Lexus Europe's press release about the new IS 250 C Convertible also included some information regarding the Europe-only 2009 IS 220d:

Refreshed interior and exterior styling represents a further evolution of Lexus’ unique L-finesse design philosophy. Modifications to suspension, steering, transmissions and paddle shift technology offer notable improvements to driving dynamics. Aerodynamics and transmission enhancements have reduced the IS 220d’s CO2 emissions by 3%, and by 8% for the Sport version.

Also attached were some extremely large photos of the upcoming 2009 IS facelift (220d edition) -- in fact, they're so large, I've made an impromptu image gallery:

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]

There's been some new(ish) details released regarding the Fox Marketing/Artisan Lexus IS-F that's scheduled to be shown at SEMA. As is my tendency these last couple days, let's outline the mods in convenient bullet-points:

• The engine will be pumping out an abundant 600hp (estimated) due to a twin-turbo setup using compressed air, JE pistons, Crower rods, a Mishimoto radiator, and an exhaust made by Artisan themeselves.
• The one-off bodykit includes custom front/rear bumpers and new side skirting.
• The rims are by iForged, with 20x9.5" in front and 20x11.5" in the rear. The rubber is Toyo T1R tires.
• The orange paint is Glasurit Sunset, and made by BASF.

The plan is for the Artisan exhaust to go on sale in October, followed by this car to make its appearance at SEMA in November. More custom IS-Fs are expected as well, stay tuned!

[Source: Autoblog]

The Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance Lexus IS-F project car scheduled for display at SEMA 2008 has been unveiled early, and brings with it some very exciting news for IS-F owners:

The vehicle will be debuted at SEMA 2008 in Las Vegas alongside 3 other IS-F's from different aftermarket companies. These companies will be showcasing and developing new aftermarket parts for the IS-F. Artisan will be offering an exhaust, intake, pullies and a turbo kit for the IS-F.

Last time we saw this IS-F it was in mid-build, and the finished project doesn't disappoint. The flared-out fenders remind me of the 5Axis IS-F from last year, and the burnt orange exterior and carbon-fiber roof are just fantastic. Very tastefully done. [Via: Club Lexus]

Here's the full gallery:

The IS-F will be making Lexus-sponsored appearance at SEMA again this year, this time in collaboration with the Fox Marketing & Artisan Performance.

The person-in-charge of the modified version is Brian Fox, who's been posting photos of the work-in-progress to his CarDomain pageand dropping hints here and there on the direction, including an announcement that Artisan will be releasing an IS-F turbo kit.

Another piece of info I found very interesting was this:

We will help Lexus market, position, and brand the IS-F to appeal to a savvy, European type buyer. Look for our version of the IS-F to debut very soon in the Lexus booth at SEMA Show 2008.

After reading that, my first thought was that we might be looking at more "sleeper"-looking revamp, but from the work visible in Fox's photos, that doesn't look to be the case. One thing's for sure, it's going to fun following along.

High Dynamic Range Imaging, or HDR Photography, is the process of layering multiple images with different exposures, which creates a vivid and otherworldly image.

It's all the rage with digital photographers, including Flickr user NikonNikk, who applied the process to the Lexus LF-A (Be sure to click through and see it full-size):

It always amazes me just how creative people can be taking photos in such a controlled space. Fantastic.