Rabbers

I remember seeing a TV debate in Denmark some years ago about a possible colour differentiation of rear and front plates along UK lines. Nothing came of the proposal but, as matter of interest, the car mostly used to illustrate their point by those in favour was the classic VW Beetle, whose front and rear in certain conditions of light and distances were not always easy to tell apart.

Well, fancy that!

Strange question. Even some foreigners know why, or could easily guess.

The achievable speeds and rates of an acceleration of EVs pose a serious commercial problem for traditional manufacturers of supercars. That performances hitherto considered highly impressive can now be readily matched and improved by EVs is one of the reasons why the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maclaren et al., are jumping on the EV bandwagon, as are bigger groups with comparable high-performance models at the top of their ranges. So far they do not seem to have convinced the specialist media or prospective customers as to how - or if - their EVs might provide levels of driving pleasure equal to those on which they built their reputations and justified their prices. It will be especially interesting to see what their response will be to the functional quietness of EVs, which many traditional customers for ICE supercars consider a major blemish and obstacle to purchase. Could one solution turn out to be some sort of synthetic sound device akin to Lexus’ ASC, duly improved to meet the perceived needs of those for whom noise and pleasure are at least partly synonymous?

Indeed. I reckon they kept the car stable at high speeds and probably inspired the side strakes on the Ferrari Testarossa.

Anyone wanting to understand the difference between having an opinion and being opinionated should read this thread.

I knew that lavatories and mothers-in-law were traditional elements of British humour but I never thought I’d come across them in a Lexus forum.

Ageing has its benefits, or so I like to think. I drive a little slower but more safely because experience has taught me to anticipate the idiocy of others; I eat and drink less but enjoy my meals better; I walk and generally move slower but act accordingly and with exactly the same results as before. As regards other things, they are nobody’s business but my own.

I completely understand, David, but you’ll have noticed that the advice was limited to a tiny amount. What one does with the rest of the bottle is one’s own business.

I find Dr Leather wipes, sparingly used, bring back the leather component of the new car smell quite effectively when it begins to wear off. A less orthodox method recommended by a former Spanish colleague of mine - and which I haven't got around to trying though I keep meaning to - is to vaporise a tiny amount of one of the better local brandies such as Cardenal Mendoza, Lepanto, Carlos 1° etc. Apparently, when the alcohol has evaporated, which it quickly does, the cabin is left with the smell of fine leather.

Can’t disagree. It’s one of life’s great pleasures. But when experiencing the nice smell of a new Lexus I’ve always found myself wondering if a new Bentley might not, for example, smell even better.

I think the guiding logic, rightly or wrongly - but probably the latter - is that if the car can handle such acceleration so can the driver.

No question about it. Still, if he makes a habit of it I’d be interested to know how long his tyres last.

Unless they are moral philosophers of proven distinction, I make it a rule to mistrust anyone who considers the difference between honesty and dishonesty to be a subject for debate.

Based on my admittedly limited experience of the NX350h, I was surprised by your criticism of the ride. On the two occasions I have driven the car, once for the best part of a day on a variety of surfaces ranging from good to barely acceptable, I found the suspensions exceptionally good by comparison with my own RC300h, which are themselves excellent, and, more significantly, by comparison with those of the previous generation NX300h, which I have had as a courtesy car several times and invariably found very poorly sprung and noisy on rough roads. If I were you I would ask a Lexus dealer, hopefully one you trust to be objective, to take the car for a drive and see if his opinion coincides with yours.

.... or perhaps even want it?😳!

My first Lexus was a 2002 IS200, silver with black trim. I bought it for my wife but ended up mainly driving it myself before trading it in for a 2005 IS250 when it had done about 50000km and still looked and drove like new. Amazingly enough I still occasionally spot it on the road and, as far as I can tell, it still looks to be in good nick. In my recollection it did not offer a particularly exciting drive but had an exceptionally smooth gearbox complementing the equally smooth ride. I was fond of the unique chronograph-style instrument cluster and the highly tactile gearstick with the spherical chrome grip. Unfortunately this tended to peel and flake, and after I had it replaced once under warranty it already needed replacing again when I sold the car. Also, both headlights were replaced under warranty because of water ingress, and one of them was replaced a second time for the same reason.

These types of wheel supposedly allow more space for beer bellies, and for this reason are said to be especially popular in German cars.

If you want an all-black car, wheels and all, and that is your taste you should by all means go for it. But, to be practical, you should bear in mind that the F-Sport black cloth roof lining combined with black leather, black plastics and black mats makes the cabin look and feel murky. I have had red leather in 2016 and 2019 F-Sport RCs in Sonic Titanium, the Dark Rose shade replaced by the brighter Flare Red (see Peter's photo in his post above) in the later model. Red leather trim is well suited to any metallic silver-type car but in my opinion looks a bit naff in a black one. There is no disputing that black leather is more convenient to maintain than any other colour if only because it hides dirt better and can more easily be recoloured if necessary. With specific regard to the two aforementioned Lexus reds, my experience is that they wear well with a minimum of maintenance, being favoured by the shape and firmness of the F-Sport seats, which make the horizontal surfaces less prone to lateral pressure and rubbing and therefore to creasing. This, of course, is regardless of colour but is a feature that might make one more reluctant to consider black as a first choice.

Didn’t they also keep out the Welsh?

Complaining about someone bad without realising that it takes one to know one.

Good Grief, Malc! I thought the only gfs you had were the one you just bought and the one you kept. Now you’re telling us you’ve got at least one other that doesn’t have four wheels and helps out with communications technology issues. You are making us all jealous.

I have occasionally experienced minor but nevertheless irritating noises upon closing rather than opening the sunroof (or "moonroof", take your pick), which have aways gone away of their own accord. Being an optimist, I attribute them not to any mechanical issue but to grit or other forms of dirt which as likely as not might have come unstuck from the surface of the glass if it is none too clean. Also, although I can't really explain how it might have any direct effect on noises, it seems helpful to apply a rubber dressing such as GummiPflege to the external roof seal every once in a while.

Vlad, for one reason or another I‘ve been unlucky with just about every Ford I’ve ever driven, and this, justly or unjustly, had made me prejudiced. The only Ford I’ve ever owned was a 2003 1600cc Fiesta, Ghia trim, bought new and used mainly by my wife. It spent a lot of time in the workshop because of engine- and brakes-related issues, more irritating than serious, and we kept it for less than two years. My memory of it is of overlong braking distances and poor stability in the wet. One of my worst experiences with any car regarded a mid-90s Mondeo I once rented in Germany. After leaving it overnight in a motel car park, I found it covered in thick frost. Upon yanking the door open, the rubber door-seal came away with it, leaving me to try and get it back in position in the bitter cold, which I managed with the help of tape before driving 100km in sleet and snow to the next town with a Hertz office to get a replacement. As regards American Fords, I occasionally had use when visiting my company’s HQ in Chicago of a car pool consisting entirely of Fairmonts and a few Mercury models. I never drove one that didn’t have a rattle. Mind you, I was once a passenger in the CEO’s Lincoln Continental, and that was totally rattle-free.

Interesting. When I asked at my 60000km service if my pads were OK, I was assured they were. Same reply at 75000km, leading me to comment that this was impressive. The service manager agreed, adding that this was not unusual after the pads were “improved” with the RC’s 2019 facelift. Checking back, we saw that the front pads on my 2016 RC had in fact been changed at 58700km (i.e. with the 60000km service). I haven’t thought about it again until now but my understanding was that the quality of the compound used for all sizes of Lexus/Toyota pads then current was modified for the better around 2019 and would presumably have been adopted as standard across the range thereafter.