Having debuted last year, the announcement that the Lexus LF-Xh concept would be at the Paris Auto Show didn't really elicit a reaction from me -- that is, until I saw this stunning photo released by Lexus Europe to mark the occasion:

(Be sure to click on the image to get the full version, it's very impressive. I made sure to post it for anyone wanting to use it as a desktop wallpaper.)

Huge fan of the matte black paint, which we saw earlier this year when it was displayed at the Toyota MegaWeb in Tokyo. I'm of the opinion that Lexus should offer this as a standard color, as least on the IS-F. (The Five Axis IS-F surely proved that.)

It's been a rumor for a while now, but Lexus today confirmed that the IS 250 Convertible, or the IS 250 C, will be making its official debut at the Paris Motor Show.

Details are sparse, the only thing the press release was clear about was the introduction date:

Further information and images will be released at the Lexus press conference at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday, 2 October, at 2.45pm in Hall 4.

How specific!

Now that it's official, we can turn our speculation as to why only the IS 250 will be getting the convertible makeover as opposed to the IS 350 -- my feeling is that it has something to do with the manual transmission being a very strong selling point when marketing a convertible, otherwise, why wouldn't Lexus use the more powerful engine?

(Just to be clear, the above image is not an official photo of the IS 250 C.)

[Source: Autoblog]

The remaining 2009 Lexus model updates & US price changes are small, so let's just put them all together:

• ES 350: Unchanged for 2009, the ES 350 will see a fractional price increase of $200, bringing the base MSRP to $34,320.
• GS 350/460: All versions of the gas engine GS will have a $300 price increase, bringing the base price of the GS 350 RWD to $44,850, the GS 350 AWD to $46,800, and the GS 460 up to $53,320.
• GS 450h: This made me raise my eyebrows -- the GS hybrid is getting a 40+% increase in trunk space, making the 1.1% price increase of $600 seem entirely justified.
• LS 460/L: The LS 460/L will now have front-passenger seat memory installed, with the LS 460 price increasing $775 to $63,675 and the LS 460L jumping to $73,585.
• LS 460/L AWD: The new AWD versions of the LS 460s will cost an additional $3525 over RWD. This brings the LS 460 AWD to $67,200 and the LS 460L to $77,110, respectively.
• LS 600hL: The LS 600hL also gets front-passenger seat memory, and gets a bump of $985, bringing the base MSRP to $105,885

Very interested in how the 40% increase in trunk space was achieved with the GS, and even more curious why it wasn't applied to the LS 600hL as well.

[Source: Lexus]

Although it seems like a rehash of known information, German Dutch magazine Autotelegraaph reports that Lexus will not only release a coupe/convertible version of the IS in 2009, but that work continues on a lightweight IS-F. Motor Trend summarizes:

Autotelegraaph reports that Lexus has been channeling Lotus and already has a lightened test model running that applies a variety of techniques to bring down the weight and thereby bring up the performance. Unfortunately, Lexus also confirmed that there will be no GS-F or IS F convertible. The IS 350 C will be getting a hard top convertible, and Lexus hasn't ruled out the possibility of a diesel powered IS.

Not that I don't applaud the continued efforts into performance-oriented vehicles, but when you take into account the supressed sales in the US, I would think the focus would be on higher-volume models. Still, this could very well be a continuation of the IS-F's grassroot beginnings, and there's no real harm in boosting the performance profile of the company, that's for sure.

[Source: Motor Trend]

No question now, this is the upcoming 2009 Lexus IS facelift:

These photos, posted on the same site that leaked the 2009 IS brochure, reveal the new IS in some sort of Japanese Korean Lexus showroom, presumably where unreleased models are displayed for anyone to see.

Enough talk, here's the full gallery:

[Source: Dajapa Via: My.IS]

There isn't much in the way of new information in Motor Trend's article about the upcoming Lexus hybrid, but it did include this beauty of a mockup sketch:

There were a few new points covered, though they seem entirely speculative:

The difference between the Lexus variant and the Prius itself -- as is generally the case for Lexus models with Toyota underpinnings -- is not expected to be much more than skin deep. The as-yet-unnamed Lexus will have its own body panels and may get a convertible variant, but both vehicles will be fitted with roof-mounted solar panels and nickel-metal hydride batteries upon launch.

I have to say, if the new Lexus hybrid looks anything like this sketch, it's going to be hugely successful. There's certainly a hint of Prius in the shape, but the more aggressive front-end and huge wheels remind me of the new VW Scirocco, only bigger and with two more doors. And that's no bad thing.