Lexus RX: 2nd Generation (2004-Present)

The 2009 Lexus RX is now on the Lexus USA website, which should put all the rumors of an impending redesign to rest.

The only difference from 2008, it seems, is the addition of the Pebble Beach edition, which brings with it the Truffle Mica exterior color, a limited edition 18″ wheel design, chrome grille and some assorted Pebble Beach badging.

The standard FWD RX 350 will start at $37,500 USD, and the Pebble Beach edition at $41,380.

Once solely reserved for the SC 430, Lexus announced today at the Chicago Auto Show that three more models will be available in the Pebble Beach Edition. It starts with the release of a PBE RX 350 in mid-February, followed by an ES 350 in March and a LS 600hL sometime in the fall.

Here’s a breakdown of the RX 350 & ES 350 changes (the LS 600hL was only announced, no details were given):

RX 350

The RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition comes in three colors, an exclusive Truffle Mica (pictured above), Classic Silver Metallic, and Obsidian Black. There’s also a color-coded rear wing, new 18″ wheels, a chrome grille, a special interior trim, and a bunch of PBE badges.

ES 350

The ES 350 Pebble Beach Edition is also available in the Truffle Mica, Tungsten Pearl Silver and Obsidian Black exterior colors, but rather than a chrome grille and a rear wing, it gets 7-spoke 17-inch wheels with a liquid graphite finish and a decked out interior, with semi-aniline leather and a wood & leather steering wheel.

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These special editions, limited to 6,000 per model, are in partnership with the Pebble Beach Company, and aren’t just limited to the vehicle’s appearance; buyers will also be able to select an item from the Lexus Personalization Program, which ranges from golf clubs to cookware. Details are in the press release below.

Creativity Online has posted up an interview with the art director and copywriter of the Lexus RX Pop-Up Book commercial that I featured yesterday, which explains exactly how the advert was made:

What was the ratio of real footage versus VFX [Video Effects]?

DH [Dave Horton, Copywriter]: It was really important to keep everything looking practical so we wanted to shoot everything practical. Obviously we had to make a few concessions, in terms of what was actually possible to build, but we did shoot everything practically in different scales. So it really was a matter of putting that together and A52 did a great job.
KS [Kevin Smith, Art Director]: Yeah, “a matter of putting it together” is somewhat of an understatement… But they [A52, Effects Company] made it so realistic you can hardly tell there is a lot of CG going on. They did things like keeping the wire in at the top of the page, which were used to turn the pages, and they added some air pockets and kept some of the imperfections in there so the pages looked like they moved and sat naturally.

What were some of the biggest challenges in putting this together?

KS: Well, one challenge was figuring out at what scale we were going to shoot it. There was about a month of R&D before the spot was even made. The actual framing is as big as you’re seeing it on the screen, with 20×30 foot pages. It was a giant set of green screen pages that those people did actually hold and turn.
DH: All the tabs and wheels were also built into the pages so they were actually moving that stuff.

I’ll admit, I was completely fooled. I honestly thought it was real. I thought for an instant that some elements seemed “off”, but attributed it to lighting.

Either way, wonderful job.

I’ve been waiting to see this RX commercial ever since I was sent some behind-the-scenes photos of the filming, and the final cut doesn’t disappoint:

It’s hard to imagine the amount of planning necessary to pull off something like this, which doesn’t seem to use any digital effects at all. I’m surprised by the factory setting, though, which seems a stark contrast to the commercial’s vibrant centerpiece.

(If this version is too lo-fi for you, there’s a much bigger video over at Creativity Online.)

Yesterday, I received an anonymous email containing photos from the production of a new RX commercial being filmed in Los Angeles, with the following information:

The commercial filmed in Los Angeles in August and will feature the giant pages of a pop-up book being operated by actors playing stage hands. I believe the ad is tentatively titled “A Precautionary Tale” and is about Lexus safety.

Other than that, details are slim, the only other fact I have is that the commercial will be directed by Oskar Holmedal of Stylewar. Looks to be quite technical, with ample special effects planned, though that hardly comes as a surprise.

The full photo gallery follows:

James Fabin, Senior Product Manager for MyRide.com, has dropped some major news regarding the 2009 RX on his blog. Here’s the specifics:

• The 2009 RX will be offered in two versions, a five-passenger model similar to the current model, and a new seven-passenger long wheelbase model.
• A six-speed transmission will be standard.
• The RX 350’s engine will be boosted to bring it somewhere around 300hp for the 2009 model.
• The interior of the 2009 RX will be all new, including a 9″ LCD display that will be navigated by a touchpad located between the front seats.
• There will be an RX-F, with 380hp and available only in the five-passenger version.

It all seems very plausible, with the exception of the last point. A RX-F is hardly out of the question, but it’s not a model I see appealing to the enthusiast crowd, who will no doubt make up the majority of F-Series buyers. Of course, stranger things have been known to happen. Fabin also claims that a GS-F is on the way, and that Lexus will be releasing nine new vehicles in the very new future.

Interesting news, to say the least, though how accurate it is remains to be seen. Given his credentials, though, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

(Thanks Dan!)