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Lexus would like to remind drivers who frequent the city of London that the GS450h is a credible sports sedan which falls well below the maximum penalty which will be in effect as part of the upcoming Congestion Charge. Emitting 185g/km of CO₂ will allow for a daily charge of £8, as compared to the £25 maximum penalty which many performance and luxury vehicles will be subject to.

We're not going to dispute the facts as presented by Lexus, but we'll also stop well short of suggesting that the GS 450h is the eco-friendly choice (there are certainly other options). Still, its comparatively low emissions, along with its 35.8mpg in the combined cycle, give a possible reason to choose it over some of its rivals, if for none other than to save some extra cash.

After the break, Lexus provides a chart comparing the power, acceleration, CO₂ emissions, combined fuel economy and congestion charges of the BMW 540i, Jaguar XF and Audi A6 4.2 V8 FSI against its own GS450h. Very thoughtful of them, wouldn't you say?

After a recent tip from Mike at Treehugger, I'm finally posting about these sweet-looking Lexus RX 400h hybrid cop cars. Now, they're not so cool looking that I want one in my rearview mirror, but if they did, I'd at least have to thank the officer for mixing a little green with the chubby blue line (that's a MST3K reference, just so you know).

The Wiltshire Constabulary is going to be the first police force in the UK to add the high-performance Lexus GS 450h hybrid vehicles to their fleet. The constables think the vehicles 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds is more than adequate for police work, and they like the lower CO2 emissions. Police Fleet Manager of Wiltshire Constabulary Steve Botham said the Wiltshire Police would use the Lexus GS 450h "in a demanding police role".

Related:

• Hertfordshire constables now cruising in a hybrid Prius
• Honda arms London police with largest order of hybrids
• Lexus GS 450h review in Belfast Telegraph

[Source: Treehugger, tip from MikeGR at Treehugger]

Which politicians are driving what type of cars is causing a bit of a tizzy in Great Britain. While an article in today's Belfast Telegraph mentions the issue, their main concern is reviewing the new Lexus GS 450h. Their verdict is that the car is better for the environment than other executive machines, but the hype surrounding the car is a bit overblown. Three main Lexus propaganda points (lower emissions than any other combustion engine, best safety system and the "world's most technologically advanced drivetrain") are all given the critical once-over.

When compared to the tiny Prius (also made by Toyota), the Lexus doesn't feel as green nor as cleverly designed. The 450h's trunk space is smaller, and the entire car really just has the hybrid technology grafted on instead of being an environmentally sound design job from the ground up, the article says.

[Source: Belfast Telegraph]

Autospies has a video up of their test drive of the new GS450h Lexus hybrid. The reviewer’s write-up of the drive through the desert near Las Vegas is a tad hyperbolic, but we’ll forgive for now. According to the review, anyone who likes to drive a powerful motor without quite the horrific mpg rating of most luxury cars will fall in love with the GS450h. The reviewer claims the test vehicle got between 23 and 30 mpg, depending on how much they abused the car during the drive. They also claim the 0-60 time is incredible, calling the car “an absolute rocket”. Well, we’ll see about that, but considering the love affair many people have with their cars, if high-end vehicles start getting slightly better mileage, that’ll make a difference in the long run. Autospies also has lots of photos of the GS450h at the site. [Source: Autospies]