Rumormill: Production Lexus LF-A, Toyobaru coupe coming to Tokyo
Lexus LF-A Concept - Click above for a high-res gallery
With the D-3, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Lamborghini and other automakers, pulling out of this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota is rumored to have a big showing to capitalize on the lack of reveals this October. According to InsideLine's correspondent in Japan, Toyota will unveil the production version of the Lexus LF-A, originally expected to debut in Frankfurt. The V10-powered, 600-hp supercar's future was in doubt late last year, but the on-again-off-again coupe won't be the only two-door gracing the Toyota stage.
The collaboration between Toyota and Subaru on a new coupe is also rumored to make an appearance in Tokyo, although it's unclear if the Toyobaru will debut as a concept or a production model. Based on the current Impreza platform, the rear-wheel drive will coupe will be powered by a Subaru-sourced flat-four with a new Toyota-developed head that will decrease emissions and increase fuel economy while returning an estimated 220 horsepower.
Toyota is also expected to show off a range of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, along with new EV and battery technology. But the automaker will have four fewer days to show off its wares to the public – the show has been cut down from 17 days to 13, running from October 23 to November 4.
Gallery: Lexus LF-A Concept
[Source: InsideLine]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ACURA23CL 3:08PM (3/24/2009)
That's fantastic:(...Acura cancels their NSX program, and Toyota secretly keeps developing theirs. D@MMIT! Looks like Toyota pulled a fast one!
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the_MVP_X 3:14PM (3/24/2009)
It wasn't a secret, we knew about it, another proof that Toyota is evil and want's to take over the world by bringing the fan back in there range.
the_MVP_X 3:15PM (3/24/2009)
and dude, "damn" it's not a rated word
the_MVP_X 3:16PM (3/24/2009)
fun*
Temple 5:37PM (3/24/2009)
Toyota did also stick with their F1 program where Honda didn't, and is now introducing an affordable RWD drive coupe with Subaru. Gotta give them credit for that.
JDMlover 7:26PM (3/24/2009)
This would kill the NSX anyway.
Randy 2:24AM (3/25/2009)
@the_MVP_X
"and dude, "damn" it's not a rated word"
But is "DAMMIT"? ;)
tekd 9:27AM (3/25/2009)
It would actually be pretty impressive if Toyota actually showed up at the show with a full production-spec Toyobaru AND the LF-A. Totally faking people out about cancellations just so they could surprise everyone by releasing car after hot, hot, car.
Oh man, this better be true Toyota, this better be true!!!
j 3:10PM (3/24/2009)
Might be late, but the LFA is still dead sexy.
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JDMlover 3:41PM (3/24/2009)
+ 100
Hands down one of the best looking cars i ever seen....and it's not even made yet =X
Javanese 5:36PM (3/24/2009)
Then I guess I must be the odd one as I think it's hugely disappointing. Look like an oversized, pumped-up supra. I'm also glad Honda killed off the NSX replacement, it's almost blasphemous replacing a mid engine sports car with a front engine one.
What is with the japanese and their obsession on front engined sports car? Must be as financial decision as the japs back in the 90's are obsessed with mid-engine sports car, and multi-link suspension setup. It's like they are going backwards by building a more plush semi luxo-barge with above average performance instead of going the lotus way of lightness and accessible performance.
tekd 9:37AM (3/25/2009)
This car aside, I'm pretty sure that the Toyota direct injection being put into the Subaru engine is going to raise fuel economy and lower emissions so even with the drag of AWD Subaru's cars are going to get better mileage.
Combining their resources is a definitely a win-win for them, and any Subaru win is a win for Toyota anyway since they hold so many shares.
Part of me is still kind of sad that Yamaha doesn't seem to be involved here though since Toyota has been trying to be more independent as far as high performance engines go (what with spending all that money on F1 and all). Would have been pretty sick to have some crazy Toyota direct injected, Subaru boxered, Yamaha 9000-RPMed engine. Bwahahaha.
TyWright 3:15PM (3/24/2009)
reveals should read rivals
but I guess reveals works also!
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artandcolour 3:27PM (3/24/2009)
the LF-A is pretty dated looking to me right now. maybe the production version will have some new lines to this old prototype, but i'm not sure it has any more hope of selling than the new Acura NSX would have. and who knows, Acura just might be telling a little lie as well, or kept one finger on the trigger the whole time.
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lim 5:11PM (3/24/2009)
well one thing is for sure; one of them has to pull that trigger, showing the other that it is both financially viable and profitable in the short and long term market. Hopefully that will entice the other to pull theirs and then we'll have some sort of competition in the Japanese super car domain besides the R35
BoxerFanatic 3:24PM (3/24/2009)
Is LF-A still rumored to be headed toward the $200k+ price point?
Interesting about the toyota head on a Subaru boxer. I had heard that the Toyota Direct Fuel Injection was being adapted to the engine.
It will be interesting to see if this engine materializes as an EJ-series update, or an EZ-series cropped down to 4-cylinders. Will they use Subaru's in-house AVCS valve timing system, or will they go to Toyota's VVTLi? Is there a major difference?
Direct injected, high compression NA 2.0 liter boxer, pushing 110hp/liter sounds good. I like turbos and ~300hp, but that does sound good.
And please, for the love of car enthusiasts, PLEASE make the car look good. The tech is shaping up, please don't make us shield our eyes from the styling until we get behind the wheel of the thing, as we have had to with most toyotas, and most Subarus.
My Legacy looks good. The Scion tC would look good if it werent' so tall, narrow and short of length. Longer, lower, and wider RWD tC with a little bit of "flair" (although please no afterthought-fender blister "flares" like the '10 Legacy Concept, make it more natural than that.)
I hope they show it, so that I can actually bring this idea out of the Vaporware folder, and into the nearing reality folder.
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RBW 3:29PM (3/24/2009)
Oh, you have a Legacy?
Tourian 3:31PM (3/24/2009)
Hopefully they meant, new Yamaha head on Subaru block, as is the tradition for Toyota's high performance heads.
iScream 3:55PM (3/24/2009)
According to edmunds, the Toyobaru will be using the impreza platform and powertrain. Most likely, they will use the 2.5 engine found in the current US impreza powertrain.
As a Subaru salesmen, I have to admit the emissions and MPG of the imprezas are horrible compared to corollas and civics. If the engine the Toyobaru comes out with has 220 with nearly 30 mpg on highway and have fun ride at an affordable price, it will be a real winner for both parties.
As for the LFA coming out as $200K+, I'm pretty sure it will not be any lower. But on the bright side, the expected power of 600 hp on the LF-A is much higher than I originally assumed (around 500 hp originally.)
BoxerFanatic 5:04PM (3/24/2009)
I thought the NA EJ25 engines were optionally PZEV rated? How is that horrible emissions?
AWD is a mechanical drag, so I can understand a few less MPG, but I will buy AWD over 2WD, when given the option. Traction is worth the extra ounces of fuel per distance, on a daily driven car.
Plus the non-turbo EJ boxers tend not to have DUAL AVCS, only intake-side. Some have not even been dual-cam engines, some being SOHC in the recent past.
The non-turbo EJ boxers have been built to a low price point, not to a high efficiency target. Throw some of that tech at the engine, and it will do better. Cut down to 2-wheel drive, and the drag will go down, make it sleek, and the aero drag will go down, and it will get better mileage, even with more power, especially with the best valve-timing and direct fuel injection tech, and a higher compression ratio.
There are rumors that Subaru is bringing a new flat four variant to market, that isn't an EJ-series boxer at all, and speculation is that it might be a pared-down four-cylinder version of the EZ30 and EZ36 H6 engines, which are shorter per cylinder count than the EJs and EG33 are. (shorter cylinder pitch interval) The EZ is not as freindly to turbocharging because of it, the overbored thin-wall, and bent-rod-journal 3.6 H6 especially.
But I could see the EZ30R pared down to 4-cylinders of 2.0-2.2 (if bored out like EZ36) liters, with all the toys bolted on, for a relatively light weight new non-turbo boxer, with high specific output, and relatively high efficiency, and not needing to run rich like an EJ20/25 series turbo engine does. I gained 3-4 mpg in an aftermarket ECU tune from just running less pig-rich than the stock fuel map, and the tail pipes are still sooty from running somewhat rich, which is safe for a turbo engine.
If they block up the front hub axle input, delete the front driveshafts, and put a single-output, no-diff-needed, RWD transmission behind the boxer engine, and beef up the rear diff just a little, to handle all the power, all the time, they would have a RWD car on the Impreza's chassis. Or they could fit the Subaru AWD as is, or even offer both as package options or brand differentiation between Subaru and Toyota.
It will likely work with the theoretical new boxer engine. EJ, EG, EZ, and the new one likely also, all mount the same way, with engine mounts in the same place, and the same bell-housing pattern. Solidly modular.