Toyota confirms LF-A development still being funded

Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Lexus, Toyota

Our take: Toyota has a chip on its shoulder and it has something to do with prestige. Like so many other companies, it is taking an unprecedented beating in the current market (well, unprecedented for Toyota, at least). Whereas other companies are scaling back to the nitty-gritty, Toyota refuses to say "No" to the glamorous side of the auto business. First it reaffirmed its commitment to F1, now it has reaffirmed its commitment to the Lexus LF-A supercar.

But what exactly does that commitment mean? The continued development of the LF-A is supposedly only meant to include a few examples built in 2009 to campaign in global races. There is still no date on any production vehicle, and four months ago, people in the business were saying that the LF-A will only be a development platform, nothing else.

If that's the case, Toyota's continued investment in a 500+ horsepower, 200+ mile-per-hour supercar testbed is a question begging for answers. What is more likely, however, is that Toyota is merely keeping the pot simmering until the economy turns around, at which point it could quickly unleash a production version. Either way, sticking to F1 and the LF-A (two programs that could hardly pay dividends for the company or its road cars), indicates that Toyota has the guts, and won't stop until it has the glory. Thanks for the tip, Joker!

[Source: Auto Express via Motor Trend]

Toyota confirms LF-A development still being funded originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Safety, Tech, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Lincoln

Click above for a high-res shot of Active Park Assist in action

Admit it, you've embarrassed yourself at some point trying to parallel park. It's like they say about drivers at Indianapolis: There are those who have hit the wall, and those who will. The same principle applies when it comes to parallel parking. Like an increasing number of automakers, Ford is moving beyond the realm of auto-dip side mirrors and into the realm of auto parking systems. The Blue Oval's new Active Park Assist will initially be available on the Lincoln MKS and MKT (about which you'll hear much more on January 12) next summer.

The system takes advantage of the ultrasonic sensors now mounted on the corners of many vehicles (used for backup warning, blind spot detection and other functions), and combines them with a new electric power assisted steering setup. The system can manipulate the steering automatically and the sensors detect where the vehicle is relative to other vehicles. It starts off by using the sensors to measure the distance between cars to determine if there is enough space, and then it operates the steering, instructing the driver when to shift into Drive or Reverse and press the gas or brake. Ford claims the system works much more reliably than the camera-based system used by Lexus. We had no luck with the Lexus system, so we'll be the judge of how well Ford's setup works. Follow the jump to read Ford's official press release.

Gallery: Ford Active Park Assist

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT

Ford automates parallel parking for Lincoln MKS, MKT originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus F range could expand to include LS F

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Lexus, Rumormill

Lexus may be throttling back its plans to attack the performance side of its German rivals, but that doesn't mean it won't expand its F-badged lineup in the future. Hirokazu Koga, general manager of the Lexus Development Center and one of the men behind the IS F, told Autoblog that if the automaker goes forward with plans to create a GS F, an LS F could be in the cards.

Renderings and rumors of the GS F have been circulating since last year, but word came down in August that Lexus planned to delay the introduction of the 500+ hp sedan due to the economic downturn and the (then) high price of fuel. Add that to the possible cancellation of the LF-A, and things aren't looking good for Lexus' foray into the world of high performance.

If an LS F model would come to market, only a few drivetrains could be fitted to the hulking sedan to give it the level of performance necessary to carry the F badge. If Toyota does decide to build the LF-A, its V10 powerplant would be a great candidate for the LS F to provide motivation and defer some of the costs of the supercar.

According to two Lexus execs we spoke to, the IS F outsold both the Mercedes-Benz C63 and BMW M3 Sedan last month (we can't confirm, since Lexus doesn't break down sales of the IS by model), but if consumers are accepting the idea of a high-performance Lexus, than other models will surely follow.

Lexus F range could expand to include LS F originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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