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First drive review: 2021 Lexus LS 500 delivers bargain flagship in need of a flagship powertrain

The Lexus LS didn’t need to look sportier or become more luxurious. All it needed was a better infotainment system and less weezy powertrain.

It’s received one of those things and is absolutely more livable because of it.

The 2021 Lexus was given a nip and tuck, updated infotainment system, and a handful of chassis tweaks all to help stir sales.

I’m here to tell you the updates helped this Japanese flagship go from barely tolerable to worth being on the radar if one doesn’t want to blend into the sea of Mercedes-Benz S-Classes at the local golf course. You might even save $20,000 or more.

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

Finally, we touch

The single most important update for the LS is found inside the cabin: The 12.3-inch infotainment screen is now, finally, a touchscreen as it should’ve been. This revolutionary piece of magic glass that Toyota’s luxury division just rediscovered (Lexuses used to have touchscreens and the outdated yet fantastic GX still does) makes it so one doesn’t have to control the infotainment system via the touchpad while driving. Unfortunately the user interface wasn’t changed for the touchscreen and still requires users to rely on some of the hard “Menu” or “Back” buttons ahead of the touchpad to navigate the interface. Using Apple CarPlay is now a joy, though the system can’t split-screen like a Hyundai Telluride can, nor can it do Apple CarPlay wireless.

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

The new touchscreen doesn’t fit into the LS in a particularly harmonious way. The swoopy dashboard used to have the 12.3-inch screen integrated whereas the new display is slapped onto the dashboard like a large tablet. Just because the Germans do it doesn’t make it a good idea.

It’s tough to best the LS’s interior at my tester’s $110,225 price tag. With real metal trim, leather as soft as a newborn’s bottom, and a power-operated massaging and reclining rear seat with a 7.0-inch touchscreen controller, which was part of the $17,580 Executive Package, this nearly loaded LS tester just squeaks in under the Mercedes-Benz S-Class’s base price of $110,850. The details sell the LS’s interior with armrests that seem to float off the door panels and a rear deck that curves behind the seats.

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

From the outside it’ll take a keen eye to pick the 2021 LS out from the previous model. The headlights and front bumper were both tweaked and the taillights are now darker. While the updated headlights now share a resemblance to the fantastic LC and give the LS a sportier look, they also look less distinct without the triple Z-like light elements shooting upward like fireworks firing off into the LED headlights.

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

Punch without fury

Under the hood the fantastic 5.0-liter V-8 soundtrack remains absent. A twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 with 416 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission returns unchanged. While a hybrid is available, and rear-wheel drive is standard, my tester was equipped with all-wheel drive, a system that’s still poorly packaged and has the differential’s half shafts intruding into the driver’s footwell. The turbo V-6 makes gobs of power with Lexus stating it can run from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds in rear-wheel-drive form, and it feels appropriately quick for such a large sedan. The 10-speed automatic shifts like it’s cutting through warm butter, but the soundtrack from the engine is too weezy as if it belongs in a performance version of the Toyota Camry. The tune is a far cry from the sweet song BMW’s inline-6 makes or the strong bellow the old 5.0-liter V-8 made. Time for the powertrain to go on mute for the electric era or give this flagship a powertrain worth listening to.

The EPA ratings for the LS reach as high as 33 mpg highway in hybrid form, but my AWD tester was rated at 17 mpg city, 27 highway, and 21 combined. My experience fell short of that with the trip computer indicating 23.6 mpg over the course of 444 miles of highway driving. The old V-8, with its muted thrum on the highway, wasn’t much thirstier.

2021 Lexus LS 500 AWD

Lexus said the spring and damper rates were revised and the front and rear anti-roll bar diameters were changed for better body control. The adaptive air suspension received solenoids and control valves for better damping force. The result of all these changes is a soft, supple ride that continues to feel less buttoned down than the German competition. In comfort mode the big sedan floated down the road and the front end did a double bounce when pulling out of my driveway. Sport mode firmed things up and is the ideal suspension setting, but Sport+ took things a bit too far with the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires wapping over Midwest expansion joints on I-94.

At $77,025 the 2021 Lexus LS is a bargain flagship that only the Genesis G90 can touch. Loaded with options it flirts with the base S-Class in price and features, but it looks and feels like a proper flagship in search of a worthy powertrain. It’s time to either deliver the twin-turbo V-8 Lexus developed for the LS F or move straight to an electric powertrain here because an LS is supposed to be a smooth and quiet operator.

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July 1, 2021
MODIFIED FOCUS ST MK3: DEEP IMPACT

Some people like a show car, some like a track car, and some just want to go fast while looking good – here’s why Tom’s modified Focus ST Mk3 hits the spot.

From Fast Ford. Photos: Mike Crawat.

How our passion for cars began is always an interesting question. For Tom Phillips, his passion for fast cars was inherited from his father. But it was his godfather, Bob Berridge, that would ultimately strike the fire for him, having raced in Formula 3, Le Mans and Group C championships right up until 2011.

Naturally for Tom, speed was a key element, and has taken a firm grip on his modified Focus ST Mk3.

“I wanted to buy something new from Ford that suited my needs as well as passion,” says Tom, who struck up a love-at-first-sight relationship with his Focus ST Mk3. “I had heard about its potential and the Mk3 RS was not out yet. Walking into the showroom, I saw the Deep Impact Blue Focus ST and ended up buying that exact one.”

The idea with this build was to create a car that looked the part but also had the performance to back up the bark when the going got tough. So, naturally, the engine needed a lot of work to get it to the right level.

First came the common modifications: exhaust, intake and various hoses. Not satisfied with a mediocre jump in power, the car then went to Devil Developments for fully-forged internals to be able to handle much more. A Garrett 3071R Gen II turbo came next to hike up boost levels and subsequent torque and power. The fantastic and addictive noises of the HKS Supersequential blow-off valve are a happy by-product of the bigger blower too.

An AEM meth injection system works in harmony with the new turbo to help keep temperatures down (and increases octane levels) so boost levels can be wound up safely. The final piece to the engine puzzle is a Cobb V3 Accessport with custom tuning by Stratified. Power now sits at a healthy 495bhp.

In order to continue putting the power down, the obvious upgrade to the differential was the popular Quaife LSD. Other upgrades to the transmission include a US-spec uprated Mountune clutch and flywheel to help deal with the added torque.

Thankfully this isn’t just an exercise in straight lines; the suspension has been uprated to ST-X Performance coilovers, alongside a full XR poly-bush setup. To further stiffen the body and reduce roll, a Steeda torque mount and firmer engine mounts were added to accompany the Summit upper front strut brace and anti-roll bars.

As we mentioned, Tom likes his cars fast, but he wants to look good while doing so. The ST looks softer than an RS to the unassuming onlooker, but add in a wide-arch kit and lairy wrap, and suddenly you have a car that’s as shouty to see as it is to hear. At the front is the bumper from an RS to give it that angular, purposeful look, while the rear retains the ST bumper with central exhaust, but alongside a diffuser. Up top is the spoiler from an RS, and the front and rear lights both got a tint.

Now to fill those arches – and fill them Tom did. All round sit Govad forged wheels, which measure a whopping 10.5x19in. To put that into perspective, the 2020 Nissan GT-R Nismo uses 10in wheels… Tom’s tyre sizes are 275/30×19, which help get the power down and also look the part.

To complete the package, Tom turned his attention to the interior, where he created an all-round show-winner. Out came the Ford infotainment system; in went a Pioneer head unit connected to an 18in sub, B2 four-channel amp and B2 mono amp. A custom boot build was created and installed by Harwood Acoustics.

Tom isn’t done yet, though. He plans to remove the back seats and stick in a roll cage, but sadly it has gone past the stage where this car will be used on track.

Would he have done anything differently? “In honesty I would have preferred the RS running gear, so perhaps I should have waited 18 months for its release. However, the challenge to create the power and look I have has been rewarding,” says Tom.

When you’re in the middle of a build, it can often seem like a long way until you reach the end result, and it can leave you asking why you started in the first place.

But if, like Tom, you see it through, you’ll end up with a car that not only goes like the clappers and looks great at any show in the UK, it has your creativity nestled into it too.

Tech Spec: Modified Focus ST Mk3

Engine:

2.0-litre EcoBoost, Devil Developments fully-forged internals, 1000cc injectors, Garrett 3071R Gen II turbo, AEM methanol injection system, various charge pipes and aluminium replacements, HKS Supersequential blow-off valve, Cobb V3 Accessport running Stratified custom tune, custom 3.5in turbo-back valved exhaust system, Boomba manifold spacer, Boomba sound symposer delete, Mishimoto oil catch can, Pro Hoses ancillary hoses

Power:

495bhp (owner’s estimate)

Transmission:

Focus ST six-speed Getrag MMT6 gearbox, US-spec uprated Mountune clutch and uprated flywheel, Quaife LSD, Mountune quickshift with custom shifter/arm

Suspension:

ST-X coilovers, full XR poly-bushes throughout, Steeda torque mount and various engine mounts, Summit upper front strut brace and anti-roll bars

Brakes:

Front: Mk3 Focus RS four-pot Brembo callipers and 350mm ventilated discs, Ferodo pads
Rear: Mk3 Focus RS discs and callipers, Ferodo pads

Wheels & tyres:

Govad G47 Street forged wheels in 10.5x19in, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 275/30R19 tyres

Exterior:

Fortune Flares wide-arch kit (RS front/ST rear), FRSH Customs wrap in custom Stox Autosport design, RS front-end conversion, SS Tuning front splitter and rear diffuser, RS spoiler, tinted front and rear lights, fog light bar, Zunsport grille, Hella horns

Interior:

Pioneer double-DIN head unit, 18in sub and custom boot install, Harwood Acoustics custom design boot build, B2 four-channel amp and B2 mono amp, uprated Zen X battery, Sparco gearknob and gaiter, F34 Design fire extinguisher bracket, interior light upgrades

Source

July 1, 2021
B18 MINI CLUBMAN: A TRIBUTE ACT

After his equally Mini-mad brother passed away part-way through their latest project, Alec Harris decided to finish what they started and make a monster B18 Mini Clubman that would do his brother proud.

Modifying cars is a great bonding experience. Be it with mates, your kids or another family member, having a laugh while wielding a spanner is a pastime that’s tough to beat. Alec Harris is a man who knows all about the benefits of modifying when it comes to creating quality time to remember, as he and his brother Keith spent many a happy day up to their elbows in grease whilst working on their various Mini projects over the years, including this Honda-powered B18 Mini Clubman Estate.

“My brother Keith and I had been into Minis for a long time,” says Alec. “And I originally bought this one for us to have some fun with back in 2010.”

The B18 Mini Clubman was completely standard back then, but has evolved significantly over the last decade into the fire-breathing monster it is today.

But, as fun as it’s been, the journey hasn’t been an easy one for Alec, as part way through the build, Keith passed away. Hence there’s a tribute to him in the rear window. “We were using the Mini to take him back and forward to hospital for treatment,” Alec remembers. “It took me quite a while to get back into the build after we lost him.”

The brothers were no strangers to Mini tuning, having explored the extremes of A-series turbo projects many times before.

“Originally we were going to keep it A-series, but the cost of parts to make it reliable would’ve been astronomical,” reckons Alec. “So after a bit of man maths, we reasoned that a swap to Honda power was the best way forward.” Luckily, Alec managed to find a complete Honda Civic VTi-S with a powerful B18C VTEC engine for reasonable money, stripped it of the parts they would need and went from there.

Work started on the Clubman with minor repairs and the panelling of the rear quarter windows, but not because they wanted a van. “It’s a spaceframe in the back and we didn’t want the frame to be visible, plus I’m quite tall so it meant I could put the seat right back, as there’s no rear seat.”

This Mini is clearly an impressive custom build and must’ve been fun to do alongside the day job… Alec owns South Coast Vehicle Restoration in Southampton. “We do pretty much everything in-house: paint, bodywork, wiring, suspension, general mechanics, we do it all. We don’t just do restorations though; we work on new cars too, such as paint repair. We’re quite unique. I’m more into the modified stuff though, things that are unusual and a bit crazy.”

To allow the Mini to sit low over the 7x13in Supalight alloys and sticky Nankang Sportnex AR-1 tyres, the rear arches are tubbed and the mounting points sleeved to take centrally-mounted coilovers. And there are equally complex modifications up front: “The bulkhead is modified and strengthened, and the rollcage picks up on every point of the subframe so there is no twist.” Alec says. The single-piece back ‘door’, which Alec fabricated in steel using two original Mini door frames, is bolted closed from the inside. The nearside external hinges remain but have had their external nuts removed, which is a great touch.

When Keith passed away, the project naturally halted, as Alec took some time out of the build. However, feeling that Keith would’ve wanted to see the Mini complete, Alec eventually gained the strength to pick up the tools again and make the Mini into the kind of car that he and Keith had always dreamed of.

“The naturally-aspirated Honda engine was great, but I needed more power,” Alec chuckles. The engine retains its standard internals but now has ID 420cc injectors, Audi R8 coil packs and a Mamba GTX28 ball-bearing turbocharger fitted to a ‘ram’s horn’ exhaust manifold. The list goes on with a TurboSmart Ultra-Gate 38 external wastegate and dump valve, intercooler and AEM water/ethanol injection and launch control, both of which are controlled by a Link G4X ECU. “A lot of people supercharge these engines, but I think turbocharging is more fun,” grins Alec. The TurboSmart external wastegate also allows the engine to run a ‘screamer’ pipe, where excess boost is vented to the unsuspecting public through an un-muffled pipe which exits the car through the nearside front wing instead of into the exhaust pipe. “I did have a cheap one but changed to the TurboSmart, which is actually quite quiet. In fact the whole car is remarkably quiet, except for the Bosch fuel pumps.”

The exhaust is a bespoke, single back box, stainless steel 3in system that Alec fabricated himself. Both the exhaust and turbo ‘screamer’ pipe have protective plates to shield the paintwork against the pyrotechnics. Sometimes you have to compromise, and he admits the intercooler’s positioning isn’t the most efficient. “It’s the only place I had,” he laughs. The Clubman’s normally cavernous engine bay could only afford room at the front for a Honda Integra radiator and oil cooler. So to keep the charged air cool, the Clubman is fitted with water/ethanol injection. “It’s controlled by engine temperature, with the ECU initialising the pump and a control switch on the pipe, so it primes it and then injects it.” The water/ethanol bottle is mounted on the complex cage, just behind the front Cobra Imola Pro bucket seats and four-point harnesses.

The seats themselves have been mounted to suit his height, which meant Alec also needed to make changes to the steering. “The wheel position is over toward the driver by 2in, and 6in closer, as my seat is positioned on the floor and tight back, to fit me.” The OMP steering wheel also has a B-G Racing quick-release boss. But as stripped out and racy as the Mini’s interior looks, Alec has allowed himself some creature comforts in the form of a later Mini heater and electric windows, which mount behind the aluminium door cards. “The only thing that remains original Mini is the wiper motor and the rear lights. The loom is one of the things that can really let Minis down, so pretty much all the wiring is now Honda, and is mounted behind the custom dashboard.”

A Honda binnacle shows the basics, with the rest of the information from the Link ECU displayed on a tablet mounted above the steering wheel.

The Honda gear lever is mounted further back in the cabin for comfort, while the tunnel is also raised and squared off; the only bit of floor that’s been changed. Other internal changes include a hybrid pedal box which is late Mini linked to a Honda master cylinder.

Alec has achieved what he’d intended by moving away from A-series power, with the current configuration producing a reliable 350bhp+ at the front wheels. He doesn’t have any rolling road figures as he’s found live mapping to be more effective for this turbo system.

As yet, Alec hasn’t had the Mini down the quarter mile, but he has taken it around Goodwood circuit and was really happy with how the car performed. But it’s not all about the go as, to slow things down, a set of Mini Sport billet four-pot alloy calipers and vented and grooved discs have been squeezed behind the front wheels and provide prodigious stopping power.

The B18 Mini Clubman has not just provided a fitting tribute to his late brother, but has also given Alec a great showcase for his skills, not least his talent with a spray gun. The latest orangey-red colour, which looks amazing in direct sunlight, uses a three-stage process. “I fancied changing the colour from the previous green. The paint is a water-based MIPA three-stage with a red base and a gold Xirallic tinter which is the next one up from pearl. A lot of the new black paints have Xirallic in them.” The paint really is as vibrant as the photos show but it was not just a case of rubbing the car down and slapping on some paint, as all of the logos in the bodywork are also painted and prep-work is key. “I’d just gone over to MIPA paint for my business and it was during a training day that I decided on the Mini’s colour. It’s not one of their ‘off the shelf’ colours. A lot of reds bleed through, so I used a high-build white primer, flatted that, and then laid down the red base with the Xirallic over the top, then clear over that.”

He then flatted the shell and painted the graphics before re-lacquering. “With three-stage, the paint is OK to match if you have a small repair, if you know what you’re doing,” he says proudly.

Alex is considering whether to re-paint the Mini back to its earlier stealthy black look, but this vibrant colour certainly catches people’s attention and showcases his skills nicely, and after all, there’s only so much stealth you can have with that huge turbo hanging out the front! But either way, he’s sure to continue enjoying his cool Clubman. “It’s a car I use quite a lot,” he says. “In my opinion, cars are to be used and not just left in the garage to look at. In fact, I was driving it home the other night and it tried to kill me! I like cars like that wake you up, and Keith did too.” We’re sure Keith would be very proud of what his brother has achieved and Alec can be proud that he’s finally fulfilled their vision. And what better way to honour loved ones lost than a turbocharged tearaway tribute drenched in eye-popping orange? We can’t think of one!

Tech Spec: B18 Mini Clubman

Engine:

1.8-litre, 40cyl, 16v Honda B18C engine, ID 420cc injectors, Audi R8 coil packs, K&N cone air filter, Mamba GTX28 ball-bearing turbocharger, ‘ram’s horn’ exhaust manifold, TurboSmart Ultra-Gate 38 external wastegate with screamer pipe, TurboSmart blow-off valve, top-mounted intercooler and AEM water/ethanol injection Link G4X ECU, Bosch fuel pumps, bespoke, single back box, stainless steel 3in exhaust system, Honda Integra radiator and oil cooler

Performance:

350bhp+

Transmission: 5-speed Honda SB9 manual gearbox with Kaaz plated-tyre LSD

Suspension:

Custom coilover suspension all round with custom rose-jointed suspension arms

Brakes:

Mini Sport billet four-pot alloy calipers and vented and grooved discs

Wheels & Tyres:

7x13in Supalight alloys with175/50/13 Nankang Sportnex AR-1 tyres

Exterior:

Rear windows removed and replaced with panels to convert to a van, wide arches, alloy fuel filler cap, one-piece rear door, F1-style mirrors, custom front bumper with turbo cut-out, gloss black grille, roof and vented bonnet, full respray in MIPA three-stage red base with gold Xirallic tinter

Interior:

Stripped interior, custom rollcage, Cobra Imola bucket seats with blue harnesses, custom aluminium dashboard with Honda instrument binnacle, aluminium door cards, electric windows, later-sepc Mini heater system, tablet displaying ECU parameters.

From Fast Car. Words & Photos: Jim Jupp

Source

June 30, 2021