Just how creative can an advertisement get? After all, consumers do have plenty of choices to pick from, and a whole lot of purchase choices depends on the kind of advertising campaign done beforehand to persuade consumers to make a decision. Lexus, the luxury marque of Toyota, has released a new ad that depicts a swarm of automated robot helicopters. Having teamed up with the engineers at KMel Robotics in order to deliver this amazing ad to the masses, parking it under the automaker’s slogan of “Amazing in Motion.”
In the video, it sports KMel Robotics’ automated four-rotor flying robots that are known as quadrotors. There are different segments of the video, where some of them were shot in a museum, in addition to bouncing up a staircase which is rather strange when you consider how they can simply fly as it is. Not only that, halfway through the video, the quadrotors will engage in an impromptu dance number.
At times, the robots will also be rather sneaky in their behavior, as they will be able to conceal themselves from passersby on the street. The quadrotors seem to be extremely benign in nature though, being extremely cute as they fly around with an accompanying playful score.
Autonomous quadcopter drones aren’t all about flying into dangerous areas where humans fear to tread. Besides being disposable, they also make for perfectly precise pint-sized pilots, as this Lexus ad entitled Amazing In Motion demonstrates. When you watch it, keep in mind that not a single quadcopter in the commercial was faked through CGI—they’re all real drones flying in perfect precision.
Lexus has previewed its new RC coupe, bringing the luxury two-door up to date with its aggressive IS-style grille and borrowing plenty from the Lexus IFA sportscar. Set to be officially revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, two versions of the RC have been prepared: the RC 360 with a more traditional […]
Car aficionados will readily defend their favorite vehicles as rolling works of art, but art collector Walter Vanhaerent might be the only driver on earth who can definitively make that claim. Because his new Lexus IS 300h hybrid actually paints his portrait every time he hits the road.
The Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing this week, today showing off the Lexus LF-NX Crossover Hybrid Concept car to the world. This vehicles comes in at a cool 182.7 inches long with a solid 106.3-inch wheelbase, aiming to come in with a smaller size than what Lexus describes as the vehicle the pioneered […]
Toyota‘s best-selling hybrid car is the Prius; it’s best hybrid car period could well be the Lexus GS450h F SPORT. While Toyota hybrids have capitalized on the earth-friendly, fuel-sipping potential of models like the Prius, over in the Lexus stable the addition of electric has been with more driver-friendly enhancement in mind, emphasizing the marque’s […]
Crowdsourcing is all the rage these days, so why not apply the concept to shooting a video? That’s exactly what Lexus did when it got together over 200 fans to each shoot frames for a promotional video. What makes the clip unique is that all of the images were captured and posted via Instagram.
The short film, called #LexusInstafilm captured a walk-around of the new 2014 Lexus IS, by instructing each of its Instagrammers to stand (or lie down) in a specific location to capture their still image. 3D mapping technology was used to identify the precise locations where each image needed to be snapped in order to stitch together the final stop-motion video.
Each individual captured their image, applied Instagram filters and posted them with a specific hashtag so they could be filtered and edited into the video sequence later the same day.
Here’s the final video, along with a little behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot:
Sure, it seems like a whole lot of labor to capture just a few seconds of video, but it’s still a creative way to let so many people could contribute to a single video.
There’s been quite a few recalls throughout the past year, and Toyota isn’t new to them at all, as today’s recall is the company’s third major one in under a year. Toyota is recalling 242,000 Prius hybrids, as well as hybrids from the car maker’s Lexus division, specifically the HS hybrid. The problem seems to
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
Like every good sitcom family, we’ve got friendly neighbors who sometimes drop in to say hello. This week, at least, that neighbor is none other than SlashGear Editor-in-chief Vincent Nguyen, who played wingman to Darren Murph as he attempted to use Google Glass to film a first-person test drive in the 2014 Lexus IS. Also after the break, Andy Bowen makes a case for why the 4G iPad mini makes a better hotspot than a run-of-the-mill MiFi device.
Lexus has come a long way since the days of the buffed-up Toyota luxo-barge, and the 2014 Lexus IS is arguably the best illustration of that. True, the new 3-Series rival may not have the same wealth of outlandish madness as the LFA sportscar (though it does borrow some of the $375k limited-edition’s cabin features) or the brutish luxury of the LS, but the striking design and eager pricing make for a freshly competitive car. Lexus brought us out to the Michigan International Speedway to see how the 2014 IS ticks.
Design
Distinctive, striking, and divisive: Lexus gives the 2014 IS the most extreme treatment of its L-finesse design language we’ve seen on a sedan to-date. The company’s designers describe the styling ethos as a combination of “intriguing elegance” and “incisive simplicity” which, in this case, means a sweeping, creasing riot of curves and surfaces that don’t ape BMW reserve or Cadillac crispness.
The enormous, pinched hourglass grille – Lexus refers to it as a “spindle” – is the most obvious flourish, starting low on the front edge of the hood and dipping deeply into where you’d traditionally find a separate front spoiler. With its chrome edging it’s certainly distinctive but, like many other elements of the new IS’ design, it works much better in person than in photos, which rob it off some of the three-dimensional complexity you get in the metal.
The F Sport spec pack – an option on the IS 250 and IS 350 – trades the standard grille bars for honeycomb mesh, and the IS looks all the better for it. Either way, though, the shape of the grille and how it cuts down to the front of the car makes the IS look lower and “sucked down” to the asphalt, emphasizing the broad, low stance.
Face-on, you also get the impact of the new car’s daytime running lights, which rather than being integrated into the main light clusters as we’ve seen on other cars, are split out into tick-style flourishes underneath. It’s an effect that looks particularly good in the darker finishes, like the nebula gray or matador red.
From that point back it’s a pleasing collection of sweeping lines and creases, including a strong shoulder-line – pinching up neatly into the rear door window – and a sharply rising twist that begins as the front doors end and pulls up all the way to the wrap-around rear lights. Get the lighting right, and they reflect and shine in particularly pleasing ways, giving the flanks a silkiness that the old IS didn’t get near.
Engines and Performance
You only get two engine options in the 2014 IS, and neither of them are new. The 2.5-liter V6 and 3.5-liter V6 from the old car are carried over, though now there’s no manual option (which Lexus admits only around 1-percent of IS buyers every actually specified).
Instead, you get either the standard 6-speed auto, or – an option on the IS 350 – an 8-speed auto that was previously found on the IS F. Each slots paddle shifters behind the chunky steering wheel, or the ratios can be flicked through by jabbing at the stubby stick in the center. Of course, you can also leave the 2014 IS in auto mode.
With 204HP and 184 lb-ft of torque, the IS 250 sits roughly on a par for power with the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter Cadillac ATS (the entry-level BMW 320i does better in torque but falls behind in horsepower). Official numbers are 7.7s 0-60mph for the RWD model (8.3s for the AWD) and it doesn’t feel the most spritely “performance sedan” we’ve driven. The 6-speed gearbox is solid in its changes, but not especially eager.
Far better is the IS 350 which steps up to 306HP, particularly if you’re running that through the 8-speed ‘box. Lexus’ quotes 5.6s for your 0-60mph run, and behind the wheel we can believe it, with the car eager to thrum through the gears with a pleasingly throaty growl from the engine. Lexus knows that good sound makes for more enjoyable driving, too, with the F Sport package piping a little more of the under-the-hood audio into the cabin.
Lexus claims to have done special things with the 2014 IS’ suspension and handling, and – thanks to some side-by-side comparison with the outgoing 2013 car – it’s clear that’s no empty boast. The power-assisted steering is noticeably meatier, and we were able to throw the new car around corners with more confidence than its predecessor. Among the changes are a more solidly constructed chassis, and that platform makes for more predictable handling.
That’s not to say the new IS is only happy if you’re thrashing it. At more appropriate speeds it’s smooth and stable, with no bump or shudder; rear seat passengers reported an altogether comfortable ride. The F Sport variant unsurprisingly tightens things up with an eye on more aggressive driving, but it’s still capable of wafting if you’re designated driver.
It’s worth noting that the cars we were testing were prototypes; we’ll revisit the IS when production models are available.
Interior
Lexus made its name, in part, by throwing just about everything its rivals would leave optional into the standard mix. The IS isn’t quite so comprehensive – the LS, after all, starts at over $70k – but you still get a good amount of baseline equipment.
Dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, a power moonroof, Bluetooth audio, and HD Radio are standard, along with “NuLuxe” faux-leather. If you want the real hide, you’ll have to step up to the Luxury Package which also throws in wood trim accents, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming mirrors, electric memory seats, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. A more affordable Premium Pacgae adds heating/ventilation to the NuLuxe seats.
There’s also the Navigation Package, with a 7-inch color display, backup camera, voice command, and Lexus Enform, the company’s internet-connected hub complete with Bing search, Pandora streaming, Facebook Places, Yelp integration, and navigation. A Mark Levinson Audio Package ($3,225) adds a 15-speaker A/V system to that, with a 1,500W Class-D amp, subwoofer, and machined aluminum controls. It certainly sounds impressive, though the standard-fit audio system is no slouch on its own.
Sit inside, and the tiered dashboard layout is packed with controls but reasonable straightforward to familiarize yourself with. A navigation control in the center console scrolls through the main 7-inch LCD, and only the analog clock reminds you of Lexus’ more staid history. The meaty steering wheel feels great – though it’s peppered with buttons – and the seats are comfortable and sit lower in the car than before, leaving you feeling sportily cocooned.
Step up to the F Sport package, however, and the 2014 IS’ real interior glitz appears. The sports seats get more ample bolstering and hold you nicely in the corners, though they’re still NuLuxe rather than proper leather (albeit with heating as standard). Most exciting is the moving instrumentation, borrowed from the LFA: press a button and the combo speedometer/tachometer slides across to reveal a 4.2-inch LCD with secondary information, such as fuel economy. Press it again, and it slides back to dominate the binnacle with no distractions.
Again, compared to the outgoing car, the new IS is a marked improvement. The seats hug you more closely – a boon during more outlandish cornering – while, in the back, the seats in both regular and F Sport trim are comfortable, and – a first for Lexus – can be dropped down with a 60/40 split for accommodating bigger items of luggage.
Wrap-Up
The 2014 IS kicks off at $35,950 for the IS 250 RWD, and $39,465 for the IS 350. AWD is a roughly $2,500 upgrade, while the more appealing F Sport package is $3,000. That’s about $3k more than the cheapest – though less powerful – 3-Series, and around $1,500 more than the entry-level ATS, the 2014 IS’ most obvious competitors.
It’s likely to be aesthetics, not specifications, that prompt most decisions about the new IS, however. Opinions of those we’ve talked to are split; some, like us, appreciate how Lexus has opted for something that’s distinctive, though others prefer the more mainstream good looks of BMW’s car. As we said, though, it’s undoubtedly a car that looks better in real life than on the screen.
For that matter, it’s also a car that benefits hugely from the larger engine option. Where the IS 250 is solid, the IS 350′s extra grunt gives it some much-needed sparkle. If you can afford the F Sport package then we’d say it’s well worth it, with the worked-over suspension particularly benefiting. That’s not a cheap car by any means, but it’s the spec level that’s most fitting to the no-holds-barred design and capable chassis.
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