For directions and a map to McGrath Lexus of Chicago, click here!

Chicago Auto Show – Feb 10th – 19th

The 2012 Chicago Auto Show is now open! Lexus has brought the LF-LC Concept, the new 2013 GS 350, and the rest of it’s lineup to show Chicago what luxury and performance should look like.

The 2012 Chicago Auto Show floorplan offers more than 1 million square feet of space, so go here and grab the map for the 2012 Chicago Auto Show before you leave.

Prices are $11 for adults, $7 for children 7-12. More information such as hours, discounts, etc. can be found here.

Lexus Models On Display In Chicago

The LF-LC Concept car is a look into where Lexus is heading while the 2013 GS 350 is now arriving at your Chicago Lexus dealer, equipped to impress anyone who gets behind the wheel.

The Chicago Auto Show is a place where you can find the inspiration that led to Lexus design changes, the engineering that led to higher performance numbers, and the reasons why Lexus is the top of the line when it comes to customer service.

Lexus Performance & Precision – Engineering A Lexus

You can ask questions about the materials that Lexus uses to assemble the interior, which transforms the atmosphere into an orchestra hall like sound system with precision sound engineering from Mark Levinson.

Lexus Performance is 306 HP from the new 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport, and 0-60 MPH in 5.7 seconds! Learn more about the GS 350 Performance Specs.

Lexus Design is the fins incorporated into the side of the tail lamps and the aerodynamics of the trunk area to help direct air over and past the GS 350.

Lexus Luxury is a high-resolution center control display tucked into the dash and white LED lights that are sequentially lit around the door areas, center console, and footwells.

Lexus Engineering is more like aircraft engineering, because precision is mandatory in every detail.

Lexus Driving Experience

These are the types of attributes that make owning a Lexus an experience that transcends the driver into a world absent of road noise, free from poor quality design, and into a place that makes driving around Chicago more fun that ever before.

Come down to the Chicago Auto Show, and let your imagination of owning a Lexus become that much more realistic.

Lexus Eco Challenge

There are few things as inspirational and uplifting as the ideas that come from younger generations. They often suggest things that are simple yet brilliant in terms of how to solve complex problems.

The Lexus Eco Challenge is in search of the best and brightest ideas, and as of 2/7/2012, the second round has been chosen. It won’t be long before some of these students are done with school, hopefully with an inspiration to see their ideas implemented through the support of programs like these.

The following is the entire press release from Lexus:

TORRANCE, Calif., February 7, 2012 – Sixteen student teams from 11 states have been named winners in the second round of the fifth annual Lexus Eco Challenge, an educational program and contest that inspires and empowers young people to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. Lexus will award a total of $500,000 in grants and scholarships throughout this year’s program.

Students across the country demonstrated their commitment to the planet with programs addressing air and climate issues. Each winning team has earned $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher, and school. The winning teams have secured an invitation to participate in the Final Challenge with a chance to win one of two $30,000 grand prizes and eight $15,000 first-place awards. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special webpage to inspire other students to take action in their communities at www.scholastic.com/lexus.

“The thought and effort that these teens put into each Lexus Eco Challenge submission is truly inspiring,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “At Lexus, we’re proud to give them the opportunity to show their capabilities to others, as well as discover their own potential to improve the environment around them.”

For each of the challenges, teams are required to define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results. The Challenge #2 winning teams that best addressed environmental challenges associated with air and climate are:

High School Teams:

• New York (Jericho) – “The United Nations International Team” – Jericho High School – Studied the effects of air pollution on human health and development of lung cancer
• Massachusetts (Boston) “BLS Youth Climate Action Network” – Boston Latin School – Launched a paid green training program in Summer 2011.
• Florida (Miami) – “Trophic Troopers” – Miami Palmetto Senior High School – Educated school on use of fossil fuels and implemented ways to conserve energy.
• Texas (Manor) – “The Eco Pirates” – Mano New Tech High School – Addressed how recycling affects our health and the heath of the planet (global warming).
• Missouri (St. Louis) – “Team Inspire Green” – Parkway North High School – Developed a green program addressing climate change and aimed to reduce the impact on the planet via a program that could appeal to the masses.
• Illinois (Bartlett) – “Mother Nature’s Minions” – Bartlett High School – Implemented a TerraCycle program at schools to address fossil fuel usage.
• Hawaii (Wahiawa) – “WE ACT” – Leilehua High School – Developed a program to
encourage energy conservation and address climate change and air pollution.
Worked at their school and in their community to educate and implement composting ideas.
• California (La Crescenta) – “Carbonators” – Clark Magnet High School –
Investigated effects of fossil fuel usage and how renewable energy can be an alternative solution.

Middle School Teams:

• Massachusetts (Ashburnham) – “EAG” – Overlook Middle School – Educated school on climate change issues including global warming, the need to lower emissions, and deforestation.
• New York (Lagrangeville) – “SOS” – Lagrangeville Middle School – Educated school on global warming and taking steps to reduce waste
• Florida (Lakeland) – “Air Leaks” – Lawton Chiles Middle Academy – Discovered air leaks in homes and educated on the importance of proper insulation.
• South Carolina (Hanahan) – “HMS Hawks” – Hanahan Middle School – Educated community about air quality issues and the need to reduce air pollution and initiated carpool and tree planting program.
• Kentucky (Lexington) – “One-Towel Wonders” – SCAPA Bluegrass – Looked at how much water is wasted and carbon emitted when running the washer and dryer unnecessarily. They encouraged students to use one towel a week to reduce number of loads of laundry done to reduce emissions.
• Michigan (Whitehall) – “WMS Carbon Busters” – Whitehall Middle School – Aimed to reduce their school’s carbon footprint by conserving energy, increase recycling and offset carbon emission by planting trees.
• Missouri (Nevada) – “Team T.R.E.E.” – Nevada Middle School – Reduced carbon footprint by conserving energy and communicating the necessity of these actions by implementing Green Week at school.
• California (Salinas) – “BV Scientists” – Buena Visa Middle School – Improved air quality and reduced air pollution through reduced use of fossil fuels.

The winners in this year’s Lexus Eco Challenge will be announced in spring 2012. In addition to the ongoing contest, the Lexus Eco Challenge also includes educational materials created and distributed by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company at www.scholastic.com/lexus.

The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $5 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children’s lives.

Here’s the full version of the Lexus Super Bowl Commercial!

If you’re planning to join the 50 Million people who will be watching Super Bowl 46 you may also be thinking where to watch the game.

Win A 70" Sharp Aquos LED-LCD TV

We provided a couple of suggestions in our previous post about places to watch the Super Bowl in Chicago, but what would be better than checking it out from your own living room with a 70″ HD TV that could be yours if you are selected to win the drawing from McGrath Lexus of Chicago.

All you have to do is come down and test drive a car and you’re automatically entered!

If you happen to be the one who wins, send us a photo of your Super Bowl party with the new TV so we can post it here on the blog!

Contact us if you’re interested in test driving a vehicle (click here).

The above video is a sneak peek of the first Lexus Super Bowl commercial. The video features the new 2013 GS 350 which will soon arrive here at McGrath Lexus of Chicago (details of GS 350).

A Few Chicago Super Bowl Event Tips

If you’re planning to host a Super Bowl party, here’s the top 20 Super Bowl Recipes from allrecipes.com.

For those who want to go out, here’s Three Sports Bars in Chicago from yahoo.com where you can watch the game.

Helping The Homeless

However, there is another opportunity for Chicago residents to become involved on Super Bowl Sunday. An event that could surely use some volunteers and perhaps bring inspiration to those living without shelter. The Cornerstone Community Outreach is hosting a Super Bowl Party and they are looking for some volunteers to bring a few things down and brighten up the faces of the kids and the homeless veterans, some of whom temporarily reside here.

You can get in touch with Lyda Jackson (click here to view the event) at Cornerstone Community Outreach to see how you may be able to help out. Call: 773-506-6396 – Location & Contact info.

If you do happen to participate, send us an email to let us know what your experience was like so we can share it on our blog, so it may inspire others to help based on your experience.

Have fun, drive safe, and enjoy the game!

Lexus GS 350 Super Bowl Commercial Press Release

The following is the press release from Lexus, regarding the new 2013 GS 350..

TORRANCE, Calif., January 17, 2012 – With a host of new vehicles coming to market in 2012, Lexus is poised to be one of the fastest-growing luxury brands this year. To kick off the product onslaught, the company will debut its first-ever Super Bowl commercial for Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5 on NBC.

“This is a big year for Lexus as we introduce nine new or updated models, and the Super Bowl provides us with an equally big opportunity to reach a highly engaged audience of 50 million people,” said Brian Smith, Lexus vice president of marketing. “The star of our commercial is the all-new 2013 GS which launches in February and kicks off a pivotal era for the Lexus brand. The spot also will convey that even more products are waiting in the wings and are anxious to hit the road.

”

The :30 second commercial is scheduled to run during the first half of Super Bowl XLVI. A :15 second sneak-peek of the commercial can be seen today on Lexus social media channels, including Facebook.com/Lexus and YouTube.com/Lexus. The ads were created by Attik, a Lexus roster agency, while the overall GS launch advertising is headed by Lexus’ agency of record, Team One.

Leading up to its Super Bowl commercial, Lexus is embarking on a unique social media activation called TweetDrive Engineered by Lexus. It is a socially-fueled game engaging football fans during the professional football playoffs. TweetDrive Engineered by Lexus airs live on NBCSports.com and offers fans the opportunity to earn yardage, move their “team” down the field and score a touchdown during the actual playoff games and throughout the week.

“TweetDrive Engineered by Lexus offers a unique way to challenge sports fans to put their knowledge about football and social media to the test,” said Brian Smith, Lexus vice president of marketing. “There is a lot of excitement about football this time of year and Lexus is pleased to join in the action through this program. It’s also a great way to build on the anticipation created by our upcoming Super Bowl ad, a first for Lexus.”

The object of the game is to gain enough yards to score a touchdown. Yardage is accumulated by tweeting the correct answers to a mix of trivia and predictive gaming questions using the #LexusTweetDrive hash tag. For each playoff game a fan plays TweetDrive, they are entered to win the grand prize — a trip for two to an NBC Sports Premium Event.* To participate, fans just need to register at NBCSports.com and watch for tweets from @Lexus using #LexusTweetDrive during playoff games (predictive gaming questions) and throughout the week (trivia questions) through January 22, 2012.

The game will be promoted via NBC Sports, and Lexus social media outlets and NBCSports.com.
[Source: Lexus]

2013 Lexus LX 570 – Revealed in Detroit for 2012 NAIAS

The 2012 NAIAS is underway at Cobo Hall located in downtown Detroit where just a few days ago I sat with journalists as the lights dimmed and Mark Templin took the stage introducing the new concept Lexus LF-LC.

It was yet another example of the new personality of Lexus, one that shares a passion for true performance in parallel with luxury as if they were destined to be one.

Following the reveal I spoke with Mark about the changes that Lexus made in it’s lineup, and how the confidence and execution of the shift towards performance was just a precise as one would expect from Lexus.

I was very interested in how the Lexus LFA got the green light, and how it became the foundation in which customers gained confidence in Lexus performance.

Mark Templin gave Toyota’s CEO, Akio Toyoda, the credit for taking Lexus into a market that is extremely competitive and where passion is an absolute prerequisite.

The new look of the Lexus LX-570 is one of confidence, performance and exceptional quality.

This integrity is infused into the Lexus brand, from the leadership, to the vehicles, to the individual Lexus dealers who exceed customer expectations on a daily basis.

2013 Lexus LX 570 – New Stance That Looks Very Determined

Lexus Concept LF-LC Revealed To Media

The smoldering hot Lexus LF-LC Concept was revealed on stage in the Riverview Ballroom on day one where media reps from around the world gathered for the much anticipated Lexus event at the 2012 NAIAS, which was kicked off in Detroit, Michigan on January 9th, 2012 for the press and media preview.

The event began with Mark Templin Group VP, General Manager Lexus Division, who spoke about how Lexus Dealerships offering amazing customer service, and how that has been a very significant element to the success of the company.

Lexus Performance Gaining Traction

Lexus has built a phenomenal lineup of luxury cars, and with this addition of high performance models, it has expanded it’s customer base to include a younger generation who have been very impressed by the selection.

Each of their models have been explicitly designed to cater to the interests of a specific group of people. For example, the HS 250h was created specifically for those that wanted the Prius but were unwilling to drive a vehicle that lacked luxury amenities such as leather interior.

The US market demands more performance than economy, and when Lexus produced the LFA, the respect and integrity that performance enthusiasts want was forged into the brand.

Mark Templin stated that the credit for the decision, and the timing of the decision to venture into performance belongs to Akio Toyoda. He was the one who led this shift, and by doing so has positioned Lexus into becoming one of the most sought after brands on the market today.

Mark Templin stated:

“Lexus will be the fastest-growing in the category this year, sales will grow “well above 20 percent.”

The Reveal – Lexus Concept LF-LC

Lexus is known for it’s Pursuit of Perfection, a quality integrated into every aspect of the Lexus ownership experience.
It seems that even the byproduct of Lexus performance engineering, the sound, is inherently perfect.

Sounds Like Perfection

So how can you create perfection in the sound a car makes? You don’t, it’s a characteristic that identifies with the overall engineering. The trademark of extreme high performance is the symphony of sound it makes, and certainly the Lexus LFA offers such a sound.

The video from LexusEnthusiast ignites into action with a sound that’s almost extraterrestrial in nature, it certainly stands in a class of it’s own, and challenges us with an unwieldy, and incomprehensible joy.

We have an appreciation for the sound high performance makes, perhaps it’s because we can appreciate it’s authenticity.

That’s why the following video gives our imagination a feel for what it might be like to lean into an LFA. And when imagination only takes us so far, we can experience the new breed of Lexus at McGrath Lexus of Chicago.

We have partnered with the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago for a number of years for the First Look For Charity at the Chicago Auto Show. This event is a black tie event on the Thursday night before the public opening of the show. This year it is February 9, 2012. Tickets are $250 each.

Even though the event is heavily attended by media and those in the industry, anyone is able to attend.

We would like to encourage our customers who want to purchase tickets for the event to purchase them directly from the Respiratory Health Association (their link is below). The Respiratory Health Association sponsors a private cocktail reception before the show for all who purchased tickets from them.

If you purchase tickets from the Respiratory Association please reference our name when purchasing tickets so you can have VIP treatment at the reception.

Evening Schedule

http://www.lungchicago.org/first-look-for-charity/