Should you be lucky enough to be attending SEMA 2007, the premier annual automotive specialty trade event, you’re in for an extra-special Lexus treat: The Lexus IS-F will be available for test drives from October 30th - November 1st.

No word if these quarter-hour test drives are attended by professional drivers (similar to the Taste of Lexus event), but it doesn’t seem so. Fifteen minutes alone in the IS-F, imagine what kind of trouble you could get in.

Please note, this isn’t an event open to the public, unfortunately. SEMA membership is required. Are you a SEMA member? Time to visit the IS-F Test Drive website and register!

[Via: Autospies]

For the Taste of Lexus Evening Edition in Arcadia this past weekend, the IS-F was available for the public to test-drive — only catch was, it was on a dynamometer:

The exhaust note is smooth and powerful, and the shifting is practically seamless. No dyno results were shown, but one Club Lexus tester felt there were 450 horses under the hood.

This white IS-F has sure been put through its paces since arriving in North America, first on the Laguna Seca racetrack, then as a pace car at Concours, and has now been driven to death on the dyno.

Click Read More for two more videos of the IS-F on the dyno.

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Agent 001 of Autospies was busy this weekend, first discovering the the new GS 450h Bridgehampton Concept, then spending a few minutes with the Lexus LX 570:

I’m reserving my judgment of the LX 570 exterior until I see it up close and personal, which looks to me to be rather “bubbly”, particularly around the front fenders. I do like the LS-style front-end, but I prefer the boxy look of the LX 450/470. It’s hard to fault Lexus for bringing each of their vehicles under their L-finesse design, though.

I especially like the tailgate design, with the lights being part of the rear window section, very sharp implementation. The interior seems very family oriented, spacious and well-planned, though it’s a shame that due to the rear axle, the third-row seats can’t fold flat.

[Via: Autospies]

Lexus debuted a special edition this weekend at The Quail Event: The GS 450h Bridgehampton Concept:

From the display plaque:

In the late 1950’s, and through the “glory” days of the ’60s, affluenty sports car racers descended on a unique racing circuit near Sag Harbor on Long Island to test their mettle and their machines. Known simply as Bridgehampton, it played host to some of the most revered sports cars, and their drivers, the world of motorsports has ever known. Names like Chaparral, Hall, McLaren, Holme, Lofa and Gurney all left an indelible impression there.

The Lexus GS 450h Bridgehampton concept was inspired by memories of that incredible era, and seeks to carve out its own place as a unique performance interpretation of a modern high-performace luxury hybrid sedan.

In addition to all of the standard features found on the GS 450h, the Bridgehampton adds:

• Unique ‘Moon Dust Silver’ exterior color
• Contrasting interior stitching on seats and trim
• Full leather covered steering wheel
• Fender side vents with Bridgehampton logo
• Hood accents
• Exhaust pipes exit through a modified rear bumper with mild aero diffuser
• High performance braking system with larger aluminum calipers and crossed drilled rotors supplied by StopTech
• Eibach adjustable-height springs/shock units
• Custom wheels by HRE
• Michelin Pilot PS2 high performance tires
• Custom exhaust system

There’s some solid performance customization with the Bridgehampton concept, and paired with the cosmetic tweaks, give the car a nice character boost. There was no mention of availability or cost.

Agent 001 of Autospies, who discovered the GS 450h Bridgehampton Concept in Lexus’ Quail Tent, also interviewed a Lexus representive, here’s the video:

Flickr user j0rdi has been taking some great shots at Salón del Automóvil happening right now in Barcelona. Not content to take photos of full cars, all the shots are beautifully cropped, leaving only the finer details.

One of these photos was of a Lexus SC 430, and it takes headlights to an entirely abstract level:

j0rdi’s other photos are amazing, particularly this one — Be sure to check them out.