NC vs ND: The evolution of the Mazda MX-5 Miata
Although I came of car-driving age in the waning days of the muscle-car era (right before the first energy crisis and the start of the Malaise Era), I was always the contrarian that gravitated towards...
View ArticleToyota 86s the Scion FR-S
Colloquially, to 86 something means to get rid of it, kill it or throw it out. So there was a hint of irony when Toyota discontinued the Scion brand that the FR-S model name was also 86ed in favor...
View ArticleLexus’ GS F: A “‘tweener” supersedan?
The top-of-the-heap niche within the mid-size (E-segment) super sports luxury sedans of the recent past and present is the domain of boosted V8s boasting north of 500 hp. That would be the the...
View ArticleToyota, its affiliates and allies at the upcoming 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show...
As the 2017-2018 auto show season kicks off in this author’s home town of Miami, closely followed by the first of the truly international “A-list” shows in Frankfurt, we find auto shows themselves in a...
View ArticleLexus’ wet dream leaves a couple of (trade)marks
Since its start in 1989, Toyota’s Lexus brand has been associated primarily with automobiles, with occasional detours into bicycles, hoverboards and Skyjets for sci-fi films. Lest the world’s oceans...
View ArticleLexus registers LQ trademark
On 7 May 2018, Toyota registered the LQ trademark in the United States, under Serial Number 87909977, for “automobiles and structural parts thereof”. But what is its significance or likely use? The...
View ArticleToyota C-HR: Scion’s last idiosyncratic hurrah
It is the result of an older sibling’s uncontrolled growth spurt and a crosstown rival’s geekily proportioned, willfully ugly rally car/small crossover SUV mashup that succeeded beyond anyone’s...
View ArticleLexus registers LM 300h and LM 350 trademarks
A month prior to its public unveiling, Toyota North America’s Executive Vice President of Sales (and Toyota USA President of Sales) Bob Carter had already hinted at production intent for its...
View ArticleGSE21 to GSE31: The evolution of the Lexus IS 350
A recent invitation to sample the 2018 Lexus IS 350 for a week was, in a way, reminiscent of my NC vs ND Mazda Miata comparison from last year. While a 3rd-gen (NC) Miata is my weekend and mild weather...
View ArticleRevisiting the ND Mazda MX-5 (because there’s no such thing as too much Miata)
Early last year, Mazda was graceful enough to allow me to sample a 2017 MX-5 Miata Grand Touring for a week. It was only natural that I compare it to the 2008 Miata Touring that I’ve owned for over a...
View ArticleToyota registers the Harrier trademark in the U.S. But why?
The Toyota Harrier most likely resonates only with hardcore followers and fans of Japan’s largest automaker (including its Lexus marque) and regular Kaizen Factor readers. We wrote a pair of stories on...
View ArticleJust-Auto’s future Lexus predictions (December 2018). How accurate are they?
Every so often, one of the automotive industry-centric websites or organizations will publish Toyota and/or Lexus-centric predictions on the future of their model lineups, timelines for refreshes or...
View ArticleA North American return of the Lexus ES 250? The trademark tea leaves say yes.
Although Toyota’s launch of the Lexus luxury brand just over 30 years ago was primarily centered on the flagship LS 400, the carmaker quickly realized that a smaller, less expensive companion model was...
View ArticleREVIEW: 2015 Lexus GS 350 F SPORT RWD
The midsize luxury sedan market has for years been dominated by the Europeans however there have been many attempts by…
View ArticlePreview: 2022 Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance Launch Edition
Howdy, it’s been a minute but I’m back! This is my first look at the highly anticipated 2022 IS 500…
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