Since starting this website, I’ve been asked numerous times about the overall benefits of Lexus hybrid technology, so I thought it would be a good idea to put together a basic primer.

First off, here’s a direct-from-Lexus video explanation on how a hybrid engine works:

Now, everyone knows the primary advantage that (most) hybrids have over conventional gas engines is better miles-per-gallon performance, but that’s just one of the benefits to this progressive technology:

• Environmental - All Lexus hybrids carry the Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV II) certification, meaning they release approximately 76 percent fewer emissions compared to their gasoline counterparts.
• Ride Quality - The electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) that Lexus employs creates exceptionally smooth shifts between electric and gasoline power, most occupants are usually unaware the change has occurred.
• Noise Reduction - Hybrids are quieter than their gasoline burning counterparts, and Lexus engineers took it even further by moving the engine mounts upward in their hybrids and completely re-conceptualized the air intake system. Those changes, in addition to all the sound-dampening insulation, make Lexus hybrids virtually silent.
• Long Battery Life - Improvements in battery technology are central to the continued evolution of hybrids. Lexus uses nickel-metal hydride batteries rated to last 100,000 miles. This choice, paired with regenerative braking, gives Lexus hybrids longer battery life on the road over the competition.
• Superior Horsepower - An early complaint about hybrids was the lack of the “get up and go” of conventional cars. Lexus solved this problem by synchronizing the operation of their electric and gasoline motors, which turns the weakness into a strength. The combined performance of the two engines gives a V6 the acceleration power of a V8 and a V8 the power of a V12.
• Manufacturing Waste Reduction - Lexus didn’t just focus on the engine when building their hybrids, these vehicles are lighter and more economical in terms of raw materials required. Sustainable natural materials, like kenaf, are employed, as are soy-oil-based polyurethane and water-based paints on the undercoatings to reduce Volatile Organic Compound emissions. Also, the use of left-over construction materials as sound insulation allows Lexus manufacturing sites to recycle 98 percent of their manufacturing waste.

There are even some unexpected benefits, such as insurance companies granting discounts to hybrid drivers, and a reduction in congestion tax charges. These fees can add up, which can help offset the additional cost of the purchase.

Most importantly, hybrid technology is improving, and it will only get better with every new implementation. In fact, it’s only a matter of time before every Lexus is powered by the dual-powerplant.

CNet has posted a LA Auto Show recap of the Lexus RX 450h, which includes a demonstration of the new Remote Touch controller:

Looks to be a very impressive solution — my experience with haptic control is limited to the Nintendo Wii, but the continual feedback moving from menu item to menu item is intuitive and highly useable.

(I wouldn’t be surprised to see this control scheme becoming widely used across all cars.)

We’ve seen the official photo and technical breakdown of the Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance Lexus IS-F that’s debuting at SEMA next week, and now here’s the twin turbo kicking it on a dyno:

It’s a good thing this thing is strapped to the dyno, because I don’t imagine it would be easy to video otherwise.

When I read Toyota Managing Officer Toshio Furutani’s comments in the Nikkei Business News last week that “in the medium to long term, Toyota was considering making the Lexus lineup hybrid-only”, it barely registered. Now, after seeing it reported over and over, I’ve come to release it might be an idea to post here — this is a Lexus news site, after all.

Honestly, I had always just assumed that eventually Lexus would stop selling conventional gas engines and replace them all with hybrid versions. In fact, with the hybrid version of the RX making up 86% of all European sales and the very technology being so important to the brand’s success there, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the next-gen RX to be only offered as a hybrid there.

With the exception of the IS-F, picturing a hybrid-only lineup isn’t very difficult at all — and then when you consider the rumor that the LF-A would also be offered as a hybrid, even the IS-F doesn’t seem implausible at all.

(And this doesn’t even take into account the potential brand benefit of being the first mass market car manufacturer to drop conventional engines!)

[Source: Reuters]

Last time we checked in on the 0-60 Magazine’s SEMA-bound IS-F, they had just started working on their modified entry. Fast forward until now, one week away from their deadline, and this video of the custom Greddy supercharger and exhaust system shows just how far things have come:

Seriously, look at this thing:

The 0-60 team have been maintaining a blog over at CarDomain detailing their efforts, and it’s a real show-and-tell affair that’s definitely worth checking out.

What begins as a headscratcher ends up being a very effective commercial for some exclusive Lexus technology:

My first time watching the commercial, I immediately though of one particularly weird commercial from a while back, but in actuality it was a very convincing application of the driver monitoring system.

[Via: Steadywinds]