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Lexus reveals spindly CT 200h facelift ahead of Chinese debut

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So goes the saying, and Lexus seems to be taking it to heart. In addition to the hybrid versions of the Japanese luxury marque's conventional cars, Lexus is intent on offering a dedicated luxury hybrid. The original HS 250h failed to gain traction, so to speak, in the marketplace, and was quickly withdrawn from just about every market but Japan's. Lexus followed up with the CT 200h, exclusively packaging a hybrid powertrain into a premium hatchback form, but while it's been more successful than its predecessor, there's still room for improvement.
That's what Toyota and its premium division are going for with a slightly refreshed take on the CT. Spied completely undisguised (and in F-Sport guise) less than a month ago, the facelifted CT 200h is now confirmed for debut not at the LA Auto Show or the Tokyo Motor Show but at the Guangzhou Motor Show that's set to take place at the same time in China.
Although Lexus hasn't revealed much in the way of details and only two images, it's plain to see that what we're looking at is a mildly refreshed version of the existing CT 200h. The front end is now dominated by the spindle grille that adorns the rest of the Lexus range, flanked by reshaped headlamps. The rear end has been updated as well, but whether the cosmetic changes are joined by any mechanical ones - or, for that matter, if the changes made will be enough to put the hybrid hatchback ahead in the sales curve - remains to be seen.

Lexus' Detroit reveal is RC F, will have 460-hp V8

Yesterday, we brought you the image above, sent out by Lexus, teasing its Detroit Auto Show reveal. At the time, all we knew about the car was that it's a coupe, and falls into the automaker's F performance line. But now, some more details have leaked.
An anonymous tipster passed us a link to this website, which Lexus is using to invite folks to an event at the Detroit show where the new RC F coupe will be revealed. But that same tipster also sent us a scan of the mailed-out invitation, shown at right (click the image to enlarge), which clearly states that the RC F will be powered by a 460-horsepower V8. The invite also says Lexus will show its 2015 RC 350 coupe in Detroit, following its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
We cannot totally verify the authenticity of the scanned invitation, but with a corresponding website live on the web, it all looks pretty legit to us. Stay tuned for more details closer to the RC F's debut in January.

Lexus RC F GT3 Racing Concept threatens to go racing

In case you needed more proof that the Lexus RC F is a statement car intended to scream "This is not your father's brand" (yes, we're paraphrasing the tagline of another automaker), here it is: the Lexus RC F GT3 Racing Concept. Lexus introduced a GT500-spec version of the RC F at the Tokyo Auto Salon last month, but this GT3-spec entrant and its Reading Rainbow paint job will get to show off at the Geneva Motor Show to whet the appetites of European racing outfits.
Although referred to as a concept, it will shake that name off when it completes a season of testing this year. Next year, Lexus will make it available to paying customers, and says the car will be cleared to race in the Occident and in Japan's Super GT series alongside its GT500 cousin.