here's a sneak preview.

We had the car for an entire week, but during that week the weather wasn't so great. It was wet and rainy, so it goes without saying that we were on the side of caution throughout the week. But the second the roads were dry we were able to take advantage of every bit of horsepower. To give you some background, I daily drive a BMW 335i coupe and a Lexus IS250. So jumping from the IS250 to the IS-F was a quantum leap. But the great thing about the IS-F is that, when used as a daily driver, the car feels every bit as smooth and composed as the IS250. The suspension is obviously sportier, offering much better handling capabilities than the IS250. But with its gearing and smooth power curve, the IS-F offers an extremely natural feel, without the harshness and abruptness that might be expected from such a torque-heavy vehicle.

It's a testament to Japanese engineering in my opinion. For those that have driven the M5, you know how uncomfortable it can be to drive. The massive amounts of torque at full throttle makes the M5 feel like a monster. The IS-F feels more like a tamed beast with its 5.0L V8. It's just that smooth. The Brembo brakes and BBS wheels not only look great on all four corners but perform amazingly well. Its exhaust note is unmistakable, especially at WOT. The interior of the vehicle consists of an interesting white and black combination, but the comfort level is exactly what is expected out of a Lexus. In short, this car is a fantastic daily driver if you can afford it. It offers plenty of power when you want it, but also the comfort and reliability that Lexus is known for. Is this a sign of things to come from the Japanese engineers? We sure hope so. It's a lot more exciting when there are more options than just AMG and M cars!

By Sean

Editor

• Premium car audio manufacturer Focal gave us the scoop on their new Solid Series amplifiers. These mid-level amplifiers offer great flexibility, small footprints, and uber-clean sound quality. The plain-Jane design is great for flush-mounting, and the amps are available in Wrinkle Black or Wrinkle Red. SoundDomain is the first place you'll see these audiophile amps, so make sure to check them out and let us know what you think! One thing to point out, Focal's parent company, home audio manufacturer JM Labs, has a home speaker that sells for over $35,000 EACH. These guys know what they're doing when it comes to offering the best of the best. What's in your ride?


• Team Hybrids member Dave Brooks is a World Champion car audio competitor, and last year won the MECA Modex Division National Championship, earned the title of IASCA's Rookie World Champion, and took first place in the Sound Quality Championship. Dave's sponsor, Hybrid Audio also wanted to congratulate him for recently achieving the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, and is now the highest ranking enlisted serviceman in the USAF. Congrats to Dave!


• We've got another video from Scosche live on the site. In this episode Trevor Kaplan walks you through their iPod auxiliary input for the Toyota Tundra. The AXIPTA interface is extremely easy to use and seamlessly interfaces with the factory radio almost like it was just meant to be.


• Microsoft and Alpine just inked a deal to share technology and patents. This shoudl be a pretty cool partnership since Alpine is pretty much the #1 car audio manufacturer, and Microsoft is the world dominator when it comes to software and their new Sync system is just SICK!

By John

Editor

We were expecting to get some good shots from the Windy City, and we weren't disappointed. Dodge's electric Zeo Concept attracted a lot of attention, and their reborn Challenger went over like free beer—look  how tough it looks in black. But of course, Ma Mopar wasn't the only automaker with hyper-trick rides on display. Buick's Riviera concept was a big hit, and while Lexus' new baby is pretty to begin with, the aggressive body kit and satin finish on this LF made it look unbelievably hot. Check out the rest of the pics  over in our Events section!

By John

Editor

Hyundai's Super Bowl spot introducing the Genesis isn't the sexiest commercial ever, and they acknowledge as much in the first few seconds. What's interesting about this spot is how specifically they call out Mercedes, BMW and Lexus. While some may question Hyundai's decision not to launch a luxury brand, it really looks like they hit it out of the park with their new 375 horsepower, RWD flagship. By the way, how long has Jeff Bridges been the voice of Hyundai?

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

Our latest new car challenge was neck and neck for a while, but then the IS-F pulled ahead for a decisive victory over the M3 Sedan. That's the second rough week for German auto manufacturers in the blog--last week the Quattroporte gave the Panamera a brutal smackdown.

So what match up do you guys want to see next week? Let me know if you have any ideas. Maybe it's time for some trucks...

By Rob

Editor-in-Chief

BMW is again offering the M3 as a four door. And Lexus has a new M3 fighter, the IS-F. They are both RWD, have V8s producing 400+ horses and are priced in the mid-50s. Which would you choose?

By Sean

Editor

The crew at Left Lane News just got their hands on some new pics of the breathtaking Lexus LF-A roadster. The supercar's styling has been updated slightly, and I dig the reshaped headlights—they really help define the unique contours of the freshly massaged front fascia. Hop over to Left Lane News for a ton of great pics!

By David

GRM Editorial Director

Shopping for a car is always fun--especially when it's someone else's money. My brother has the itch for a new car, and considering that both of his current cars have more than 100,000 miles on them I just can't blame him. He was down for Thanksgiving, and we spent a good amount of time surfing the ads online.

The original list included the Lexus IS300, E46-chassis BMW and Acura TSX. It then kind of morphed into a race between a new Civic sedan or the Mazda3 once we realized that the two later cars actually have more interior space. The fact the Mazda3 comes in a wagon is also appealing, since it could serve as a small truck. (By the way, I once drove one all over Hawaii and dug the heck out of it--even on winding roads.) Either way, he's keeping his Miata, so he'll still have something sporty to drive. Any other cars he should check out?