 Since the Lexus brand was introduced in 1989, it has become known for its class-leading luxury. If there was anything missing, it was a single off-the-chart performance model—but the debut of the Lexus LFA in 2011 changed all that. The 2012 model offers more of what you love, plus some exciting new features. Here are 10 of Lexus of Greenville’s favorites.
1. LFA shoppers can choose from 10 standard or 20 special exterior colors when configuring their sports car. Color detailing extends all the way down to the brake calipers, which are available in six colors.
2. The LFA traces its history to the first Toyota F1 model, the TF101 that was first run in 2002. The current model is based on a concept sports car that was first shown at an auto show in Detroit in 2005.
3. 50 models will be made with special Nurburgring package, which includes a large front spoiler, high-performance suspension, special wheels, and more.
4. Four driving modes–auto, normal, sport and wet–allow the driver to adjust to current road conditions on demand. Steering wheel paddle shifters allow for split-second upshifting and quick downshifting.
5. A carbon fiber chassis trims approximately 220 pounds off of the frame of the LFA compared to a similar-sized aluminum-framed sports car.
6. With its rear wing retracted, the LFA has a coefficient of drag of just 0.31. This sports car slices through the wind at one of the lowest drag points in the industry, enabling you to reach your top speed with minimum wind resistance.
7. The LFA is rated as a certified low-emission vehicle. Lexus has engineered green driving into one of the most explosive production vehicles ever built, proving that performance and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.
8. A specially-engineered double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension works to provide balance and control. Front and rear stabilizer bars ensure that your LFA stays planted as you round the sharpest curves.
9. Darkness-splitting Xenon headlamps are standard. These lights extend your visual range, an essential feature for high speed night driving.
10. Keeping your headlamps clean are a set of high pressure washers. You can always ensure a clear road ahead by regularly cleaning debris off of the lamps, even when you’re on the go.
 Grocery stores advertise special sales of ground beef, barbeque sauce, and potato chips. Department stores tout linen and swim suit bargains. And maybe, just maybe an elder veteran will stand by a store exit to hand out red poppies to people who may or may not even know what Memorial Day is all about. Our traditional ‘celebration’ of Memorial Day has transitioned from a serious remembrance of those who gave their lives for freedom to a backyard cookout with little thought or acknowledgement to our fallen soldiers.
Lexus of Greenville recommends the way to change that is to create your own awesome Memorial Day party, a combination of appreciation and celebration. Begin with an invitation that calls upon guests to come as a soldier of any era or war. No, they needn’t search for old uniforms and the like, but ask them to know some details about their chosen hero.
Is he Audie Murphy? Then, ask him to send you a couple of paragraphs to include in a welcome newsletter or posters you place about your house. Guests will be interested in looking from one poster to another to remember the fallen heroes honored by your invitees.
Line the borders of your driveway with small flags to signal the purpose of your celebration. This last Monday of May signals the quick approach of summer, so plan a menu that is both casual and easy to execute – maybe as simple as savory sloppy joes, chips, slaw, pickles and baked beans.
Create a buffet table centerpiece of red, white, and blue flowers and choose some nostalgic music of the World War II 1940’s to set the mood. Set out everything for self service, so you can relax and tend to your guests. You could even buy inexpensive aluminum or foil pie plates to serve the “rations” and put up a “Mess Hall” sign on your porch or wherever you set up your buffet.
Create cards with the abbreviated history of Medal of Honor recipients. After everyone has eaten, distribute the cards and ask each guest to read them to the group. Or you could create a quiz setting in which teams of guests respond to questions like, “What is the significance of June 6th, 1944?
The whole idea of your celebration is to bring together friends and family for an enjoyable event with traditional party foods, fun and laughter, while stimulating conversation about the valiant men and women who served our country. Often, creative hosting is all it takes to combine a pleasant atmosphere with an authentic remembrance that brings real meaning to the day.
 A dog may be man’s best friend, but a poorly behaved dog can put a strain on even the strongest friendships. But we at Lexus of Greenville believe with proper discipline and positive reinforcement, you can help your pooch become the pal he was meant to be. Well, most of the time, anyway.
Timing is everything
When it comes to disciplining your dog, you really need to catch him in the act of any misbehavior. As frustrating as it might be to come home to a destroyed piece of furniture or a mess on the carpet, disciplining your dog after he has already committed the crime will do nothing to deter future behavior. Since a dog doesn’t have the same capacity to reason as a human, he will not connect his past action with a retribution that comes later.
How to disagree
If you do catch your dog doing something that you want to discourage, you need a way to show him that you don’t like what he’s doing. Good options include a particular sound (maybe a word like “no”), a firm but non-aggressive touch (such as a slight pressure to the side of the rump), or some combination of the two. A quick jerk of the leash to the side can also discourage unwanted action. Unfortunately, for this method to work, the dog must be leashed at all times in order for you to be able to administer the correction at the appropriate time.
When you correct your dog, it’s very important that you remain firm, but not angry or aggressive. An angry tone or action is more likely to excite your dog even more than to stop him from misbehaving.
Stay consistent
Consistency is a huge aspect of the success you’ll experience when disciplining your dog. Once you’ve decided on a sound or action that you will use to correct your dog, don’t change it. If you correct him and he continues to misbehave, correct him again. Just as a child put in a time-out corner might try several times to escape, it may take several corrections for your dog to understand that his behavior is undesirable.
Combine with positive reinforcement
When you correct your dog and he stops doing whatever you wanted him to stop doing, reinforce his behavior positively with affectionate words and actions or a treat. In some cases, like training your dog to do tricks or potty training, it’s best to use only positive reinforcement to avoid creating negative associations with actions that you do want the dog to perform.
Provide the best environment for your dog
You will get the best results from disciplining your dog if all of the dog’s needs are met every day. If a dog hasn’t been properly exercised, other unwanted behavior (like chewing, barking, or hyperactivity) are common side effects. This behavior won’t be corrected with a simple touch or word, because administering a correction does not help a dog find an outlet for his pent-up energy. If it seems like you can’t do anything to get your dog to behave, try taking him for a two-mile walk, and then come home and see whether he is still acting up.
 The easy answer to what happens to car engines as they age is that they wear out. The much more complicated answer is exactly what begins to wear in an engine and when it does. The standard everyday vehicle engine is a reciprocating engine. This means that a series of pistons push down on a crankshaft which changes the pushing and pulling motions of the pistons into a rotating motion that is passed on to the gearbox and then to the car’s wheels.
A lot of engine components either reciprocate or rotate at very high speeds and high temperatures, but modern day engines are well built to handle this, with parts that will wear out usually being easy to replace. The first thing that is likely to happen is the camshaft drive belt failing, and this can certainly damage your engine as the pistons may smash into the valves, resulting in a big repair bill. All car makers have a preset mileage at which the camshaft drive belt should be replaced, and some cars even have maintenance-free chain drives that do not have to be replaced.
Spark plugs are also another thing that needs to be replaced at a set interval, as the plugs themselves can burn out or become too dirty to work properly. These usually just screw in and out of the engine and so are an easy fix.
The main wear inside the engine comes from all the moving parts. When correctly maintained, the oil in a car’s engine fills the tiny spaces between the moving parts so the parts themselves are not actually touching. Some wear does occur, especially in the early days, when the engine is “breaking in.” This is merely the process where all the different parts wear ever so slightly so that they all work smoothly together. That is why most auto makers suggest that you not treat the engine too harshly or run it to extreme speeds for the first 1,000 miles or so.
In the long run, the cylinder bores will wear out the piston rings. These rings keep the oil in the engine from getting into the top of the cylinders where the fuel is being burned. That’s one of the main reasons why old or poorly maintained cars have a dark smoky exhaust – it is oil that has gone through the cylinder heads and out the exhaust.
The engine’s bearings can also wear out. These are metal inserts in the rods that connect the pistons to the crankshaft. They are there so that if they begin to wear out it’s easier and cheaper to replace the bearings and not the entire rod.
These last two types of engine wear should occur over a very long time period, unless there is some sort of manufacturing defect or a lack of maintenance, such as not changing the oil and oil filter at the prescribed intervals. Oil collects all the tiny bits of metal that can wear away in an engine and the filter removes those bits from the oil flow. That means not only does oil keep your engine running smoothly, but it also keeps it clean and free of stuff that can increase the wear rates.
So, an engine does wear out, but unlike in the old days, modern engines can last for a significant length of time if proper maintenance is carried out. So make sure to come to Lexus of Greenville’s service department for all your regular maintenance needs. It’s where we put the needs of you and your car first so you can keep your car running and looking good as new for as long as possible!
 Roast chicken is so tasty, comforting, and filling all on its own that it’s sure to please regardless of what it’s paired with. Of course, you can’t go wrong with savory roasted vegetables like the ones served here. We at Lexus of Greenville can’t stop eating them!
Roast Lemon Chicken with Fresh Mediterranean Vegetables
Total prep time: 2 hours
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves four
Ingredients
1 lemon
1 4-pound chicken
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 large zucchini, chopped to one-inch cubes
2 eggplants, chopped to one-inch cubes
1 large red onion, quartered
Small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place the whole lemon in the water and simmer for ten minutes.
Rinse the chicken with water and carefully pat the outside dry with kitchen paper. Season the cavity with the rosemary, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Very lightly oil the surface of a roasting tray and arrange the chicken, breast-side up, on top.
Use a fork to carefully remove the lemon from the hot water. Carefully lay the lemon on a chopping board and pierce it several times with a second fork. Stuff the lemon in to the cavity of the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with more olive oil and season with salt. Place the chicken in the oven to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the breasts and thighs with a knife.
Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully transfer it to a serving platter, retaining cooking juices in the roasting pan. Cover the chicken with tented aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, arrange the zucchini, eggplant, and red onion on the roasting tray and gently mix to evenly coat with the chicken juices. Season with more salt and pepper and place the tray back in to the oven for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and caramelized.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and let cool slightly. Carve the chicken, garnish the meat and roasted vegetables with cilantro, and serve warm.
 At Lexus of Greenville, we think that keeping your car looking great is just as important as keeping it tuned up. If you ever plan to resell your car, you’re throwing money away if you aren’t taking the time to properly maintain your car’s paint job. Curb appeal goes a long way in resale value. With a little investment of time and money today, you can keep your car looking shiny and keep that resale value up.
Wash it
To keep your car looking its best, you should wash it once a week, if you can. If you live in an area where it snows and they use salt to melt the ice, it’s crucial you wash your car at frequent intervals. The same is true of any beach area. The salt in the air is incredibly corrosive and it doesn’t take long for it to start wearing away your paint job.
When you do wash it, go to a car wash that hand washes or do it yourself. You want to clean the car, but you also want to be gentle with it. Be sure to use products that are specially formulated for use on cars. Dish washing liquid might be handy, but it’s not great for your paint.
Dry it
If you do wash your car yourself, don’t forget to dry it with a chamois or microfiber clothes. Water droplets might look harmless, but they can leave behind mineral deposits that etch your poor little car’s paint.
Detail it
If your car has been bird bombed, get the poop off your paint as soon as possible. It’s nasty, acidic stuff that can do real damage to your car. If you can’t get all the poop and bugs and grime off, you might try using an auto detailing clay which can help remove the tough stuff.
Wax it
Wax doesn’t just give your car that great looking shine, it also protects your paint. Giving your car a good wax is the most important thing you can do to protect the paint. Use a good Carnauba wax– it really does make a difference. Wax your car every two to three months. If you live an area with harsh weather, you may even want to wax it a little more often.
Seal it
If you don’t want to go with a natural wax, you can apply a paint sealant, which is basically a chemically engineered wax. Sealants last longer than wax, up to six months, but they lack the luster that a good wax gives your paint job.
Park it
Imagine how you’d look if you had to sleep outside every night. The longer your car is exposed to the elements, the more abuse it takes. Whenever possible, park your car in a garage or a shady spot.
 Q. What are the advantages to buying more expensive tires? Are they safer? Will I get more miles out of them?
A. Tires are one of the most important parts of your car. As the commercial says, you’ve got a lot riding on them. Making a smart tire purchase starts with understanding what all those numbers on the sidewalls mean. Happily, you don’t need a magic decoder ring (although that would be awesome) to understand what it all means.
Tires are a bit like steaks. The more expensive ones are usually better. But you don’t have to get the top of the line to get a good, long-lasting tire for your car. All tires now have a Department of Transportation (DOT) rating system stamped on the sidewall of the tires. It provides information such as tread wear, traction, and speed rating. For instance, a tire with a speed rating of “Q” is rated for 99 mph. The manufacturer isn’t suggesting you should drive that fast (that’s a no-no), but your tire is rated for that speed. Tires that are rated for faster speeds are made of softer, grippier rubber and wear out more quickly than their slower counterparts.
Load and pressure ratings aren’t that important to most drivers, unless you do a lot of heavy towing. Treadwear is where it’s at. A higher treadwear rating means you can drive more miles before they need replacing. If you’re looking for bang for your buck, treadwear is a number to keep an eye on. The higher, the better.
Like anything else, before you buy tires, do some comparison shopping online to see what others are saying about them. Compare prices based on how much the tires will cost you per mile. That’s a good gauge of value. And you know the best value can be found at Lexus of Greenville, where our service department’s number one goal is to get you back on the road with no hassle and minimum waiting!
 Business retreats have become a popular way for companies to motivate management team members. These tips for planning a business retreat will help you make the most of this experience and overcome what, at first, may appear to be a complicated task.
You will need solid organization to accomplish planning, team building, and to create an environment that makes your employees feel like they are also being rewarded for their dedicated work. In order to get the most out of your business retreat, take it off-site. By removing team members from the office, they can focus more effectively on the goals of your teambuilding retreat which makes the event more productive.
A successful business retreat is worth the cost. By getting away, you encourage each team member to form a fresh perspective that leads to more effective brain-storming without any of the daily distractions they experience at the office.
Here are seven tips from Lexus of Greenville to help you get started:
- Plan Early – A well-organized business retreat is planned at least six months in advance of the date. Doing so reduces scheduling conflicts. Each invited team member should receive a memo asking them to submit ideas for activities that appeal to them during the time set aside for social activities.
- Decide on a Budget – If you decide on a location that requires transportation, travel may be the heftiest line item in your retreat budget. If money is tight, you can stay in your city or town and hold the retreat at a local hotel. If you reduce travel costs in this way, you can afford to hold the retreat at a pricier hotel.
- Consider the Best Location – Pick three or four hotels or resorts that offer business retreat amenities and specially designed facilities with comfortable accommodations and a variety of local attractions or activities. Contact the hotel’s events manager at each property and explain your requirements. Ask each one for a bid to host your business retreat. Try to avoid letting the cost be your only determining factor. Remember, it is the quality of the experience that will make your retreat a success.
- Choose Your Goals – Some companies confuse a business retreat with a staff outing. A business retreat should be an opportunity to exchange ideas, evaluate problems, suggest solutions, and align the company’s mission and vision in order to reach its goals.
- Plan a Comprehensive Agenda – Before each team member leaves for the retreat, provide them with a complete agenda so they know what to expect and how to pack for the retreat. They will begin thinking about the topics to be discussed and will be better prepared to make a contribution to any discussion. A successful business retreat will offer a comfortable balance between business and pleasure activities.
- Allow Activity Choices – One team member might enjoy sightseeing while others will gravitate toward sports activities. Lasting team bonding occurs when employees are most relaxed and having a good time. Creative planning, that allows for a wide variety of activities, should give every team member something memorable to do that they will talk about with enthusiasm later.
- Kick it Off Right – Having a cocktail party the night before the business retreat is a popular way to get off on the right foot. An informal, poolside breakfast is another way to reduce any tension between team members. Help your employees to forget about the office they left behind so that they can relax, bring positive energy into the planning sessions, and truly focus on the business retreat goals.
Posted in Career Advice
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Tagged Work
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 Simple, superb, and satisfyingly sweet describes these muffins to a T! And oh, what a concept–Lemon Poppy-Seed Muffins and tea, or coffee, for that matter! Imagine serving homemade muffins with big mugs of steaming coffee, demitasse cups of espresso, or fluted cups of milky latte to complement and add panache to any breakfast or brunch venue.
Use potent limoncello and lemon zest for zing, and the black poppy seeds bring in their own dark gifts. These semi-nefarious ingredients just add to the deliciousness. According to caravellaus.com, their own brand “has been made by the Sperone family in Milan for more than a century.” They also say of their limoncello, “The sweet-tart taste … is ideal.” We at Lexus of Greenville can’t recommend them enough!
Lemon Poppy-Seed Muffins
Total time: 30 minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons white vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Caravella limoncello
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Line two muffin pans that make 6 big muffins with large muffin papers.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl, reserve.
Place the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in the large bowl of a mixer and whip or cream until light and fluffy.
Combine liqueur and buttermilk and, alternating with the dry ingredients, add to the butter/egg mixture. Butter may be lumpy, and that is all right. Fold the poppy seeds and lemon zest into the batter.
Pour batter into papered muffin cups, place in oven; bake for 22-25 minutes or until center springs back when touched.
For some extra punch, drizzle each cooled muffin with 1 teaspoon limoncello or lemon juice.
 This is the time of year when cardigans and blazers, stockings and socks will become the anchors of your wardrobe. A little winter warmth may still be needed on cool days, but during this transitional period, you can begin to add spring freshness and fashion styles into your wardrobe, with these tips from Lexus of Greenville.
Learn how to layer properly
When the weather turns iffy, every “fashionista” knows how to layer without looking frumpy. Your first layer can be a pretty camisole under a cardigan sweater or a contrasting colored silk tee shirt. Your choices are limited only by the number of layering pieces in your wardrobe. Top your look off with a basic blazer, and you’ll be warm enough for cold mornings, but cool enough when you take off your top layer at lunchtime.
Begin to add color to your wardrobe
Winter fashion often revolves around the primary colors of black, gray, brown and navy blue. How to transition a wardrobe from winter to spring becomes easier when you begin to add color to your wardrobe. Start wearing bold, bright colored jeans, pants, tops, dresses, and skirts in fabrics that aren’t too lightweight and that compliment some of your basic clothing still wearable during the transition. Pops of color shout “spring is almost here!”
Sneak in a little spring fashion
The weather may be transitional, but that doesn’t mean that the stores aren’t overflowing with spring wardrobe items to sell. Why wait? If you don’t already have some colorful basics for layering, this is the time to buy them and begin to introduce them into your wardrobe. Even if you find an adorable floral or striped spring dress you can’t resist, pair it now with black tights, ankle boots, and a jacket. A bright yellow blouse can be worn with your favorite black leather skirt or jeans, and worn with boots. Keep your look simple and chic, and your wardrobe can transition easily from winter to spring.
Use accessories and jewelry to transition
Another way to add transitional bright colors to your wardrobe is with eye-catching accessories and jewelry. Getting out of your winter accessory rut is easy and may not be as expensive as you might think. An orange and yellow, chunky beaded necklace worn under a mixed layer of clothing, or turquoise and silver dangling earrings, add interest and style to any outfit. Unique belts can also point the way toward spring when added to your transitional wardrobe. Use your creativity and have some fun!
There is one caution for how to transition a wardrobe from winter to spring. Move forward on low speed rather than flooring your fashion accelerator by trying to combine too much at the same time. You don’t want your friends to think that you’re a fashion victim instead of a trendsetter.
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Home Tips
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