Join the LFA Driver Development Program!

 

Learn to drive like a Lexus pro!  Check out this first-hand recommendation of the LFA Driver Development Program from the Lexus Enthusiast:

Good news for anyone that’s ever wanted to drive the Lexus LFA — I’ve just been told that Lexus USA will be hosting another LFA Driver Development program at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, from November 2-5th.

Meant primarily as a LFA owner orientation, this program is open to anyone — though at $2,995 for a single day on the track, you do have to pay dearly for the experience.

This past March, I was lucky enough to attend the first run of this program, and it was one of the greatest days of my life — truly an event I will never forget (even if there wasn’t this video of my experience). Can’t recommend it highly enough.

If interested, you can contact Shawn Jackson at the Lexus Driver Development Center: 1-877-229-9855

Or find out more here (check out the online brochure!)

Is Rustproofing Your Car Worth It?

Is rustproofing your car worth it? In short, yes!

Rust is a car’s natural enemy. More than just a discoloration of metal, rust is the corrosive result of a chemical reaction between oxygen and iron. Though rust technically corrodes just the surface of iron or an iron-based alloy (such as steel), fresh iron is exposed during this process of corrosion, which in turn can become “infected” with rust. Given enough time, this cycle will repeat over and over to the point when the rust completely disintegrates the metal.
Put simply: Rusted metal is not as structurally strong as rust-free metal. Since most cars are made of metal (especially steel) we can rightfully guess that a car with a rust problem is not as structurally sound and, therefore, more dangerous than a rust-free car. Rust isn’t much of a problem for those who live in dry, arid climates. However, cars constantly exposed to wet weather, humidity and corrosive road salts are more likely to suffer from potentially disastrous rust problems.
To combat vehicle rust, many manufacturers use a variety of rust-proofing techniques to keep rust at bay. Often, rust proofing measures will include the use of galvanized steel (steel that is coated in rust-unfriendly zinc) and PVC-based undercoatings. Paint itself is also considered a rust proofing measure, as it acts like a protective barrier against the elements. Some aftermarket rust-proofing treatments -- including wax-based surface treatments -- are also available.

RUST PROOFING ON AM

Though there is no way to completely eliminate the threat of rust, rust proofing is the best way to extend the life of a vehicle and all its components. As we mentioned earlier, rust will structurally weaken any piece of metal it has infected, so rusty car parts are often dangerous car parts. Rust proofing helps ensure that our vehicles won’t suddenly disintegrate as we drive down the freeway.

RUST PROOFING FACT

Sometimes, the best way to rust proof a car is to keep it clean. Waxing your car does more than just make it look good; a good wax job will serve as an extra layer of protection between the sheet metal and oxidizing elements like oxygen, salt and water. For those who live in snowy climates, not tracking massive amounts of snow (which will melt and form pools of water in a vehicle’s crevices) into the car is a good way to prevent rust build-up. Though it’s tough to do in the winter, keeping a car’s undercarriage free of road salts will also extend the life of any factory-engineered rust-proofing methods. A quick rinse of the undercarriage can do a lot of good.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/cars/keywords/rust-proofing.html

Lexus RX 350 Ranked the Bane of Car Thieves!

 

How safe is your vehicle from theft?  Find out why thieves hate the Lexus RX 350! 

The top 10 cars that thieves hate the most

Having seen how car thieves have a special attraction for the Cadillac Escalade, what cars do they hate the most?

Interestingly, it's a mix of cars and midsize SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Equinox, the Highway Loss Data Institute reports. It may not be because it isn't cool to be cruising around in an Audi A6 or an Equinox. Rather, it may be because these vehicles have really good anti-theft mechanisms.

It's clearly not because these vehicles are undesirable. Looking over the list, they are all fairly popular, even if some are niche vehicles.

Read the full list here.

Hot Pics of the 2013 Lexus GS 450h

Check out these great new shots of the 2013 Lexus GS 450h!

What might the 2013 Lexus GS 450h add to the additional performance goodness delivered in the 2012 Lexus GS 350? More power and more fuel efficiency, for starters. The second-gen hybrid system boots out 338 total horsepower for a 5.6-second sprint to 60 mph. That's 32 hp more than the GS 350 and a 0.1-second improvement on the stoplight run.

Fuel economy gets an "expected" 30 percent improvement – the quotes meaning the sedan's fuel use hasn't been officially certified, but anything in that ballpark will be a tremendous gain. If it's a GS 350 with instant torque, that would be enough for us, but we'll look forward to driving it soon and finding out ourselves. A press release lays out the particulars and our gallery of high-res photos shows them off.

 

Take a look at the whole album here.

Paint-Care Fact and Fiction

Do you think you can tell myth from reality when it comes to your vehicle’s care?  Check out these myths and facts from Motortrend and test your know how!

 

With so much misinformation out there surrounding car care, it's no wonder people get confused about what's truth and what's fiction. Paint care is definitely one area that can raise a lot of questions. To sort the myths from the reality, we talked to Mike Pennington, director of training for Meguiar's. Active with detailing professionals, show-car owners, and amateur enthusiasts, Pennington conducts regular paint-care classes and seminars and acts as technical consultant for many auto manufacturers and their dealerships-including BMW, Lexus, Nissan, Infiniti, and DaimlerChrysler-as well as such automotive paint manufacturers as DuPont, PPG, and BASF. Here's his insight into the paint-care quagmire.

Myth: A wax made of 100-percent carnauba is superior to those using lesser amounts.

Reality: Carnauba wax has been a favorite among car enthusiasts for years, but don't believe that any wax is made of 100-percent carnauba. As the hardest natural wax known, carnauba is much too hard to apply directly to automotive paint. It comes in bricks that must be melted and added to a company's formulation. If a paint protectant advertises "pure carnauba," it means the part of the formula that is carnauba is pure, not that it's 100-percent carnauba. According to Pennington, today's synthetic polymer technology actually provides better protection than carnauba.

Myth: Avoid a silicone-based wax. If used, the vehicle can't be repainted.

Reality: It's true that silicones are a bane of the auto painter. For instance, if particles of silicone are on the sheetmetal when it's painted, they can keep the paint from adhering to the surface, causing defects known as fisheye. That's why some professional cleaners and polishes intended for shop use are formulated without silicone. However, once paint is on the car, silicone is no longer an issue. In fact, virtually every wax on the market uses some kind of silicone in its formula because it enhances the product's ease of application, gloss, and durability. If repainting is necessary, a body shop can easily take off the wax as part of its normal preparation.

Myth: You can assume that a finish that looks glossy is in good shape.

Reality: There are different degrees of glossiness, and a paint can dull so gradually you may not realize it's happening. For this reason, don't rely just on reflectivity to judge your paint's condition. Use your sense of touch, as well. Place your clean, dry hand flat against the paint and slowly rub it along the surface. Feel with both palm and fingertips. A well-maintained finish should feel smooth as glass. Any roughness could be due to oxidation, tree sap mist, or adhered grit, all of which degrade a paint's gloss to some degree.

Read all the myths and facts here: http://www.motortrend.com/womt/112_0004_paint_myths_and_reality/viewall.html#ixzz1Xq9mnl9H

Lexus is Named “Manufacturer of the Decade” by Auto Express!

Wow!  Another great accolade ( this one comes from of the UK) and well-deserved too!

Awards come and awards go, but the latest addition to Lexus’s packed trophy cabinet represents a more enduring success for the luxury brand: it has been named Auto Express Manufacturer of the Decade. The award recognizes the fact that Lexus has achieved the highest average satisfaction rating of any car maker over the past 10 years – 88.3 per cent – based on more than 300,000 responses from motorists to Auto Express’s annual Driver Power survey.

During the past 10 years, Lexus has won the magazine’s Manufacturer of the Year award seven times, and its center network has been named the nation’s best every single year.

This unprecedented achievement reflects the high approval of Lexus customers for the quality of their vehicles – both new and used –and the service they receive.

Read the whole article here!

Is Texting While Driving Worse than Driving Drunk?

 

Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving? That’s the question that  Christopher Neiger from “How Stuff Works” asked. Read more to find out his conclusion.

Texting, or short message service(SMS), is a quick form of communication that allows users to send 160 characters or less to and from their cell phones and smartphones. A study by the Pew Research group in 2009 and 2010 reported that out of the number of Americans who have cell phones, 58 percent of adults and 66 percent of teens use them to text [source:Motavalli]. With these high percentages of Americans using text messaging every year, many are bringing the habit along with them when they drive. The same Pew study showed that 34 percent of teens who use their phone for texting said they've done it while driving, and 47 percent of adults who texted said they had done it while driving, too [source:Motavalli].

In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that almost 6,000 fatalities and over half of a million injuries were due to accidents caused by drivers who were distracted [source: Motavalli]. The study wasn't focused on texting, but it does show the seriousness of driving while distracted. Like many other driving distractions, texting involves a certain amount of mental attention as well as physical application which may be why 28 states have banned drivers from texting while operating a vehicle [source: Motavalli].

But is there really proof that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving? Even though research is just now being done to measure the effects of texting while driving, some in the automotive industry and others in research circles say that texting is definitely more dangerous than drunk driving. Mainly because taking a driver's eyes off the road significantly cuts down on his or her ability to react to changes.

In 2009, Car and Driver conducted a driving test with their editor-in-chief and an intern to prove or disprove that texting while driving was more dangerous than drunk driving. The first step of their experiment was to test and measure the reaction times of both drivers while driving sober with no distractions, and then while reading and sending text messages on their cell phones. A light mounted to the front windshield simulated a car braking in front of them [source:Austin].

As they read and sent text messages, their response time was measured based on the time it took between when the brake light came on and when the driver applied the brakes at both 35 miles per hour (56.3 kilometers per hour) and at 70 miles per hour (112.7 kilometers per hour) [source: Chang]. Both drivers had a longer response time while reading and sending the text messages when compared to driving without any distractions. After the initial test, both drivers then consumed alcohol and reached the legal driving limit for intoxication in their state. After running the same test again while driving drunk, response times for both drivers were better when the driver was drunk, compared to when they were reading or sending text messages while sober. Car and Driver writers mentioned that the test was performed on a closed airport runway, with no road signs and no turns. Although this test was performed on a closed course, slow response times due to texting could result in serious consequences in real-world driving situations.

Another test conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory in London took it a step further. It found that drivers who texted had slower response times, were more likely to drift in and out of lanes and even drove worse than those who were driving while high on marijuana [source:Nugent]. The study found that reaction times for those who texted while driving were 35 percent worse than when they drove without any distractions at all. When driving while intoxicated, the reaction time was only 12 percent worse than when the driver was sober and driving without any texting distractions [source: Nugent]. The researchers also found that there was a significant decrease in ability to maintain a safe driving distance between vehicles while texting and steering control dropped by 91 percent compared to driving without distraction [source: Nugent]. One of the study's commissioners eventually concluded that texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things a driver could do while behind the wheel of a car.

Read the full article: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/texting-while-driving-worse-than-drunk-driving.htm

Driving Trips for Your Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day is this weekend!  Are you planning a road trip?  Remember to plan ahead for one of the busiest highway holidays:

Getting Your Car in Shape

The last thing you want on Labor Day is a car that breaks on the road. A routine check of the engine, radiator and fluids will go a long way. Tires should be well inflated and wiper fluid should be replenished. Also, check that the steering wheel and brakes work properly. A car emergency kit should include, at a minimum, jumper wires, a tire gauge, a flashlight, a tool kit with wrenches and screwdrivers, duct tape, rags and an emergency stop sign. Add a first-aid kit, a bottle of water, a blanket and some energy bars in case something happens and you're stranded for some time.

Staying Safe

There are two major reasons for accidents on highways: losing concentration while driving and ignoring the risk of big trucks. If you are tired, had a drink or feel sick, either give the wheel to somebody else or postpone the driving. This is especially important coming back home on Labor Day, as many spend the day drinking and having fun, and chances are people are tired and moody. Monitor yourself and learn your limits, so you can head to a rest stop if you start feeling dizzy, confused or sleepy. Big trucks are especially dangerous if you cut in front of them quickly and unexpectedly, as trucks cannot brake fast enough to avoid a collision if things get tight. Also, trucks drivers have lots of blind spots, where they are unable to see you and thus avoid you. As a general rule, if you can't see the truck's mirror, the driver can't see you either.

Avoiding the Madness

The most important thing you can do is leave early. Take on the highways early Saturday morning or before rush hour on Friday. If you're driving on Labor Day, follow the same rules. Most people will brave their return home in the early evening or late afternoon. Try getting to the highways before 4 p.m. or after 10 p.m. and you should be in much better shape. Another important thing you can do to prepare for Labor Day driving is to plan your route well. Look for alternate routes, program your GPS or use a map to get you where you need to go as fast and efficiently as possible. You also can check online to see if the road you're planning to take is undergoing repairs or has scheduled lane changes, so you can search for alternatives or plan for additional driving time.

Check out the full article here.  Where will you be headed?