By Drew Johnson
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

In a repeat performance, Lexus will once again campaign a prototype of its LF-A supercar at this year’s 24 hour Nürburgring race with the Japanese automaker releasing some images of the forthcoming racer. Practice for the 24 hour endurance race kicks off on May 21st, with the official race set for May 23rd.
As was the case last year, Lexus will use the 24 hour Nürburgring race more for shakedown testing rather than an all-out performance test. Lexus has internally set a target of besting vehicles like the Nissan GT-R and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 round the ‘Ring, should the LF-A ever make it to production.

In racing-guise, the LF-A will use a 4.8L V10, tuned to about 500 horsepower. Power will be routed to the rear tires – size 305/30/20 — through a paddle-shifted transmission. The racing-spec LF-A will also feature a carbon fiber body shell.

Although still hidden from plain view, the race car version does give an indication of what we might expect from the production car — such as the shape of the headlights.

It remains unclear if the LF-A is still on the production track, but the latest reports suggest the production car will surface at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

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