Lexus

Japanese performance cars have never done well on the auction block compared to their American and European counterparts, but they are quickly beginning to look like worthwhile investments. Here's a look at the most collectible Japanese cars.

Lexus has made its first decisive steps into the world of zero tailpipe emissions by revealing plans for a battery-powered version of its UX compact luxury crossover, currently on show at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition in China.

At the time, we figured the concept it revealed in February looked ready to roll, and Lexus appears to have thought the same thing, hitting the LA Auto Show with the production version of its LC 500 Convertible that is very familiar.

Lexus has updated the RC 350 with refreshed styling, a retuned suspension, and smartphone integration. The excellent interior Lexus is known for remains, but the RC does have flaws – it's a beautiful car that could stand some improvement.

Lexus' spindle grille might be the most controversial auto styling cue of our time. And now it's a concept car. The LF-30, an otherwise fun, drone-docking autonomous EV, debuts as a bumper-to-bumper spindle grille ... with bulging spindle grille.

The 2019 Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille ​was a triumph in many ways, most importantly in the turnout of exclusive automobiles from 16 manufacturers including significant debutant models. For McLaren it was doubly so, as its new​ Speedtail took out "Best in Show."

With Lexus jumping into the MPV game, the minivan might actually become something of an object of desire. Will the new Lexus LM raise the humble minivan from "soccer dad" to "jet-setting international power broker?" Probably not, but it does bring some fresh style and luxury to the MPV segment.

The 2019 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance continued to grow in stature this year, but it was the symbiotic cluster of elite auctions that threw up the most interesting results. The collector car market is undergoing generational change, attracting a younger clientele driving prices below $500,000.

Fresh from Detroit and headed for Geneva, this convertible LC show car looks less like a way-out concept car and much more like something we'll see in showrooms before too long. It also looks like a ton of fun to point down a twisty summer beach road.

Toyota is set to introduce a car subscription service that might just tempt drivers away from traditional car ownership. But the model comes with an interesting twist, incorporating a reward system for sound driving that could make the experience cheaper for its smarter users. ​

This year we've assembled the 100 most interesting lots, regardless of whether they sold or not, and ordered them with the highest bid counted. It reflects the diversity of the automotive market this year more than ever.

Using a script written by IBM's Watson supercomputer, trained with a long list of award-winning luxury brand commercials and human emotional response data, Lexus has shot a TV ad digitally designed to make you feel things. Does it work? Well, kind of.