The Lexus badge is most-often equated to luxury, but perhaps versatility and purpose can best describe the luxurious full-size three-row Lexus GX sport-utility vehicle. Introduced in 2002 as the third SUV in the Lexus line-up, the GX 470 was rebadged GX 460 with its second generation in 2009, and in the past 11 years has been badged as GX, GX 460 Premium and GX 460 Luxury, under the GX umbrella. The 2020 GX represents a very long run (11 years) for a generation, and with only cosmetic changes set for 2021, this year’s model sees cosmetic, tech and package changes.

New for 2020 are a face lift that starts with a redesigned, more angular spindle grille, new triple-beam LED headlamps, and Atomic Silver joins the palette of exterior colors. Acoustic front side glass is standard on all models as are Amazon Alexa compatibility, and safety features as part of Safety System+. New interior trim options are available and an Off-Road package is also new, consisting of a 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor and Multi-Terrain Monitor with four Cameras, a transmission cooler, a fuel-tank protector and Lexus' own Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select. The Sport Design Package adds nuances including a lower grille surround, rear valence, side mirrors, matte black exhaust tip, scarlet tail lamps and 19-inch alloy wheels with a Gunmetal Metallic finish, and other available packages add Silver 18-inch wheels and Heated Wood-trimmed Steering Wheel. 

But above all, the 2020 Lexus GX remains luxurious, and capable with a dual purpose: engineered for family, around town lavishness, maneuverability, and crafted with upscale detail, fit and function; while given attention toward long vacations that can require rugged multi-terrain, off-road aptitude and attitude.

The Lexus GX 460 I tested needed few additions, as it is loaded with standard features including 18-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights, illuminated running boards, heated power-adjustable side mirrors with integrated turn signals, 10-way power-adjustable front seats and a power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering column. The cabin is enhanced with keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, faux-leather upholstery, auto-dimming rearview mirror and such safety items as blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assistance. Towing is aided with Trailer Sway Control, a function of the Vehicle Stability Control that enhances straight-line tracking.

Bold and aggressive with Euro-styled curves, creases and sculpting, Lexus GX is molded on a 109.8-inch wheelbase and is 192.1 inches long, 74.2 inches wide and 74.2 inches high, with a ground clearance of 8.1 inches. Curb weight is 5130 lbs for the base model and up to 5200 lbs for upper-level trims.

Exquisitely crafted and filled with intuitiveness, tech, infotainment, dual-zone climate control with interior filter, and safety, the, GX cabin affords 38.0 inches of front headroom, 40.4 inches in the middle and 35.2 inches in the rear. Legroom is 41.7 inches up front, 34.1 in the middle and a child-worthy 29.3 in the rear. Shoulder room is 55.4 inches up front, 57.3 in the middle and 54.5 in the back seats.

Available features include a wood and leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, crafted exclusively with hand-selected materials. The GX multimedia system offers a touchscreen with a customizable home screen that can display three sections simultaneously, and rear seat passengers can power their mobile devices thanks to two additional USB ports, among the GX compliment of four.

The 2020 Lexus GX offers one engine choice: a 4.6-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 with Dual Hydraulic with intelligence that produces 301 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque. This 4-wheel-drive system is teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Lexus's Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System is standard, and this setup smooths out highway unevenness and serves well in non-extreme off-road challenges. Maneuverability is deft in town and responsive in curves and harsh steering tests, with acceptable body roll and top-wobble for the segment. The Engine speed sensing power-assisted rack and pinion with Variable Gear Ratio Steering was attentive with slight, predictable understeer, and excellent for off-road impediments, but not autocross quick.

In track tests, we were quicker than the manufacturer estimated, finishing off a zero-to-60mpg sprint in 7.4 seconds (hand-timed) during a 16.1-second quarter-mile. 

Fuel economy was not economical, though we managed to exceed the EPA estimate of 15/19 mpg city/highway, as we averaged 19.4 mpg test trials on the interstate, around town and a few quick off-road excursions. 

Lexus attends to safety with the standard Lexus Safety System+ suite of technologies that includes Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert, Intelligent High Beams and High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. There’s also a backup camera and 10 standard airbags.

Available in three trim levels, the base four-wheel-drive 2020 Lexus GX starts at $53,000; the GX 460 Premium starts at $55,790 and the top-level GX 460 Luxury trim starts at $64,265. My test 2020 GX 460 Premium added elevated style to the base model, with an interior trimmed in NuLuxe®, Gray Sapele wood accents, available second-row captain's chairs and a third zone of climate control. In Nebula Gray exterior paint and Ecru interior, a wood- and leather-trimmed steering wheel added $300, headlamp washers added $100, and handling and delivery charges added $1025, for a sticker-as-tested of $57,215.

<I> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

Corvettes at Carlisle presented by Top Flight Automotive did what it always does, showcased the past, present and future of the Corvette brand.  For 2020, while things looked and felt a little different, the reality was that for everyone who came to Carlisle, it was status quo and three-plus days of Corvette themed fun.  To put it a different way, even during the worst of times, the event was still the biggest all-Corvette themed offering in the world.  The first Corvette on the Fun Field arrived three days before the event started, but once things officially got up and running (August 27-30), many, many more joined.

Thursday ushered in the cars, the people and the excitement plus a nice mix of automotive flea market vendors.  Day one afforded guests the chance to see special displays like the 50-year 1970 feature and Chip’s Choice in Building T.  For the 2020 Chip’s Choice display, Bloomington Gold took the lead, populating the building with cars that were previous Benchmark award winners, while also promoting their upcoming September event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  This impeccable Corvette gallery was one of the most photographed aspects of the weekend.  In fact, between Chip’s Choice and the nice array of C8’s onsite, guests had plenty of photo options.

The C8 wasn’t the only generation of Corvette to turn heads.  From early era solid axle production to a bevy of C7s, the packages, styles and look of each and every ride was worth the price of admission.  Decades of excellence didn’t just show, they were also in motion.  Friday and Saturday hosted a Corvette cruise around the grounds, there were open autocross runs with the Cumberland Valley Corvette Club, Lingenfelter Performance backed the King of the X autocross shootout Saturday and 14 Corvette owners took part in the first-ever rolling exhaust contest. 

Another key element to event weekend was support for the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation.  Every day saw Judy Miller, wife of the late Chip Miller, and various family members staffing the CMAF tent.  Here, they took donations and shared information on the foundation.  In addition, the C8 Corvette that would be given away on August 29 was on display too.  Further, on stage Friday and Saturday at 11 a.m. each day, Dr. Joe Abal, long time CMAF supporter, held court as an auctioneer as the CMAF auctioned off over a dozen items; all in the name of charity.

Finally, Saturday wrapped with an afternoon medley of awards and recognition.  Beginning at 4 p.m. various winners throughout the weekend were honored, including the largest club, King of the X, People’s Choice, Spring Mountain Motor Resort giveaway and the CMAF Sweepstakes C8 giveaway.  Further, the day fully concluded with an awards parade.  Here, a few dozen car owners who stuck around after the rains picked up their plaque, posted for photos and more.

While 2020 is a wrap, 2021 is already in the planning stages.  Chip’s Choice is planning a salute to first-responders, there will be a 1971/50-year reunion showcase, Paul Koerner returns with more amazing diagnostic sessions, parts shopping on the midway, within the automotive flea market and more.  Save the date, because Corvettes at Carlisle runs August 26-28 (Thursday-Saturday), 2021.  Learn more at www.CarlisleEvents.com.

Subaru launched the midsize Legacy badge in 1989, as a flagship that offered standard all-wheel-drive and a BOXER engine. Thirty years of successful sales later, Subaru of America introduced the all-new seventh-generation 2020 Legacy sedan – the most advanced Legacy in the model’s history. The 2020 Legacy presents with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology, available tablet-style high-definition 11.6-inch SUBARU STARLINK™ multimedia screen, and DriverFocus™ Distraction Mitigation System. A 260-horsepower turbo engine powers up new XT models, and the redesigned sedan is equipped with new technology and safety features, and is based on a platform shared with Subaru’s high-rep Ascent and Forester.

The completely redesigned 2020 Subaru Legacy uptweaks with tech upgrades, turbo engine and new lane-centering add-on, and the platform that has been optimized for the midsize Legacy, boasting a structure that is 70-percent stiffer in both torsional and front-suspension rigidity and 100-percent stiffer in both front lateral flexural and rear subframe rigidity compared to the previous Legacy’s platform. Along with a strengthened suspension and lowered center of gravity, the Legacy’s improved body rigidity provides more responsive steering and handling, smoother and quieter ride, and heightened hazard avoidance in emergency situations. The 2020 Legacy comes with improved crash protection, as the new body absorbs over 40-percent more energy in front/side crashes than the previous model. When a crash is unavoidable, the Legacy protects with eight standard airbags, including a driver knee airbag.

In six trims, some with renewed sportiness, Legacy is still a family sedan, and is nearly 2 inches longer than Gen-Six, as other dimensions remain about the same. The 2020 Legacy is 15 to 50 pounds lighter than last year, and with the exception of 1.4 inches of greater rear legroom, interior accommodations are roughly the same as in 2019.

An aggressive stance and increased athleticism enhance Legacy’s exterior design, further augmented by its evolutionary grille shape, defined wheel arch, chrome accent at the rear pillars and squint-eye headlamps. The 5-passenger midsize sedan measures 190.6 inches long, 59.1 inches high and 72.4 inches wide on a 108.3-inch wheelbase, for a curb weight of 3499 lbs. for the base model and up to 3790 lbs. for uptweaked trims.

My Legacy Sport trim test ride was second up of the six trims, and boldly shows a performance-oriented exterior that features an exclusive rear bumper, front grille with high-gloss black bar, high-gloss black side mirrors, trunk lid spoiler and dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Sport comes with aluminum pedals as well as red stitching on the instrument panel, door trim, seats, shift lever boot and leather-wrapped steering wheel.  The Sport cabin also upgrades with 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, analog instruments, Keyless Access with Push-Button Start and lots more.

For the first time since 2012, the Legacy lineup will feature a turbocharged engine. Standard on XT models, the 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER engine delivers 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, mated to a high-torque Lineartronic CVT with manual mode and steering wheel paddle control switches, and is rated at 24mpg/city and 32 mpg/highway. My Sport trim was a 2.5 model that powered up with a 2.5-liter DOHC Boxer engine that produces 182hp and 176 lb-ft of torque and is EPA rated at 27mpg/city and 35mpg/highway, though my tests yielded a lower average of 26.4mpg in mixed-use driving.

The turbo might launch a 0-60 mph sprint in an estimated 6.1 seconds, but my 2.5-liter BOXER sprinted in 7.9 seconds during a hand-timed 16.1-second quarter-mile. Slow and steady, the quick-ratio electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering was vague at high speed and in tight turns, but the suspension created a soft, gentle ride, limited body roll, and sightlines were unimpeded. 

Subaru touts interior quietness -- 3 decibels quieter at highway speeds than Gen-Six – thanks to special door weather stripping and sound-insulating glass, and I did enjoy luxury-quiet in the cabin.

Inside, Legacy provides a cozy 39.4 inches of front headroom and 37.2 inches in row two – you lose two more inches up front with a sunroof. Legroom is 42.8 inches in row one and 39.5 inches in row two, and shoulder room comes in at 58.1 and 57.4.

Legacy safety is attended to well and the midsize earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Along with items mentioned above, Legacy safety technology includes standard Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering. Additionally, Legacy has gained a rep for being long-lasting and dependable, with 96 percent of Legacy vehicles sold in the last 10 years still on the road today.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy starts at $22,745 for the base trim. The Legacy Premium trim starts at $24,995, the Legacy Sport starts at $26,945, the Legacy Limited starts at $29,745, the Legacy Limited XT with the 2.4 turbo starts at $34,195 and the Legacy Touring XT with the turbo starts at $35,895. My test Legacy Sport in Crystal White Pearl paint, added Blind Spot Detection with power moonroof, 11.6-inch touchscreen navigation and more for $2245, and moonroof air deflector added $99.99, Destination charges of $900 put the sticker-as-tested at $30,189.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

 

Cadillac dropped its compact executive 4-door (later, a two-door) sedan, ATS, after a seven-year run, in 2019. Taking over the compact luxury sports sedan spot in the Cadillac line-up is the all-new 2020 Cadillac CT4, which is marketed as an entry-luxury sports sedan to attract first-time luxury, and younger buyers to the Cadillac brand.

Sharing its platform with the abandoned ATS, CT4 is its own design and personality, with two turbo engine choices, and up to 325 horsepower. Though that is quite a drop from ATS’s uppermost engine power choice of 464hp, CT4’s handling, performance and style are enough for it to earn its own rep, accolades and following.

CT4 enters the Cadillac sedan portfolio set to appeal to a new generation of sport-luxury customers through an immersive new social media campaign. Featuring a luxury-sports design, and bold 11-color color-and-trim palette, customers can customize to fit their personalities. Additionally, CT4’s sporty performance, RWD and AWD configurations, and high-technologies including Super Cruise -- the world’s first true hands-free driver assistance feature for more than 200,000 miles of compatible highways in the U.S. and Canada -- inject new ideas and function to the Cadillac line-up.

Available in four trims with specific cosmetic and power differences, CT4  offers special wheel options and is luxury loaded with leather-appointed seating, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, Safety Alert Seat and LED Reflective Windshield Collision Alert. Additionally, CT4 is outfitted with Cadillac User experience with Personalization and embedded Navigation, 8-inch-diagonal high-definition color-touchscreen driver information display, dual-microphone, Cloud3-based natural voice recognition, dual-display driver information center, 15-watt wireless charging and lots more.

The CT4’s sleek profile leverages the natural, long dash-to-front-axle proportional advantage of its rear-drive platform and, along with its wide stance, expresses presence, confidence and performance. Bright exterior accents, along with unique grilles (with premium hot foil-stampings on the grille elements) and fascias, distinguish the CT4 Luxury and Premium Luxury models. The Sport and V-Series models are differentiated by darker accents and performance-inspired details, including unique grilles, fascias, rocker extensions, rear spoiler and exclusive performance design wheels.

The sporty entry-luxury sedan measures 187.2 inches long, 71.5 inches wide and 56 inches high on a 109.3-inch wheelbase, weighing in at 3461 lbs. for the Luxury series in RWD, and 3616 for the V-Series in RWD. 

CT4’s driver-focused and connected cabin is ergonomically optimized with intuitive controls to enhance driver confidence with a high-tech sense of tactility. Additionally, sophisticated use of metal accents throughout enhances the décor and technology-driven ambiance.

Inside, CT4 provides a surprisingly tight 38.3 inches of front headroom with only 36.5 inches for row two, 42.4 inches of front legroom with only 33.4 inches for back seaters and 55.2 inches of front shoulder room with 53.9 inches for row two.

Turbo power CT4 delivers power through two engine options. A 2.0-liter Twin-Scroll Turbocharged I-4 DOHC with Active Fuel Management, direct injection and auto stop/start, is mated to an eight-speed automatic with Electronic Precision Shift to provide 237hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. Option two is a 2.7-liter Dual-Volute Turbocharged I-4 DOHC with Active Fuel Management, direct injection and auto. stop/start. The CT4's dual-volute turbo (a volute is a spiral-shaped object) and ten-speed automatic transmission with Electronic Precision Shift provides 310hp and 327 lb-ft, and is augmented for the CT4-V Series to  supply 350hp and 380 lb-ft.

My 310-hp 2.7-liter plant was rated at 23mpg/city and 32mpg/highway with 4WD, and I averaged 25.5mpg during my heavy-footed tests. Around town, the ride was smooth, maneuverable and attentive in turns and acceleration. On the highway, passing was effortless, road inadequacies were leveled out, and on curves and the autocross, CT4 was nimble, responsive and powerful. In track tests, my test ride finished off a hand-timed zero-to-60mph sprint in 5.1 seconds, though sub-4s can be achieved, and my quarter-mile was a steady 13.6 seconds (hand-timed).

The 2020 Cadillac CT4 is available in four trims, in either Rear-Wheel-Drive or All-Wheel-Drive configurations and with two engine choices. The base Luxury trim starts at $33,990 (including Destination charges) in RWD – only available with a 2.0-liter turbo engine; Premium Luxury starts at $38,490 in the 2.0-liter turbo and $40,990 with the 2.7-liter turbo; Sport starts at $39,590 with the 2.0-turbo; and the V-Series, comes with the 2.7-liter turbo, starting at $45,490. 

My 2020 CT4-Premium Luxury was the 2.7-liter model and added AWD for $3200 (sticker started at $44,190). Evergreen Metallic exterior paint added $625, and was accented by a Jet Black interior with Jet Black accents, Leather-appointed seating with mini-perforated inserts; Navigation and 14-speaker Bose Premium audio added $1700; Climate Package added $1200 for automatic heated steering wheel and 4-way power driver and front passenger lumbar and heated / ventilated seats; Driver Assist added $1200 for Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking and Reverse Automatic Braking; Technology Package added an 8-inch diagonal color reconfigurable gauge cluster, Head-Up Display and Cabin Air Ionize for $1150; and the Driver Awareness Plus Package added Following Distance Indicator, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and IntelliBeam auto high beam assist for $800. Destination charges were $995, for a sticker-as-tested of $49,665 – with some bundling discounts.
> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

In late spring, the team with Carlisle Events made the difficult decision to postpone the Carlisle Import & Performance Nationals from its original May dates to the second weekend of August. As world events evolved, August 14 through the 16th rapidly approached and with the weekend in the rearview mirror, it was obvious that while the date change would slightly augment the show, the passion and enthusiasm of those who attended would not be altered. Spanning the three-day event, over 1,000 cars and even more attendees walked the grounds, enjoyed great concessions, participated in competitions and otherwise just hung out and enjoyed the automotive world at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.

Gates opened Friday at 7 a.m. and while most guests didn’t arrive until mid-day, waiting for them was a great indoor display in Building T. Here, the BBS was celebrated as was 100 Years of Mazda and 50 Years of the Datsun and Nissan Z. There was also a general vehicle display too, including a Lamborghini, C8 Corvette and an ‘80s era Ferrari. Along with those displays indoors, the outside offered even more history with a massive SAAB tent, a Showfield of Audi’s, Volvo’s and more.

The Showfield itself is really the draw, as it offered such an eclectic mix of automotive history.  Cars represent over a half a dozen countries and are parked by country of origin.  The geographical placement allows guests to walk the grounds and essentially the automotive world.  One of the countries, France, historically sees support from the Renault Club.  For 2020, they had some early 20th century French production on display, while more modern rides also made up this international automotive festival. Dune Buggies cruised the grounds, the Opel saw lots of love as did displays with Fiat, Subaru, BMW and VW just to name a few.

Of course the cars at Carlisle didn’t just show, many were on the go via multiple competitions and or/a parade.  These competitions included a couple of preliminary rounds for the rolling exhaust contest, the exhaust finale itself, drift limbo, low car limbo and of course the ultimate competition, the judged Showfield.  There was even a mid-day Saturday parade as the Nissan Z went from being featured to in motion as part of an impromptu parade around the grounds.

Car clubs were also a big part of the event, dozens of clubs set up shop at Carlisle, and select clubs won awards as well.  Saabs at Carlisle was tapped as the largest club, while Street Distortionz earned coolest club honors.

Hundreds of awards were doled out Sunday following another successful eJudged event, with car owners making plans for the 2021 event.  Speaking of which, with less than nine months to go, plans are under way for the weekend, back to its original May dates; in this case May 14-16 2021.  Check out photos and more about the event at www.CarlisleEvents.com.