Lexus UK has debuted an upgraded backseat entertainment package for the RX called ICE, which is short for In-Car Entertainment. It consists of two eight-inch LCD screens with an integrated DVD player, USB and SD card readers, plus more:

Two pairs of infrared headphones are provided, which are about 20 per cent smaller than before, making them easier for children to use. They are now foldable for easy storage. Reception has been sharpened and there is an auto power-off function. Each tablet has a manual control panel, or a remote control unit can be used, redesigned for a superior tactile quality and ease of use.

The tablets have RCA inputs for connecting compatible games consoles and a stereo 23.5mm jack point. The screens can be operated together or independently, should passengers choose to enjoy the same playback or their own choice of video, music or gaming.

This package comes standard on the the UK RX SE-L editions, but costs £2,200 on any other version. This translates into close to $4,400 USD, making it a very expensive setup, especially when similar, less stylized options exist for less than $1,000.

Still, it’s hard to deny their attractiveness, and they would certainly be a welcome addition were you purchasing a RX SE-L anyway.

[Source: UCar Magazine]

I have yet to play the Test Drive Unlimited video game, but my interest just went up ten-fold after discovering that the Lexus LS 460L is an available car. This video clip from the game is pretty funny, it even includes a fully-virtual Lexus dealership showroom:

I don’t understand the inclusion of a flagship full-size luxury sedan in a racing game, but the fact that it’s the long-wheelbase version makes it twice as bizarre.

Here we have a commercial for the revised Lexus LS 430 that debuted in 2004, demonstrating the then-new backup camera option:

That crazy spin at the end is icing on the cake.

The Lane Keep Assist feature, which effectively locks you into a highway lane, may only available on the European & Asian Lexus LS, but it’s incredibly effective, at least in the context of this video:

I’m of two minds with this feature. You can never discount added safety, but the movement towards automated driving makes me nervous. At least it doesn’t work if you remove your hands from the steering wheel.

The 2008 Lexus LX 570 is packed to the gills with some very interesting new technology, including a camera that gives the driver a full 180-degree view of what’s in front of the vehicle, effectively letting you look around corners. There’s a passenger-side camera that points down, as well, and when combined with the rear view camera, it’s almost possible to get a full 360-degree display of your surroundings.

Here’s a video demonstration, by Autospies:

Hardly an essential feature, but it’s definitely something that would come in handy under certain situations. I found the display a little confusing, but I’ll chalk that up to unfamiliarity.

[Source: Autospies]

A video demonstration of the Toyota Driving Simulator has been posted on Youtube:

Bit disappointed they didn’t show any virtual accidents. I know the simulator was built to examine potential safety features, but with that music in the background, they could probably test the driving characteristics of someone going insane.

(Thanks Dan!)

Toyota has built a new driving simulator at their Higashifuji Technical Center in Japan, and it looks straight out of science fiction.

Inside the 15-foot-high, 23-foot-wide sphere is a Lexus IS attached to an elaborate rail system and surrounded by a 360-degree video screen that displays a virtual driving environment:

The internal surrounding sides of the dome show 360 degree computer graphic imagery of roads and landscape, complete with signs, pedestrians, street-side stores and faraway Mount Fuji — all synchronized to move with the simulated driving.

In a demonstration for reporters Monday at a Toyota technology center, the dome moved in a 35-meter (115 foot) long building, skidding on a rail horizontally and vertically.

When a driver pushed on the brakes, the dome tilted forward to give the effect of stopping. When the driver turned the steering wheel to the right, the dome cocked to the right to give the feeling of turning.

The simulator will be used primarily to test out advanced safety features, as well as examine how intoxication and drowsiness affects drivers.

It’s a substantial looking thing, and I certainly wouldn’t turn down a chance to try it out.

[Source: International Herald Tribune]

It may run a little long, but this video of the installation of a slippery surface for test driving Lexus’ is still pretty neat:

From the video description, this was for a technical training session in Spain, and looks like it would be a lot of fun. Strangely enough, I played a PS3 game today called Ridge Racer 7, and the driving was eerily similar.

A downloadable demo of Gran Turismo 5 was made available to Playstation 3 owners this weekend, and more to the point, the Lexus IS-F is one of the seven playable cars!

The realism is nothing short of astounding, it even shows through in this filmed TV video clip:

In sync with the new Lexus GS commercial, the 2008 GS lineup has been added to the Lexus USA website, including the GS 460. I’m not sure if the introduction of the refreshed top-end GS could be any more low-key, though that might just be the enthusiast talking.

The updated GS page has a slew of great photos, I’m all over this black-on-black:

The GS has done a good job of winning me over since starting this site. I had always found it a little too frumpy in the rear, but it doesn’t seem to bother me as much. In fact, the only thing I’m not overly crazy about are the wheels, though the optional G-Spider rims pictured above look pretty good to me.

(Thanks Kev!)