bitcoinsblogger.blogspot.in

JP Morgan Is Quietly Testing Cutting-Edge Ethereum Privacy Tech
Fresh off its big reveal of JPM Coin, the megabank is quietly testing a cutting-edge form of ethereum privacy tech.
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March 01, 2019 at 12:46AM

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Maserati Plans to Show Off Several Special Editions in Geneva

When Maserati gives its presentation at the Geneva motor show next month, we’ll get to see a one-off model that a customer commissioned. But if you were hoping Maserati would show off something truly new, we’re sorry to disappoint you. Instead, Maserati will introduce several special editions of existing models that showcase the many ways customers can personalize their cars.

The main exhibit will be the Levante Trofeo Launch Edition. Only 100 of these Ferrari-engined Porsche Cayenne Turbo S competitors will be built in your choice of three colors. The Launch Edition also gets carbon fiber-accented bodywork, a fancy “Pieno Fiore” leather interior, and contrast stitching that matches the paint. The 22-inch wheels can be either glossy black or matte black, and the brake calipers are available in three different colors.

Maserati will also have a GranTurismo MC with a new appearance package, a bronze Levante S Q4 GranSport, a Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso with a custom interior, and two Ghibli S Q4s with unique interiors of their own. They’ll either be showing off Maserati’s new Zegna Pelletessuta configuration or the Nerissimo Carbon package.

For now, there’s no information on pricing or availability, but since they’re all 2019 models, expect that to be announced at the show.

Source: Maserati

The post Maserati Plans to Show Off Several Special Editions in Geneva appeared first on Motortrend.

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lamboblogging

This new F8 Tributo looks incredible! I think I may even like it more than the 458.

https://www.carcollectiv3.com/post/the-new-ferrari-f8-tributo-is-bonkers

Submitted February 28, 2019 at 10:27PM by motobaird https://ift.tt/2TkxBZf
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February 28, 2019 at 11:48PM

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lamboblogging
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSbceSPlUOk

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February 28, 2019 at 11:48PM

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Pundi X’s New Phone Can Switch Between Blockchain and Android
Pundi X unveiled new specifications for its blockchain phone, which will feature dual operating systems to support both Android apps and dapps.
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February 28, 2019 at 10:46PM

bitcoinsblogger.blogspot.in

Ferrari F8 Tributo Is Brand’s Most Powerful Production V-8 Ever

We will miss the Ferrari 488 GTB, the powerful yet easy-to-drive supercar that won our 2017 Best Driver’s Car competition. But we have a feeling we’re going to like its replacement, the Ferrari F8 Tributo.

The new car has a 3.9-liter V-8 engine making 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. That’s up 49 hp and 7 lb-ft from the V-8 engine in the 488 GTB. Ferrari says the F8 Tributo is its most powerful V-8 series car to date.

By Ferrari estimates, the F8 Tribuno can hit 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Top speed is 211 mph.

In addition to more power, the F8 Tributo is lighter and more aerodynamic than the car it replaces. Ferrari says it’s 88 pounds lighter than the 488 GTB, and boasts a 10 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. Ferrari has redesigned the S-Duct that we first saw on the 488 Pista to improve downforce 15 percent compared to the 488 GTB. New brake cooling intakes up front help improve airflow.

The Ferrari F8 Tributo comes with a new version of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, which makes controlling the lateral dynamics in high-performance situations more controllable. This feature can be activated in Race mode for the first time. Ferrari also redesigned the steering wheel rim, making it smaller in diameter.

Visually, the F8 Tributo seems similar to its predecessor. But you’ll notice Ferrari has returned to the twin taillamp design seen on early eight-cylinder berlinettas. The interior is also reminiscent of the 488 GTB, including the thin transmission tunnel. Still, Ferrari says every element of the dash, door panels, and tunnel has been redesigned. You’ll also find new round air vents and a 7-inch touchscreen.

We’ll learn more about the mid-rear engine F8 Tribuno at the Geneva Motor Show that begins next month.

Source: Ferrari

The post Ferrari F8 Tributo Is Brand’s Most Powerful Production V-8 Ever appeared first on Motortrend.

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French President Says Blockchain Could Put Europe at ‘Vanguard’ of Innovation
Emmanuel Macron has called for increased use of data technologies such as blockchain in the EU to benefit agriculture and consumers.
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February 28, 2019 at 08:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 10:29PM

BMW, Daimler Pool Resources on Automated Driving Technology

FRANKFURT, Feb 28 (Reuters) – Daimler and BMW deepened their alliance on Thursday to share spiraling development costs for highly automated driving technologies, even as each carmaker pursues separate efforts to develop fully self-driving cars.

The enormous cost of designing and building computer-powered vehicles has already prompted Honda to pool its efforts with General Motors, while Volkswagen is pursuing talks with Ford about an alliance on autonomous cars.

BMW and Daimler deepened their alliance for similar reasons, said Michael Hafner, head of automated driving at Mercedes-Benz research and development said in a blog post which accompanied a joint press release by the companies on Thursday.

“We have learned that the development of these systems is a bit like climbing a mountain,” he said.

“Taking the first few meters from the base station to the summit seems easy. But the closer you come to the goal, the thinner the air around you becomes, the more strength is required for each further step, and the more complex become the challenges you have to resolve.”

It made sense to distribute the technological and financial challenges of automated driving, Hafner said, so BMW and Daimler will jointly develop technology to enable automated driving on highways.

POTENTIAL GROWTH

“Initially, the focus will be on advancing the development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and parking features,” the companies said in the statement.

“In addition, the two partners plan to discuss the possibility of extending their collaboration to cover higher levels of automation, both on highways and in urban areas.”

BMW and Daimler‘s move comes as even deep pocketed technology companies struggle to gain traction in autonomous driving. Apple Inc said on Wednesday it planned to lay off 190 employees in its self-driving car program, Project Titan.

The market for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles is expected to grow to $96 billion in 2025 and $290 billion in 2035 from about $3 billion in 2015, according to Goldman Sachs.

BMW and Daimler already cooperate in high-definition mapping with HERE and in the area of procurement, and earlier this month unveiled a joint ride-hailing, parking and electric car charging business.

They said on Thursday their new partnership will center on so-called level 3 and level 4 automated driving technologies, including cars that still require steering wheels and drivers.

Daimler will pursue a separate development alliance for level 5 robotaxis between its luxury brand Mercedes-Benz and supplier Robert Bosch. Level 5 cars require no driver.

BMW, for its part, continues its development alliance for robotaxis with Israeli autonomous vehicle tech company Mobileye and chip maker Intel, with the aim of putting autonomous cars on the road by 2021.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; editing by Thomas Seythal/Ludwig Burger and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

The post BMW, Daimler Pool Resources on Automated Driving Technology appeared first on Motortrend.

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Facebook Plans to Launch Cryptocurrency in First Half of 2019: NYT Report

A report from the New York Times says plans to launch a cryptocurrency product in the first half of 2019.

JP Morgan Is Quietly Testing Cutting-Edge Ethereum Privacy Tech

Fresh off its big reveal of JPM Coin, the megabank is quietly testing a cutting-edge form of ethereum privacy tech.

Maserati Plans to Show Off Several Special Editions in Geneva

When Maserati gives its presentation at the Geneva motor show next month, we’ll get to see a one-off model that a customer commissioned. But if you were hoping Maserati would show off something truly new, we’re sorry to disappoint you. Instead, Maserati will introduce several special editions of existing models that showcase the many ways customers can personalize their cars.

The main exhibit will be the Levante Trofeo Launch Edition. Only 100 of these Ferrari-engined Porsche Cayenne Turbo S competitors will be built in your choice of three colors. The Launch Edition also gets carbon fiber-accented bodywork, a fancy “Pieno Fiore” leather interior, and contrast stitching that matches the paint. The 22-inch wheels can be either glossy black or matte black, and the brake calipers are available in three different colors.

Maserati will also have a GranTurismo MC with a new appearance package, a bronze Levante S Q4 GranSport, a Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso with a custom interior, and two Ghibli S Q4s with unique interiors of their own. They’ll either be showing off Maserati’s new Zegna Pelletessuta configuration or the Nerissimo Carbon package.

For now, there’s no information on pricing or availability, but since they’re all 2019 models, expect that to be announced at the show.

Source: Maserati

The post Maserati Plans to Show Off Several Special Editions in Geneva appeared first on Motortrend.

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lamboblogging

This new F8 Tributo looks incredible! I think I may even like it more than the 458.

https://www.carcollectiv3.com/post/the-new-ferrari-f8-tributo-is-bonkers

Submitted February 28, 2019 at 10:27PM by motobaird https://ift.tt/2TkxBZf

lamboblogging

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSbceSPlUOk

Submitted February 28, 2019 at 10:43PM by crazynevada https://ift.tt/2IK8jQ9

Pundi X’s New Phone Can Switch Between Blockchain and Android

Pundi X unveiled new specifications for its blockchain phone, which will feature dual operating systems to support both Android apps and dapps.

Ferrari F8 Tributo Is Brand’s Most Powerful Production V-8 Ever

We will miss the Ferrari 488 GTB, the powerful yet easy-to-drive supercar that won our 2017 Best Driver’s Car competition. But we have a feeling we’re going to like its replacement, the Ferrari F8 Tributo.

The new car has a 3.9-liter V-8 engine making 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. That’s up 49 hp and 7 lb-ft from the V-8 engine in the 488 GTB. Ferrari says the F8 Tributo is its most powerful V-8 series car to date.

By Ferrari estimates, the F8 Tribuno can hit 62 mph in 2.9 seconds. Top speed is 211 mph.

In addition to more power, the F8 Tributo is lighter and more aerodynamic than the car it replaces. Ferrari says it’s 88 pounds lighter than the 488 GTB, and boasts a 10 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. Ferrari has redesigned the S-Duct that we first saw on the 488 Pista to improve downforce 15 percent compared to the 488 GTB. New brake cooling intakes up front help improve airflow.

The Ferrari F8 Tributo comes with a new version of the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, which makes controlling the lateral dynamics in high-performance situations more controllable. This feature can be activated in Race mode for the first time. Ferrari also redesigned the steering wheel rim, making it smaller in diameter.

Visually, the F8 Tributo seems similar to its predecessor. But you’ll notice Ferrari has returned to the twin taillamp design seen on early eight-cylinder berlinettas. The interior is also reminiscent of the 488 GTB, including the thin transmission tunnel. Still, Ferrari says every element of the dash, door panels, and tunnel has been redesigned. You’ll also find new round air vents and a 7-inch touchscreen.

We’ll learn more about the mid-rear engine F8 Tribuno at the Geneva Motor Show that begins next month.

Source: Ferrari

The post Ferrari F8 Tributo Is Brand’s Most Powerful Production V-8 Ever appeared first on Motortrend.

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February 28, 2019 at 09:43PM

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French President Says Blockchain Could Put Europe at ‘Vanguard’ of Innovation
Emmanuel Macron has called for increased use of data technologies such as blockchain in the EU to benefit agriculture and consumers.
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February 28, 2019 at 08:46PM

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Crypto Money Laundering Reports Spiked in Japan Last Year, Police Say
Reports of suspicious cryptocurrency transactions in Japan soared last year, but were a tiny fraction of the overall total.
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February 28, 2019 at 08:46PM

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February 28, 2019 at 07:03PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Crypto Broker Voyager Is Buying Token Issuer and Wallet Ethos.io for $4 Million
Cryptocurrency brokerage Voyager has agreed to buy wallet provider and ICO issuer Ethos for about $4 million.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Singapore State-Owned Fund Backed Coinbase’s $300 Million Raise: Report
GIC Private Limited, a Singapore government-owned wealth fund, backed Coinbase’s major funding round last year, say Bloomberg sources.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Bitcoin Price May Rise in March Despite Month’s Bearish Track Record
Bitcoin is heading into a historically weak month on a positive note and could see gains if resistance at $4,190 is breached.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Morgan Creek Joins $65 Million Series B for Blockchain Home Equity Loan Firm
Blockchain-based home equity loan startup Figure Technologies has raised $65 million in a round backed by Morgan Creek.
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February 28, 2019 at 04:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Square Brought in Over $166 Million Through Bitcoin Sales Last Year
Mobile payments firm Square has reported its revenue and profits from bitcoin sales in 2018.
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February 28, 2019 at 04:46PM
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February 28, 2019 at 07:36PM

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Submitted February 28, 2019 at 09:22PM by boilerroombandit https://ift.tt/2tIjj68

French President Says Blockchain Could Put Europe at ‘Vanguard’ of Innovation

Emmanuel Macron has called for increased use of data technologies such as blockchain in the EU to benefit agriculture and consumers.

Crypto Money Laundering Reports Spiked in Japan Last Year, Police Say

Reports of suspicious cryptocurrency transactions in Japan soared last year, but were a tiny fraction of the overall total.

bitcoinsblogger.blogspot.in

lamboblogging
https://ift.tt/2BYY98m

Submitted February 28, 2019 at 06:01PM by Historize https://ift.tt/2tIVbR6
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February 28, 2019 at 07:03PM

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Crypto Broker Voyager Is Buying Token Issuer and Wallet Ethos.io for $4 Million
Cryptocurrency brokerage Voyager has agreed to buy wallet provider and ICO issuer Ethos for about $4 million.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM

bitcoinsblogger.blogspot.in

Singapore State-Owned Fund Backed Coinbase’s $300 Million Raise: Report
GIC Private Limited, a Singapore government-owned wealth fund, backed Coinbase’s major funding round last year, say Bloomberg sources.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM

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Bitcoin Price May Rise in March Despite Month’s Bearish Track Record
Bitcoin is heading into a historically weak month on a positive note and could see gains if resistance at $4,190 is breached.
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February 28, 2019 at 06:46PM

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Morgan Creek Joins $65 Million Series B for Blockchain Home Equity Loan Firm
Blockchain-based home equity loan startup Figure Technologies has raised $65 million in a round backed by Morgan Creek.
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February 28, 2019 at 04:46PM

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Square Brought in Over $166 Million Through Bitcoin Sales Last Year
Mobile payments firm Square has reported its revenue and profits from bitcoin sales in 2018.
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February 28, 2019 at 04:46PM

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Bitcoin Lightning Tech Expands Beyond Invoices in Step Toward Better UX
New tech by a principal developer could soon make it possible for bitcoin's lightning network to expand to new use cases.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM
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Submitted February 28, 2019 at 06:01PM by Historize https://ift.tt/2tIVbR6

Crypto Broker Voyager Is Buying Token Issuer and Wallet Ethos.io for $4 Million

Cryptocurrency brokerage Voyager has agreed to buy wallet provider and ICO issuer Ethos for about $4 million.

Singapore State-Owned Fund Backed Coinbase’s $300 Million Raise: Report

GIC Private Limited, a Singapore government-owned wealth fund, backed Coinbase’s major funding round last year, say Bloomberg sources.

Bitcoin Price May Rise in March Despite Month’s Bearish Track Record

Bitcoin is heading into a historically weak month on a positive note and could see gains if resistance at $4,190 is breached.

lamboblogging

https://ift.tt/2U8krvn

Submitted February 28, 2019 at 04:42PM by _PoIestar https://ift.tt/2BWHbrf

Morgan Creek Joins $65 Million Series B for Blockchain Home Equity Loan Firm

Blockchain-based home equity loan startup Figure Technologies has raised $65 million in a round backed by Morgan Creek.

Square Brought in Over $166 Million Through Bitcoin Sales Last Year

Mobile payments firm Square has reported its revenue and profits from bitcoin sales in 2018.

bitcoinsblogger.blogspot.in

lamboblogging
https://ift.tt/2H3m8H0

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Bitcoin Lightning Tech Expands Beyond Invoices in Step Toward Better UX
New tech by a principal developer could soon make it possible for bitcoin's lightning network to expand to new use cases.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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Constantinople Incoming: Tomorrow’s Two Ethereum Hard Forks Explained
Tomorrow is the big day for ethereum's sixth (and seventh) backwards-incompatible upgrade since mainnet launch back in 2015. Having faced a number of setbacks already, the highly-anticipated activation of Constantinople may or may not go as planned.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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A Crypto Project That Raised $20 Million Is Caught Faking Its Founding Team
BHB in China raised $20 million in 2018 touting a three-person team. The only problem? At least two were fake.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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Fidelity Joins $1.9 Million Round in Blockchain Data Startup Coin Metrics
Coin Metrics, an open-source data research project, will now offer commercial services to institutional investors.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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Polymath Tests Show Security Tokens Can Be Compliant on a DEX
Polymath says its tests showed security token trades on a decentralized exchange would only complete if authorized.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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LinkedIn Founder, Fidelity Latest to Carry Bitcoin’s ‘Lightning Torch’
The latest big names to join the bitcoin payments experiment are financial giant Fidelity Investments and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.
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February 28, 2019 at 02:46PM

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Car Compare: 2019 Lexus ES 350 vs. TLX, Q50, MKZ, and LaCrosse

The ES is Lexus’ best-selling car, and it’s a best-seller in the shrinking “near lux” sedan segment it helped define. The segment’s original formula was to take a squillion-selling midsize sedan (Toyota Camry, in Lexus’ case), tinsel it up, and slap a swanky badge on it. Infiniti’s I30 was a dolled-up Nissan Maxima; Acura’s Vigor was an extensively revised Honda Accord; Lincoln’s MKZ (née Zephyr) was a costumed Ford Fusion. The world has moved on.

Today Lexus bases the ES on larger Avalon underpinnings and is extending the model’s appeal with both a performance-oriented F Sport variant and a new Ultra Lux package. The Infiniti Q50 has no mainstream Nissan counterpart on our shores. The Acura TLX/Honda Accord relationship remains fairly distant, and the Lincoln MKZ no longer shares any major sheetmetal with the Fusion. We’re also throwing the Buick LaCrosse in for consideration. It primarily targets Toyota’s Avalon, but in its swankiest new Avenir trim, it’s priced and positioned to fight the Lexus.

After spending a week in an Ultra Lux 2019 Lexus ES 350 (an ES 350 F Sport is shown in this story), we’ve rounded up some relevant specifications data, reviewed our notes from earlier drives of the key competitors, and are ready to make a few predictions on how a full comparison of the major players might shake out.

---

Sizing Up

As all of the original contenders have evolved, the Infiniti and Acura entrants have shrunk. The Q50 measures 6.3 inches shorter in length and 1.6 inches narrower than the ES, which tightens its rear seat and trunk somewhat, but the front seat boasts 2 inches more head- and legroom, so overall space is down just 1.6 cubic feet overall. Similarly, the Acura TLX gives up 4.2 inches in length at a cost of rear legroom and trunk volume while adding front-seat space. The Buick is larger in all exterior dimensions, but the payoff is just a slightly larger front-seat compartment—the trunk and rear seat are slightly smaller than in the Lexus. Lincoln matches Lexus almost to the tenth on overall interior and trunk volume while measuring 2 inches shorter in length and 1.2 inch taller. But Lexus remains the benchmark for space, boasting the biggest trunk (16.7 cubes) and back seat (by a nose at 46.6 cubic feet).

---

Powertrain Choice

Lexus offers your choice of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid electric with an e-CVT good for 215 hp or a 302-hp 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a conventional eight-speed automatic. Both powertrains spin the front wheels. Most of the competition now offers a choice of all-wheel drive (usually for no more money than our front-drive ES 350 Ultra Lux), which I rather missed as mid-February snow- and ice-storms bedeviled my week with an ES on all-season rubber. Acura offers a 2.4-liter 206-hp four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic or a 3.5-liter 290-hp V-6 and nine-speed auto, and honest-ta-goodness torque-vectoring all-wheel drive can be had with the V-6. Infiniti sells its older, fixed-compression-ratio 2.0-liter turbo-four (208 hp) and a choice of two twin-turbo V-6s producing 300 or 400 hp. All three engines spin the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic with all-wheel drive optional on any engine. Lincoln sees Infiniti’s 2.0T and pair of V-6 twin-turbos powering the front or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic and raises with a front-drive hybrid/e-CVT.

The Buick offers an eAssist 2.5-liter mild-hybrid good for 194 hp paired with a six-speed automatic or a 3.6-liter V-6 that sends 310 horses to the front or all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic. So Lincoln wins on breadth of offerings, but if you don’t need all-wheel traction, Lexus remains tough to beat in terms of buttery drivetrain refinement, and its hybrid fuel economy tops the Lincoln’s (44 mpg to 41, EPA combined—the LaCrosse eAssist ranks way lower at 29 mpg).

---

Performance

Let’s face it, cars in this class are meant to be driven in a stately manner between stately manors. So there’s little shame in Lexus not really contending for pink slips. After testing a mechanically identical Toyota Avalon of nearly the same weight (stay tuned for a instrumented track test of the 2019 ES 350), we found the V-6 needs just over 6.0 seconds to hit 60 mph, about the same as the AWD Acura V-6, a few tenths behind the Buick V-6, and well in arrears of the 400-horse twin-turbo V-6 Lincoln (5.2) and Infiniti (4.5). Thanks possibly to its 148-pound weight advantage, the ES 300h hybrid outruns the MKZ 2.0H, 7.8 to 8.7 seconds (we haven’t tested a LaCrosse eAssist mild-hybrid).

Neither ES is particularly enthusiastic about cornering or braking. Where’s the fire? Endeavor to leave a few minutes earlier, and you won’t need to tear around so. Opting for the ES 350 F Sport variant adds adaptive dampers that minimize body pitch and roll, but don’t expect lap times to drop much. Basically, we find the Ultra Lux approach to be more in keeping with the ES’ natural role as the regal and aloof “adult” in this class, with the Buick a very close second. You surely don’t need us to tell you that Tail of the Dragon runners will find greater joy with one of the twin-turbo V-6 options or even the Acura SH-AWD (or better still, an Alfa Giulia or Genesis G70).

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Creature Comforts

When you line up the standard features lists for the top-tier offerings in this class, the equipment is pretty extensive, with most offering supple leather and real wood. Buick and Acura offer few if any additional options on their top-shelf offerings, but Infiniti, Lexus, and Lincoln buyers can further gild their lilies with numerous pricey option packages. We find it slightly obnoxious that Lexus’ Ultra Lux customer has to drop another $1,900 to get the blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, park assist, and a surround-view camera system, considering many of these features come standard on much cheaper cars than the $50,959 of our loaded 2019 ES 350 tester.

We don’t begrudge automakers for charging for top-shelf audio—$3,000 for Mark Levinson at Lexus and $4,000 for Revel Ultima (bundled with a pano roof and LED lamps) at Lincoln. That lets talk radio listeners save the cash. An interesting $950 option on our Lexus—18-inch wheels with sound-absorbing rings inside. It’s nice to see wheel options that add quietness instead of subtracting compliance with thinner sidewalls, and they (along with acoustic front side glass and more) do lend a library-like atmosphere at speed. As for how cosseting and pleasant the cars are to live in, the Buick looks stunning in photos, but the materials let it down. The Acura and Infiniti are more businesslike and purposeful. Lexus delivers great materials marred slightly by a busy design, wood stained so dark it’s unrecognizable as wood, door pulls that are hard to reach if belted in with the door fully open, and that touchpad user interface that none of us has truly bonded with. Lincoln’s multi-contour seats with Active Motion are pretty impressive, its wood looks like wood, and its Sync 3 system is a breeze to live with.

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Conclusions

After a week in the Lexus I understand why the ES continues to outsell these four competitors by between 40 and 212 percent (Q50 and LaCrosse), and why its rate of sales decrease year-over-year was less than half what the others suffered from 2017 to 2018. It looks good from all angles except the front, and it goes about its business without any attention-grabbing engine or tire noises, automatically turning on its heated steering wheel and seats, then automatically turning them down about 10 minutes into a journey. It’s a faithful automotive valet—solicitous, never argumentative, seen but not heard. Toss in a strong record for reliability and resale value, and what non–car enthusiast could resist? So in a consumer-focused Big Test focusing on packaging, safety, reliability, refinement, and the like, I boldly predict that Lexus would grab the gold. Second place might be hotly contested by a heavily optioned 300-hp Q50 Luxe AWD and Acura TLX SH-AWD. I see a Lincoln MKZ 3.0 Reserve II AWD finishing a close third and Buick’s LaCrosse Avenir AWD bringing up the rear. Stay tuned to check these predictions against a future test—unless the category shrinks to complete insignificance before we get around to it …

	2018 Acura TLX SH-AWD A-Spec	2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir	2016 Infiniti Q50S 3.0t (Red Sport 400)	2019 Lexus ES 350**	2017 Lincoln MKZ 3.0T AWD (Reserve)
BASE PRICE	$45,765	$45,790	$48,855	$44,175	$43,735
PRICE AS TESTED	$45,765	$47,480	$57,475	$50,959	$59,740
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	3.5L/290-hp/267-lb-ft SOHC 24-valve V-6	3.6L/310-hp/268-lb-ft* DOHC 24-valve V-6	3.0L/400-hp/350-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6	3.5L/302-hp/267-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6	3.0L/400-hp/400-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	9-speed automatic	9-speed automatic	7-speed automatic	8-speed automatic	6-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,804 lb (60/40%)	3,681 lb (59/41%)	3,872 lb (56/44%)	3,761 lb (60/40%)	4,293 lb (60/40%)
WHEELBASE	109.3 in	114.4 in	112.2 in	113.0 in	112.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	191.5 x 73.0 x 57.0 in	197.5 x 73.5 x 57.5 in	189.1 x 71.8 x 56.8 in	195.9 x 73.4 x 56.9 in	193.9 x 73.4 x 58.1 in
0-60 MPH	6.0 sec	5.6 sec	4.5 sec	6.1 sec	5.2 sec
QUARTER MILE	14.5 sec @ 96.6 mph	14.2 sec @ 99.7 mph	13.0 sec @ 109.2 mph	14.6 sec @ 98.4 mph	13.7 sec @ 102.6 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	118 ft	123 ft	105 ft	122 ft	108 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.92 g (avg)	0.84 g (avg)	0.93 g (avg)	0.82 g (avg)	0.94 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	25.8 sec @ 0.71 g (avg)	26.4 sec @ 0.68 g (avg)	25.6 sec @ 0.74 g (avg)	26.8 sec @ 0.65 g (avg)	25.1 sec @ 0.76 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	20/29/23 mpg	21/30/24 mpg	20/26/22 mpg	22/33/26 mpg	17/26/20 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	169/116 kW-hrs/100 miles	160/112 kW-hrs/100 miles	169/130 kW-hrs/100 miles	153/102 kW-hrs/100 miles	198/130 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.83 lb/mile	0.80 lb/mile	0.87 lb/mile	0.75 lb/mile	0.96 lb/mile
*SAE certified
**ES 350 track test data reflects MotorTrend numbers from a mechanically identical Toyota Avalon of nearly the same weight.

The post Car Compare: 2019 Lexus ES 350 vs. TLX, Q50, MKZ, and LaCrosse appeared first on Motortrend.

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February 28, 2019 at 02:37PM