And thus the hybrid wars begin.

hybrid schmybrid

i dont know, part of the excitement of a sports car is the engine, the way it sounds, vibrates, revs…etc. i would have to try a drive first before i start jocking it, so far i dont think its something i really want, besides how can toyota tout this as green?

^ i mean the hybrid version^^^

What is the point? To save on gas? Try using something other than a V-10. Or is it suppose to increase performance? How about a turbo or supercharger instead of batteries and electric motors… Either way, the car is pointless.

I said earlier BMW and Mercedes had better worry if Toyota gets serious about fast cars.

They better start worrying now…..like start with quality control to get off the lower end of JD Power.

Hybred Supercar……just doesnt add up. I suppose the Hollywood types and politicians will buy them.

Gimmick car. It’ll come off great until it’s actually put toe-to-toe with other sports cars. I think it’ll go a bit like this:

“Typically great LEXUS quality. It is the quickest off the line because of it’s impressive electric motors boost, but handling and top speed suffer due to the increased weight. On top of that a Corvette and a Porsche are still more fun to drive hard. The LEXUS babies you with its electronic aids as if they’re afraid you’ll break it…”

If you were going to build a Hybrid sports car, one would expect a serial hybrid to ditch the huge or over complex engine for some insane motors and a smaller lighter simpler less costly engine and generator.

I look at the VOLT and could see a small jet engine running a 500K-1.5M watt generator powering at least two monster motors. This is easily five years off. We’re talking Ferrari money (about $120k-$250k) but still better than this overbuilt LEXUS.

Monster torque from 0rpm, no lag, I don’t think “green” is the point.

I think they could have accomplished more torque without adding an additional 1000lbs of weight, not to mention a complex power management system, a battery recharging system, and whatever else needed to manage a tandem gasoline/electric system. I don’t see the point.

well i guess its good then that toyota/lexus are the ones building a hybrid supercar. after all they are the experts at this type of powertrain. if one looks at the tesla, there is no reason why a hybrid V10 cannot perform well.

I like a quiet sport car!

I’m glad that we’ll see somebody produce a Hybrid Super Car in my lifetime. I guess this shows anything is possible.

Has lots of potential, I think the big thing this car has to overcome is getting the “feel” of a sports car out of a hybrid powertrain.

God I am so sick of Lexus

I think this is the right direction. Right now only V8,V10 etc, high output engines sound right in a supercar ,but you have to think of the future. The world population is only growing bigger, so polution is definitely a factor…. and no that statement has nothing to do with the politics of global warming, just fact.

Lexus is a terribly boring German car wanna-be, owned by wanna-be middle income housewives that can’t afford a proper German car. This car has a lot of potential, to be ignored.

Hybrid technology is gonna be seen a lot more, since rising gas prices and increasing pressure from various environmentalist organizations and the EPA keep mounting. It’s inevitable. But I’m sure even if it wasn’t, automakers would still be trying to outdo each other on the various engineering fronts. Hybrid technology is just another example. Why not a hybrid super car? If it’s good looking, efficient, good value and it’s fast and handles well, I could care less what’s under the hood.

I see this type of hybrid technology as just a bridge to the next real solution (what ever that may be) anyway. Current hybrid tech is just not providing enough benefit to be worthwhile.
As an aside, Lexus styling is just plain soft/weak IMHO.
Does not get the pulse moving, never has.

Geez Madcapp, you read my mind. Also, I cant see any individual who is concerned about the cost of gasoline buying many supercars.

i think the point of hybrid technology in the LFA is to reduce gas consumption and emissions. gasoline isnt gonna last forever and with more people driving around the world gas will dry up soon. oh and don’t forget about manbearpig err…global warming.

even if people who buy supercars arent concerned with gas prices, it’ll be the first and give toyota more bragging rights. first hybrid supercar, gotta admit im impressed. love em or hate em, toyota is still kicking ass.

Toyota/Lexus is simply using this car to showcase their technological prowess. Since they are now number one, they might as well produce a toy or two for those privileged few. Toyota’s interests have never been solely in this market category—how else would they become number one? Funny, I bet if GM were producing this car a few morons’ here would be fanboying the crap out of it. And if Lutz said is was so, they would be carrying him atop their shoulders kissing his sorry sagging ass. Of course, we all know it would be a re-badged Holden.

piablo, what if this V10 got 25mpg compared to avg. 15 on any v10 or even less. the new nsx is trying to get 23 mpg..**** thats more than my Jeep gets with less than half the hp. maybe at the present moment folks that buy high end machines dont really care, but when it is available it might change the game.

again toyota and honda are gonna 1 up everyone on something that no one was thinking about. im no fan of either of ‘em but theyre actions are pushing everyone else.

Sweet im looking forward to see the production version

A sports car is uncomprimised, beautiful and elegant, None of which have been part of lexus (hell include toyota as they are toyota’s anyway) or any of their cars. This should hopefully flop to delight enthusiast around the world. Honda on the other hand should make a diesel NSX to get the 23mpg and monstorous amount of torque

Piablo, you’re exactly right. If you’re making a V10 why bother making it a hybrid…just make it a V8. Well, turns out they did. The Hybrid version is NOT a V10, it’s a V8 AND it’s a hybrid.

“The 5.0-liter V8 coupled with an electric motor will produce a total output of 435 horsepower”

The normal version however, is a high revving V10.

It’s something for the boring ass Lexus dealership showroom.

this will have the performance of a v12 with the fuel bill of a small v8

if it works then more power to Lex

once again homeboy never fails to mention that he hates north american cars. no one cares that you dont like them. Everyone can now assume what you’re going to say so you dont need to be here.
reply to this or not i dont care. we all know what you’re going to say about this to anyways.

Let me try to explain this a little clearer.
What is the purpose of hybrids? 1. To create better fuel efficiency. 2. Less impact on the environment. 3. Less dependance on foreign sources of fuel.

Sure, setting this vehicle up with a hyrbid system accomplishes 2 of those purposes in context to the same vehicle with a V10 and no hybrid system. Put it in context with the rest of Toyotas fleet, and it does not. Put it in context with GM’s fleet, and it does not. 25mpg would actually lower the fleet average. The one purpose it does not accomplish is #2. It’s environmental impact is huge. Between mining nickel for the batteries and the manufacturing process it will undergo, it will be another abomination similar to the Prius. Hybrids with batteries are not the answer. Just because that is the only solution automanufacturers are offering up right now, does not make it the answer. Ask for more. Challenge the manufacturers for more. I understand the marketing gimmick at play here, trickle down has been happening since racing began. I simply disagree with it and would prefer hybrids to not become commonplace. The end never justify the means.

Deantj, That last line will go down as one of the best at LLN

Not a hybrid fan. Not a GM fanboy either, but do any Z06 owners want to chime in with real world highway MPG?

One of the most idiotic applications of hybrid technology ever. The only more idiotic one is the Lexus LS600h, which gets a pathetic 20/22 city/highway mpg. Considering the hybrid system in the LS added 800 lbs. of weight to the regular LS, I wonder if it will add the same weight to the LF-A? How about 4,000 lbs sports car anyone?

I just don’t get the purpose. 99% of the people who can afford a $100k+ supercar could care less about gas mileage, and pretending to care about the environment while they heat and cool their 5,000 sq. ft.+ McMansions is a complete hypocracy. Those 1% who truly do care about gas mileage can buy a Tesla electric.

And the reality is, this hybrid won’t even do much improvement on gas mileage.

I’m willing to bet this hybrid LF-A will get worse average mileage than the current 505hp Corvette Z06.

And for the person who asked: my ‘02 Z06 averages 26 mpg, and gets 32-33 on the highway. But you knew that already

Z06ified - Glad to see someone else sees it.

To put it into further perspective… Toyota sells two gas mizers: the Yaris, and the Prius. Car and Driver observes 36mpg average for the Yaris, highway and city combined. The Prius averages 40mpg. Adding 1000 more pounds in batteries and equipment yields 4 mpg. What’s the point? And without any batteries or motors, the Vette, a 400+hp sports car gets almost 30mpg highway. This Lexus, and hybrids in general, are pointless.