The Lexus IS (XE20) is the second generation of the Lexus IS line of compact executive cars and sport sedans. Sold by Lexus since 2005, the line includes multiple V6 gasoline-powered models, in four-door sedan and two-door convertible body styles. Additional sedan models also feature inline-four diesel powertrains, and an F marque version, the IS F, features a V8 engine. A pre-production car of the second generation IS model was first shown at the 2005 Geneva Auto Show, with the production version debuting at the 2005 New York Auto Show. The second generation was only available as a sedan until the two-door convertible variants debuted in 2008.

The IS is built on a shortened version of the midsize platform introduced for the third generation Lexus GS. The chief engineer of the second generation IS was Suguya Fukusato, a rally driver. The second generation IS is produced in Tahara, Aichi, and Miyawaka, Fukuoka, Japan. Unlike its predecessor, there is no equivalent Toyota-branded model sold in Japan. In most markets sold, the IS has served as the compact member of the Lexus lineup, and it was the smallest Lexus model until the CT 200h.

Contents

* 1 History of development

o 1.1 Exterior and interior

o 1.2 Safety systems

o 1.3 Technical features

o 1.4 Updates

* 2 Standard models

o 2.1 GSE20 / GSE21 (2005)

o 2.2 ALE20 / GSE22 (2006)

o 2.3 GSE20 / GSE21 (2008)

o 2.4 ALE20 (2010)

* 3 F marque models

o 3.1 USE20 (2007)

o 3.2 IS F concepts

o 3.3 IS F-Sport

* 4 Limited editions

o 4.1 IS 250 SR

o 4.2 IS 250 X

o 4.3 IS 350 C F-Sport

o 4.4 Japanese market

o 4.5 Neiman Marcus IS F

* 5 Motorsport

* 6 Technical specifications

o 6.1 Transmissions

* 7 Performance data

o 7.1 IS F

o 7.2 IS 250/IS 350

* 8 Awards

* 9 Gaming

* 10 References

o 10.1 Notes

o 10.2 Designations

* 11 External links

History of development

Exterior and interior

2008 Lexus IS 250 (GSE20; U.S.)

The second generation Lexus IS was the second debut of Lexus' new L-finesse design philosophy on a production vehicle, following the premiere of the 2006 Lexus GS performance sedan.The new IS design featured sleeker, coupe-like contours, a fastback profile, and a repeated arrowhead motif in the front fascia and side windows based on the Japanese concept of kirikaeshi, referring to angular movements. The forward design was reminiscent of the earlier Lexus LF-C coupe concept. Compared to its predecessor, the second generation IS was 3.5 inches (89 mm) longer and nearly 3 inches (76 mm) wider, largely due to a 2.3 inches (58 mm) wheelbase stretch. The grille was set at a lower level than the headlights. The new IS body resulted in a 0.28 Cd figure.

2007 Lexus IS 350 interior (GSE21; Japan)

The second generation IS interior features leather seats, lightsaber-like electroluminescent instrument display lighting and LED interior lighting accents, 10-way (including lumbar) driver and front passenger power seats, and the choice of faux-metallic or optional Bird's Eye Maple wood grain trim made by Yamaha piano craftsmen from sustainable plantations. The interior design also derived elements from Japanese concepts, including hazushi, where an object retains individuality while being part of a large whole, as typified in side air vents. Other available interior features include perforated leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, moonroof, electrochromic side view mirrors, power rear sunshade, and aluminum scuff plates.

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The new MINI hatch line-up is almost finished, when the new MINI One and MINI Cooper D models are unveiled to the public at the International Motor Show Geneva, March 8, 2007. The entry level has a cheerful 95hp 1.4-liter engine of a fuel, while the Cooper D delivers performance and fuel efficiency of an all-new 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine producing 110 hp.



A Cooper-badged MINI diesel hints at the sporty look of this new model. MINI fans will be equally excited at the prospect of the Cooper D promising to be the MINI's most fuel efficient and cleanest ever built. Compared to the Mini One D output combined fuel consumption 58.9mpg, the Cooper D capable of 64.2mpg. A CO2 figure of just 118 g / km puts the car in the band B. Tax

Mini One also has a significant improvement in fuel consumption and emissions in the outgoing model. 49.6mpg is achievable from the One new 1.4-liter unit, compared to 41.5mpg from its predecessor. CO2 emissions are now 138g/km, against 164g/km produced by the previous model.

The MINI One will cost £ 11 595 on the road, and the MINI Cooper D will be £ 14 190. Both models will be available from April 2007.

Both models are equipped with new body shape already seen on the recently launched MINI Cooper and Cooper S. Improvements in quality and unique interior design is always important properties One and Cooper D. However, several individual highlights set the cars apart.

Acura is in dire need of a revamp. As of recent, their cars haven’t exactly been something to write home about and I see this as one of their few chances to step their game back up. So to kick things off, word is that Acura has just confirmed that they will be building an RSX sedan for 2014.

Rumor has it that the small sedan will be based on the 2012 Honda Civic platform, but will be far from identical. Additionally, to separate it more from its lesser roots, the RSX sedan will be more of a “true luxury model” and will be slightly larger in size.

Once the RSX sedan comes about, that would make the brand have three front-wheel drive cars that are very similar to each other. As a result, the TSX may be dropped when the RSX comes around.

More concrete details should pop up as we get closer to 2014.
- By: Chris Chin

Source;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/09/22/2014-acura-rsx-to-be-based-on-civic-platform/

Interesting.... I wonder how long it would take for that to come over to the North American models....
Honda released more details on the new and innovative safety features they’ve packed in the new generation Civic.

That is usually the case with all car makers, to boast their products good features ahead of market launch. People will be searching for details of the new model and these info can help them find out if they want a particular model or not.

Anyhow, the new Civic features new stuff that makes it safe not only for the passengers onboard, but also for the pedestrians and cyclists. It has Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which is according to Honda: "a front-mounted polygonal frame that is designed to prevent the cabin becoming deformed by distributing forces away from the passenger compartment."

The little hatchback also features a collision avoidance system – Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) – which used to reserved for big, expensive cars. It monitors the distance and closing rate between your vehicle and the car directly in front of it, warning the driver when a collision is likely and helping reduce impact when a collision becomes unavoidable.

The car also comes with a clever pedestrian safety system which include windscreen wiper pivots designed to break away on impact and energy absorbing front wing mounts.

2012 Honda Civic goes on sale in Europe from January 2012.

Source;
http://www.motorward.com/2011/10/2012-honda-civic-safety-features/

The engine of the Ontario economy is starting to hum again, propelled mainly by a return to full production at Japanese auto makers’ plants.

Honda of Canada Manufacturing (HMC-N30.00-0.67-2.18%) in Alliston, Ont., said Wednesday that it will begin cranking out 1,600 vehicles a day in November, more than two years after it cut production during the recession and about eight months after it slashed output because of disruptions caused by the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

The two Honda plants in Alliston, located about 90 kilometres north of Toronto, will also operate on two Saturdays a month – likely until at least the end of the year – mainly to build more models of the compact Civic. The top-selling passenger car was redesigned for the 2012 model year, and production and sales were just starting to gear up when the earthquake created chaos in the supply chain and made it difficult for auto makers to get enough parts.

Honda’s move means that two-thirds of Canada’s car and light truck assembly plants will be running on overtime. That’s a major boost for a Canadian economy still in the midst of an anemic recovery from the recession and one in which gross domestic product fell by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter.

“The key point is that auto production did slow significantly in the summer and it did affect the overall economy, but now it is back in full swing,” said Carlos Gomes, a Bank of Nova Scotia economist who follows the auto industry closely.

There were signs in September that the worst had passed, noted industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., of Richmond Hill, Ont.

Car production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. (TM-N66.91-0.43-0.64%) in Cambridge, Ont., rose 19 per cent that month from year-earlier levels, Mr. DesRosiers said, compared with a 6.2-per-cent decline in the first nine months of the year.

Since then, Toyota’s other plant in Woodstock, Ont., has returned to a full, two-shift operation and is also working overtime to boost output of the RAV4 crossover.

Nonetheless, when compared with vehicle production in the United States and Mexico, “we’ve been the laggard all year and remained so in September,” Mr. DesRosiers said.

While the assembly industry is located entirely in Ontario and most of the supply base is in that province as well, the production rebound will also contribute to national economic growth, Mr. Gomes said.

The rebound will add almost a full percentage point to the annual growth rate in the fourth quarter, he said. His forecast is that the economy will grow by 1.2 per cent this quarter.

Japan-based auto makers want to increase their inventories, which stood at just 40 days of supply in the U.S. market in September, compared with the usual figure of about 60 days. In addition, U.S. sales jumped by a surprising 10 per cent in September. That means all auto makers want to make sure they have enough vehicles on U.S. dealers’ lots in the fourth quarter.

The U.S. market is the destination for 80 per cent of the Civics, Acura MDX and ZDX models that roll off the Alliston assembly lines.

The shortage of Civics since March means there are several thousand back orders for the car at Canadian dealerships, Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president of Honda Canada Inc. told reporters at the Alliston plant on Wednesday. Some customers have been waiting as long as 45 days, he said, but the increase in production should cut that to 30 days.

The Civic has been the best-selling passenger car in Canada for the past 13 years and led the second-place Hyundai Elantra by 1,122 vehicles at the end of September, despite a 12-per-cent sales decline in the first nine months of 2011.

Source;
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/honda-cranks-up-output-as-auto-sector-sees-comeback/article2206417/

We’re more than excited about Audi’s decision to bring back the RS line in the United States. The RS renaissance began with the just-released TT-RS; next up is the RS5. We had an opportunity to check out the RS5 coupe at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but our spy photographer just snapped a cabrio variant getting ready to burn some brakes and rubber at the Nurburgring race track in Germany.

There’s nothing groundbreaking to report here since — like the A5 and S5 — the difference between the coupe and the cabrio are mostly from the beltline up. From the rear, this particular tester is sporting S5 duds from the rear bumper down to the S5 badge. The RS5 will have a more aggressive looking rear diffuser and wider fenders to accommodate large, 20-inch wheels (19s in the S5). Up front the tester is showing of a mix of S5 (badge and grille) and RS5 (lower front fascia and large brakes).

But what counts is under the hood, and as we previously reported from Frankfurt, the RS5 will be powered by a 4.2-liter V-8-engine rated at 450 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. The mill will send power to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Pricing and release date haven’t been released for either the coupe and cabrio.

Thanks to: Motor Trend