Kicking Tires' Ian Merritt put together a really nice photoshoot of the Lexus IS-F, here's a sample:

The Smoky Granite Mica is such a non-descript color, it really turns down the volume on the IS-F's styling. (I'd almost say it's my favorite exterior color for the model, but I have yet to see a couple colors up close.)

Speaking of the Project IS-F concept, I've been meaning to post this photo from Flickr user artistmg for some time now:

I would have thought I'd be long past posting images of this car, but every once and a while an image jumps out at me. The Project IS-F looks especially wide here, and all the more like a set piece for the new Batman movie.

Considering the furor it created, I had fully expected the LS 600hL gift that Lexus airfreighted to Paul McCartney would never see the light of day. However, Sir Paul was recently spotted being chauffeured around London in the dark maple red hybrid. Also of note:

Such is vegetarian Sir Paul's passion for issues surrounding animal rights and the environment that he took out the leather interior and had it replaced with cloth.

The singer demanded that no animal products were used in his new car and it has been fitted with a hand-stitched green woven fabric.

Lexus said of the decision to send the vehicle by plane: 'To ensure the car's quality and security, as well as to meet marketing deadlines, it was airshipped on a regularly-scheduled commercial flight to the UK.'

Ok, enough of about that. I feel like a gossip columnist.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

There must be something special about crazy Lexus SC's in the Bay Area, because San Francisco resident Kristie Wells spotted another variation on what seems to be a local phenomenon:

I don't know what astonishes me more, that there would be three strikingly similar cars all within a 100 mile radius, or that a photo of each car somehow made it onto the Internet independently of its owner.

In all the excitement of the just-seen Lexus RX prototype running the 'Ring in Germany, I missed that Leftlane News have their own spy coverage of the next-gen crossover. I love the revised stance of the vehicle:

The reduction of the rear bubble has done a lot to update the look of the RX, but I'll admit to some worry about the visible front-end:

Eddie in the comments hit it right on the head, there's too much Toyota showing through (I thought immediately of the previous generation Toyota Matrix). Still, remove all the camouflage and it could very well look like an IS-F.

Be sure to check out Leftlane News for more photos.

While covering the US Open in Torrey Pines, golf blogger Geoff Shackelford spotted this Lexus LX 570 "Evacuation Vehicle":

Pretty strange designation, I'm still trying to figure it out.

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Lexus is also sponsoring an invitation-only event tonight on the roof of the Hard Rock Cafe in San Diego, where the US Open is taking place:

The event focal point is the pre-fabricated Lexus Hybrid Living home on the Hard Rock Hotel’s rooftop. It incorporates Lexus’ Hybrid Living partners who define and inspire a new eco-luxury.

“The Lexus Style Villa Sports event will be the hot ticket during the U.S. Open tournament weekend,” states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.

No images or real details, though the press release mentions the pre-fab home was designed by Marmol Radziner Prefab.