After a fairly lengthy hiatus, it looks as though Toyota has resumed development of its Lexus LF-A supercar. The LF-A hasn’t been spied in over a year, but the two-door coupe returned to Germany’s famed Nürburgring race track on Tuesday.
The global economic downturn reportedly hasn’t taken its toll on Toyota’s LF-A program, so it remains possible we could finally see a production version of the Lexus supercar later this year at the Tokyo Motor Show. However, Lexus plans on campaigning the LF-A later this month in the 24 hour Nürburgring race, so it remains possible that this prototype is simply a racecar variant.
Whatever the case, the car spotted today is using Toyota’s new 4.8L V10, tuned to produce at least 500 horsepower. Power is sent to the rear-wheels — size 305/30/20 – via a paddle-shifted transmission.
Toyota has stated the LF-A won’t enter production until it can best the 7 minute 30 second mark around the ‘Ring, so the May 23rd race could give us an indication of how close the LF-A is to production.
05/12, 1:06 PM
posted by:
Bankruptcy2009
That looks like one bad ass car
05/12, 1:13 PM
posted by:
CADDY-V
500hp out of a v10 come on they get a lot more than that out of v8’s.
I love the picture of them pushing the car that’s great.
05/12, 1:22 PM
posted by:
F50
The rear end reminds me of the TVR Sagaris.
05/12, 1:24 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Lexus might finally break their boring styling streak with this automobile. I am certain that if, and when it hits showroom floors that all will be sold.
05/12, 1:51 PM
posted by:
Andre Neves
Am I the only one who is actually sick of seeing spy shots of this car already? There must be thousands of shots of this car driving the ring.
05/12, 2:05 PM
posted by:
928dreamer
I’m betting that this is testing for the race car entered into the 24 hour Nurburgring race. The size of the wing, front splitter and Canards would not be present on a street car. They would affect handling dramatically and you couldn’t get good chassis/suspension testing of the final product this way.
05/12, 2:06 PM
posted by:
928dreamer
Nevermind, I was still looking at the April images. The recent images look to be more production car oriented.
05/12, 2:16 PM
posted by:
zeegone
Seriously, either get it out or stop teasing us. The GT-R didn’t take near this long!
05/12, 2:24 PM
posted by:
Borat
Didn’t Toyota kill it already? Is this thing reaching us out of the grave?
05/12, 2:57 PM
posted by:
orangecones
Very different approach here compared to what Nissan did. Of course it all starts with the V10 vs the GT-R’s V6. I can see it now, youtube videos of GT-R vs LF-A on some remote hwy in the middle of Texas somewhere.
05/12, 3:28 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
The first real dedicated “L—s?”
I’ve already decided on a GT-R as my mid-life crisis car
05/12, 3:31 PM
posted by:
Road_AMS
No Supra? What gives? I guess people won’t pay that much for a Toyota anymore.
05/12, 3:36 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Unobtanium. Even when it is deemed fit for public consumption precious few will be able to afford a seat at the table. It’s good that Toyota has priorities, unfortunately they’re completely misguided right now.
05/12, 4:11 PM
posted by:
bigp
wow they have ego problems because they will not let the car start intil the beat the 7.30 mark wow
who cares
05/12, 6:46 PM
posted by:
tyler_is_aero_tt
Damn that is sexy.
05/12, 7:07 PM
posted by:
shane train
Can they stop jerking us around with this and give it to us straight?
Yes or no?
To me, this looks much closer to being real. Even with camo, I mean, this thing is no mule. Look at the mirrors on there, those look production, they really match what’s going on on the side.
Whether or not that’s viable for anything, I don’t know, but it makes me think they’re getting closer to a total design.
05/12, 7:18 PM
posted by:
Pazzo Canguri
Even with all this disguise on it, this car looks a 10,000 times better than that ugly pos nissan gtr…I hope lexus birngs it out…it would be awesome….
05/12, 7:28 PM
posted by:
DrFill
Having seen it in person, and having heard it working out at The ‘Ring, it would sell out based on the sight and sound alone! Could take an hour to get around, sales wouldn’t be a problem
At least on YouTube, it seems to work it’s way around The ‘Ring pretty easily. According to this, it hasn’t broken 7:30, but there have been rumors to the contrary..
Lexus/Toyota is taking this seriously
They took the Supra seriously.
Memories………..
DrFill
05/12, 9:45 PM
posted by:
GayEmoBetch
Caddy V… GM is going bankrupt. Meanwhile Toyota is racing the LFA at the 24 Hrs At The Ring. If you hate a V10 flat black race car there is something wrong with you. Godammn chill out.
05/12, 11:44 PM
posted by:
monte
500 hp from a 4.8L is pretty good, no matter how many cylinders it has. To push it more might severely shorten engine life.
If this was an american car, 1115 would say it should have been out three years ago, but being jap it gets a pass!
05/13, 1:14 AM
posted by:
JoseIICordero
I’m hoping that they will get on with it already!!! This is the sexiest Lexus ever built!!
05/13, 3:29 AM
posted by:
scratchy
nice to see a sporty Toyota again. i hope they build a new Celica after this.
05/13, 11:13 AM
posted by:
shaver
Im proud of Toyota, taking a huge loss on this for me to enjoy. This is almost as cool as them spending Billions on F1 and being Ferrari and Renaults and BMW and McLaren/Mercs bitch year after year.
Car looks way better then the sci-fi show car that preceded it. But not nearly as pretty as upcoming F430 replacement.
05/13, 11:38 AM
posted by:
California GT
I wonder if this means that a new supra is in the works?
05/13, 4:23 PM
posted by:
Dante_JoseCuervo
CADDY-V
You do realize that output is a little more determined by displacement than by cylinder count, right? This is a 4.8L engine giving you just over 100hp/L. That’s not too bad. Of course you could take a big V8 and get more than 500hp out of it, but that’s no fun.