The Japanese luxury automaker Lexus will reveal their replacement for the GX470 luxury SUV at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show with a model called the GX460. The new full size SUV is based on the European model of Toyota’s Land Cruiser and will go on sale sometime in early 2010.

The main difference between the Land Cruiser and the GX460 is the front end appearance of the Lexus with its new grille, redesigned headlamps, new bumpers and chrome trim on the side windows and lower door moldings. Not to mention the Lexus’ luxurious interior.

Under the hood of the all new GX460, Toyota’s the current 4.7 Liter V8 is being replaced by a more efficient 4.6 Liter unit that delivers a maximum output of 310 HP and 327 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a new fuel saving six speed automatic transmission with sequential shift. One thing is certain with the all new Lexus GX460, not only will it be able to transport an entire soccer team and all their gear, but it will do it with unparalleled refinement.

Press release after the jump.

Lexus GX460 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 12:15 EST.

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Michael Schumacher’s aborted comeback with Ferrari after Felipe Massa’s season ended with a head injury may have been canned prematurely.

And while we were all disappointed that Schumi’s return to F1 didn’t materialize, we now have rumors that the seven-time world champion may be returning to race in 2010.

The twist is it might not be with Ferrari.

Schumacher and Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) are in ‘preliminary talks’ over the prospect of Schumi driving for the team in 2010. With Jenson Button’s sudden defection to McLaren, Mercedes GP has yet to find a teammate for Nico Rosberg and Schumacher’s name has been brought up recently. If Schumi does decide to race for Mercedes GP, it would create a vaunted all-German pairing that could rival both Ferrari and McLaren.

Looking deeper into all of this, it doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it sounds; after all, Schumacher’s relationship with team principal Ross Brawn has been well-documented with the pair being responsible for Ferrari’s dominance for the better part of the decade.

In the event that Michael Schumacher ends up in Mercedes GP, it automatically makes the 2010 F1 season all that more tantalizing, so much so, that March can’t come soon enough.

Michael Schumacher could make a comeback with Mercedes GP originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 20:00 EST.

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Among all of the states in the US, California holds the distinction of having the most exotics and supercars roaming around the streets. After all, the glitz and glamour that comes with being in California affords most people the moolah to get their hands on one.

So it comes with a tinge of irony that three of the biggest exotic makers – Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley – have all decided to skip the LA Auto Show

The news that three of the most prestigious manufacturers have decided to pass on LA when a spokesperson for the event told the Detroit Bureau that the decisions by Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini to skip LA hinged on the fact that they’ve decided to ‘put their resources to better use’.
Translation: “We don’t want to incur any unnecessary expenditures, like showing up for an event like the LA Auto Show.

Continued after the jump.

Ferrari, Bentley and Lamborghini to skip the LA Auto Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 14:13 EST.

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Yamaha’s 2010 European range will feature a FZ8 model instead of the FZ6, which was having troubles competing with other middleweight models such as the Kawasaki Z750 or the Aprilia Shiver 750 as a result of its R6 engine being designed for horsepower rather than torque. Although we have no official information about the all-new 2010 Yamaha FZ8, it seems that the new model will come to fix that, hopefully, by making use of a V-twin engine.

All that Yamaha has revealed so far is the future FZ8’s pretty face, but we can’t help wondering if it’s ever gonna make it to the United States. More information as we have it.

Teaser shot: 2010 Yamaha FZ8 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:48 EST.

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The German automaker Volkswagen has a long history with the independent motor vehicle manufacturing firm Karmann, most notably the classic VW Karmann Ghia that was styled by the Carrozzeria Ghia and constructed by the coach builder Karmann. More recently the Volkswagen Group announced that they have acquired the land, machinery and equipment at the Osnabrück site that formerly belonged to the Karmann holding company. The best part about the acquisition is that VW is planning on setting up a new manufacturing subsidiary and eventually break ground on a new project.

Production at the Osnabrück facility isn’t scheduled to begin until 2011, however current projections detail the creation of over 1,000 jobs by the year 2014. There has been no mention of whether VW will keep the Karmann staff on for the new project, however it would be foolish to let all of those experienced automotive craftsmen go due to their extensive experience building limited edition vehicles. One of the models that will be built at the Osnabrück site is the Volkswagen BlueSport diesel roadster as well as a drop top Cabrio version of the next generation Golf VI. It’s always nice to see old friends getting back together.

Volkswagen plans to build the BlueSport at former Karmann facility originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:30 EST.

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In 2010, Suzuki will celebrate 25 years of producing the GSX-R series and have created a limited edition GSX-R1000 for the occasion. Called the Suzuki GSX-R1000Z, the anniversary edition will only feature cosmetic differences compared to a standard GSX-R1000 K9 or K10 model (there’s no mechanical difference between the two model years anyway).

Only 1000 such bikes will be made and feature a gold or beige frame, swingarm and parts of the fairing combined with the dominant pearl white color on the fairing. Also, the Gixxer will feature 25th anniversary graphics on the fairing, mufflers, wheel rims and ignition key, as well as a serial number plate.

Suzuki plans to take the wraps off the GSX-R1000Z 25th anniversary edition this week at the NEC Show in Birmingham.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 "25th Anniversary Edition" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:12 EST.

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Lexus recently unveiled the compact hybrid LF-Ch Concept earlier this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The forward thinking hatchback is a preview as to what the future of luxury will be all about, set to compete head to head with other efficient space saving luxury vehicles like the the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 when the LF-Ch makes its scheduled debut sometime in 2012.

In an official statement, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin said that “There is a group of buyers growing up now who won’t buy cars by the pound. We have already seen a structural shift to the smaller and lower-priced segments of the luxury market over the last couple years.” The compact premium segment has been strong in congested urban areas for years, especially in Europe. The challenge that not only Lexus but a host of other automakers are setting for themselves is how to get the American market to warm up to the idea of paying mare and getting less. One of the steps that will most likely be taken when the LF-Ch becomes production ready is the use of a conventional power train in order to pass the savings along to the customer, but with any success you can expect Toyota to release a hybrid versions shortly after.

Lexus LF-Ch Concept could be going into production by 2012 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:00 EST.

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We all thought the Buell brand was dead and gone, but it seems we haven’t seen the end of it yet as a recently issued announcement says the name will be associated with motorcycle racing in the near future. This is the result of Erik Buell leaving the Motor Company and establishing Erik Buell Racing with support from Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Erik Buell Racing will be based at the Buell factory in East Troy, Wisconsin and supply the Buell 1125R to racing teams. This means meeting racing regulations and keeping part of the workforce previously engaged in producing American sportsbike. But most importantly, we’ll be hearing from Buell in the future when, hopefully, they’ll be winning races.

Press release is attached after the jump.

Erik Buell Racing – the rebirth of American sportbikes originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 14:23 EST.

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Ford’s ’10 Unleashed campaign has given us some pretty good entertainment over the past couple of months. There was the touching story of a blind man getting his first taste of sitting behind the wheel of a 2010 Mustang, there was that owner who decided to turn his Mustang into a rally car, and of course, there was the four Need for Speed gamers who took their video game skills out on a real race track.

The latest instalment of the hit campaign sees the 2010 Mustang take on a group of professional skateboarders in a sort-of can-you-top-this competition.

Of course, we need to have a certain level of perspective as to how this challenge played out. After all, the 2010 Mustang had the decided advantage of computer-generated graphics on its side. So, in a nutshell, you can say that the competition wasn’t done on an even playing field – no pun intended.

Check out the videos after the jump to see who rocked whose wheels.

Ford ‘10 Unleashed: 2010 Mustang vs pro skateboarders originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 14:00 EST.

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