Car X6 Concept

MONACO - current media attention tends to wait for the implementation of the couple's wedding in UK, namely Prince William and Kate Middleton, on 29 April. Meanwhile, interesting news also emerged from Monaco, a small country a protectorate of the French. What is interesting is this time not on the bridal couple, but a weddomg car that will be used.



Monaco Royal Family members who will get married is Prince Albert II, on 2 July. The prince will marry Miss Charlene Wittstock. The car taken to carry the bride is the Lexus LS600h.

Reported, when it will be used later, this luxury hybrid sedan is equipped with a light or blink rotator (flash), the symbol of the kingdom, and special plates "MC01". It is said that the luxury car is considered appropriate as the bridal couple Kingdom of Monaco car because this car will be surrounded by electric cars at the parade later .

The decision to opt a hybrid Lexus is once again to dedicate Prince Albert II's commitment to environmental awareness. He erected The Prince Albert II's Monaco Foundation in 2006. The institute is helping 150 projects to monitor changes in the evolution and provide protection to the environment. The special organization also gives attention to the specific species of animals and plants. It added that Prince Albert II also donates aid water management in developing countries.

Despite the rise of the crossover, there’s still a market for traditional SUVs. Moreover, some buyers don’t want to sacrifice luxury to get the capability that a full-frame, truck-based sport utility offers. Lexus makes the GX 460 for consumers who want a blend of opulence and a sure-footed, full-frame, locking-transfer-case 4×4 architecture that’s not afraid to pull a substantial trailer and won’t roar loudly enough to cause permanent hearing damage.

While the Lexus RX grabs the hearts of buyers looking for an L-Finesse crossover, the GX 460 is an alternative choice if you’re considering an LR4 or Range Rover Sport, the most direct competitors in terms of architecture and market segment. Taking price and mission into account, a disparate field of rivals ranges from the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 to the GMC Yukon Denali or even the Ford Expedition King Ranch. The GX 460s footprint and price puts it in between larger crossovers and even bigger SUVs, perhaps an awkward place to be, but sales goals are modest.

So does the GX 460’s tinge of uniqueness help it stand out from the herd? Have the changes made since being knocked for potential instability been effective?

The GX 460 is styled with common Lexus features. Swept headlamps and a wide-slat grille is ugly to some and nondescript to others. Prominent blocky wheelarches are meant to convey ruggedness, though the effect can be heavy-handed on the relatively short wheelbase that the GX 460 shares with the Toyota 4Runner. Not likely to win any beauty contests, the GX 460’s styling doesn’t leave a lasting impression, though it’s instantly identifiable as a Lexus.

Saying the GX is a Lexus on the outside means the styling is tame and blends easily into the background. The Lexus-ness means a lot more when talking about the interior. High quality materials and excellent assembly quality are on display everywhere, though the metallized plastic on the center stack looks more Scion than Lexus. Padded and stitched leather covers the door panels and even the dashboard. It looks and feels finely crafted and sends the right messages to the rugged luxo-roader set.

Shiny Bubinga wood accents on the door panels, dashboard and steering wheel are richly toned, and perforated leather facilitates ventilated and heated power-adjustable front seats. Outboard second-row seats are also heated, and Lexus makes much of its available upgrade to semi-aniline leather without saying much about why it’s better. For the record, semi-aniline leather is dyed all the way through and treated with a protective topcoat, versus plebian pigment-slathered hides. The GX 460’s seats could be upholstered in fetid banana leaves and they’d still be all-day comfortable.

There’s not much in the GX 460 interior that feels cheap. Indeed, most switchgear feels fluid-damped, and nearly everything around you is padded or soft-touch. With the button-heavy center stack, steering wheel and console, there’s a whole lotta touchin’ goin’ on, too.

Standard GXs make do with a 4.5-inch LCD, but ours had a big, bright eight-inch unit. There’s some over-reliance on the non-tactile touchscreen interface, which can be maddening to figure out. There are also plenty of buttons. Hard switches for the three-zone climate control, seat heaters, transfer case and audio system pepper the center stack and console. Still more controls populate the steering wheel, where drivers can adjust the audio system, engage the voice-recognition system in casual conversation and twiddle through the information displayed between the trademark Optitron gauges in the instrument panel. Look up, and there are a few more buttons for the large moonroof and traction control, and don’t forget the eight buttons that flank that big LCD, giving you climate, audio and navigation menus. Finding what you want sometimes takes a few seconds of reading.

There are nice ergonomic touches, like sliding and reclining second row seats and a third row that’s power folding. There’s less interior space in this latest generation GX, down by at least 17 cubic feet to 130. It wasn’t capacious before, and it’s less so now, though it’s mostly a problem for third-seat riders and the cargo space that disappears when the last row is in use. A 120-volt outlet in the cargo area is a smart inclusion, considering the lifestyle-of-doing-stuff the GX is intended to support. Second-row controls for heated seats and climate are part of the three-zone system that’s included with the Premium equipment level. An optional Mark Levinson audio system is there for the audiophile taking, though we found little to complain about with the sound of the Premium model’s standard audio setup. Families will likely be interested in the rear seat entertainment system, too.

The utility role may be wrapped in luxury, but the 4.6-liter V8 can tow 6,500 pounds, though its 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque are more V6-like figures these days. The engine is smooth and well-isolated from the cabin in typical Lexus fashion, though it makes its presence known if you’re booting it. There’s significant weight for the powertrain to deal with, and speed is not the priority in the GX, though it’s got enough oomph to please its customers. The automatic transmission has six speeds and is nearly undiscernable in its operation. Things change when you ask for a downshift, however. The exceptionally smooth transmission hesitates for what seems like an eternity, meaning instead of a simple one-gear kickdown, you’ve by then mashed the pedal to the floor to avoid being crushed by overtaking traffic. Fuel economy stands at 15 miles per gallon in the city city, 20 mpg on the highway, and Lexus specifies premium fuel. Our combined driving returned 17.8 mpg, which is right on the bubble, and better than we expected, though filling the 23-gallon fuel tank is not a bargain purchase.

The 5,305-pound curb weight is perched atop a fully-independent Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which self-adjusts the stabilizer bars for more suspension travel off-road and good manners on pavement. Premium trim GX 460s get a self-adjusting rear air suspension as standard fitment, too. The driving experience has hints of truck flavor, with some head toss and high-waisted body motion. A longer wheelbase might smooth out some of the hobby-horse motions, but the GX 460 isn’t trying to be a crossover, and movements are controlled and the frame is strong and jiggle-free. Steering feedback isn’t something we even need to discuss, other than to say the level of power assist is just right and there’s no slop to the GXs reactions.

The burrs have been studiously buffed off the GX 460’s driving experience. Controls operate with an uncanny smoothness that’s astounding when you stop to consider how hard it is to pull off. Steering, accelerator and brake reveal no nasty surprises, and the powertrain does its best to avoid detection. It’s too bad that, in being unobtrusive, the engine doesn’t generate the power or torque we now expect from modern V8s, and the automatic transmission’s avoidance of kickdowns mars an otherwise serene driving experience. Despite the lack of performance verve from the otherwise delightful engine and transmission, the acceleration is plenty more than most owners will require. There’s real off-road capability here, too, and no matter where you’re going, the interior has that serene Lexus atmosphere. And just as importantly considering the recent round of negative press, at no time did the GX 460 ever get crossed up or feel unstable.

Granted, we weren’t trying the evasive maneuvering that got Lexus in trouble with Consumer Reports in the first place, but neither did the GX display any bad tendencies. In snow, standard stability control steps in early and effectively to provide the maximum safety net.

It’s hard as a car guy to admit that you like a Lexus, but the 2011 GX 460 has a lot going for it. It’s luxurious without being sterile, and the nicely-trimmed cabin feels more expensive than the price of entry. In a class of expensive competitors, the GX commands more money than many, but the cabin makes you feel rewarded for your expenditure. The most annoying traits are the reliance on the touchscreen for even every day controls, and a tailgate that swings open to the right instead of opening like a hatch. The less than practical rear door reveals the veritable lack of storage space when all three rows of seats are in use, as well.

The GX 460 does have a lot of competition above, below and beside it with luxury crossovers and SUVs to fend off, and it may not stack up on paper. With impeccable build quality inside and out, luxurious materials, and a brand reputation for reliability and dealers that coddle, it’s a different story on the road. Or off it, for that matter.

[Source: autoblog]

According to CEC, the accomplished ambit of the affability affairs will alone awning artful improvements, which agency that the car’s all-embracing achievement will be kept untouched.

Claus Ettensberger, architect of CEC and the guy who was the aboriginal to get a dispatch admission in the Lexus, said: "We looked at the LFA and what Lexus engineers had done, and knew it would be crazy to try and advance it from a achievement or engineering standpoint."

Prior to the launch of LF-A Lexus had a market image of producing top notch, premium luxury cars, but with its launch the company is trying to change its perception and also aims to grow its market by producing powerful and beautiful supercars for its customers.

The running variant of the LF-A is powered by a high-revving 500-plus horsepower V10 engine, a specification which puts LF-A in the same league with other gargantuan like Ferrari and Lamborghini. In its concept version the car measured 5 inches shorter than the Porsche 911, yet provided a wheelbase that is 9 inches longer than the 911, an indicator of better ride quality and good control.

In 2011 Lexus decided it was time to get in to the SUV game. They desperately wanted to have a V8 powered vehicle which could compete with the Range Rover and beat them in this part of the luxury SUV market place. By doing this, Lexus now can boast that it is in every part of the luxury vehicle market space. Lexus used cars like the GX 470 can offer both luxury and off-road capabilities making this vehicle very popular with the public.

2011 Lexus CT 200h Photo

But what makes this story even more intriguing and apparently quite frustrating for Toyota / Lexus officials, is that believe it or not, we discovered that BYD Auto has actually succeeded in patenting the S6's design (see photo gallery bellow) at the European trademark office!

Another great bonus for us is the spacious boot. It seems each member of the family competes for the most hobbies, so at any given time the boot is a mish mash of cricket kit, fishing equipment and more. The boot's wide opening gives good easy access, too, which is great when you're stowing or removing heavy loads.

Safety features are included with the standard dual front airbags, side bags, head curtain side bags and driver knee airbags. In crash tests, the Lexus RX 400h Hybrid received 5 stars, the highest rating a vehicle can get, in side impact and head on collisions. The Four-Wheel drive suspension the controls the vehicles height varies with the driving conditions, a nice and unique feature. At 62 mph, the vehicle lowers by 0.3 inches when driving normally. In low mode it can shrink more, another 0.6 inches and 1.2 inches for easier passenger access when in access mode.

The Lexus CT 200h on the other hand was introduced in the Geneva Motor show. It is basically a five door hybrid car. The car has a 1.8 litre four cylinder vvt-I petrol engine as well as a motor. For the high voltage battery, nickel metal hybrid is used in the car. By means of the electrically controlled variable transmission in the Lexus CT 200h, the power is transferred to the front wheels.

The Lexus CT 200h is also somewhat a kind of sports car. it has a LED rear lighting. The car can give excellent performance and the driver can get immense satisfaction by driving this car.

2011 Lexus CT 200h F Sport Front Top View