Many of the vehicles appear to be RX and ES models.
Summer is officially here. The heat is coming, whether we like it or not. While many are preparing for the onslaught of asphalt-melting temperatures and lawn watering restrictions, many folks in Colorado are recovering from the damage caused by a recent hail storm that struck a Lexus dealership.
Earlier this week, hail pelted a city in northern Colorado. According to 9 News, “At least 250 cars were damaged by the storm at Stevinson Lexus in Frederick,” which is about 30 miles north of Denver. Many of the cars parked outside of the dealership appear to be RX and ES models. Judging from the footage above, it doesn’t seem that the world’s hardest rain smashed any of their windshields, but it’s highly likely that the affected sheet metal looks like the skin of a golf ball now.
As bad as the damage to those Lexus vehicles undoubtedly is, other vehicles fared much worse. Golfball-sized hail slammed into a patrol car from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, leaving its windshield full of spiderweb cracks. Mother Nature attacked other police vehicles, too. She sent down egg-sized hail onto a trio of Arapahoe County patrol cars, causing destruction to their windshields.
While it’s a shame to see so many attractive Lexus vehicles ravaged by a storm, this is good news for some people out there. Insurance adjusters in the area have their work cut out for them, and people looking to save some money on their next car have a chance to get a new Lexus at a discount if they’re willing to accept a few dings here and there.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.