Tokyo Preview? 550-hp, 218-mph Lexus LF-A reportedly coming this year
by Damon Lavrinc on May 27th 2009 at 7:01PM 
Lexus LF-A Nurburgring - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Last year's reports about the demise of the Lexus LF-A may have been greatly exaggerated, and according to the fabulists at AutoExpress, Lexus' long-awaited supercar is due to be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show this October.
Toyota insiders told the Brit pub – in so many words – that the LF-A's delay was due to a series of engineering tweaks to boost the sleek supercar's top speed. Initially, the LF-A topped out at 199 mph, which ToMoCo execs decided was too slow considering the supercar's competition, so after some fettling with the engine and bodywork, the revised coupe is expected to hit 218 mph or beyond.
In addition to the revised top speed, the R&D team's exterior tweaks will be obvious when the wraps come off in Tokyo, with a new fascia, headlight design and reworked rear end. Underneath that long hood lies a revised version of Lexus' new V10, displacing 4.8-liters and sending all 550 hp through a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox.
Production of the LF-A will be limited to 500 examples, and that will supposedly include a higher performance version equipped with wider body panels, a track-oriented suspension and aerodynamic components pulled from the Nurburgring racer (pictured above).
Pricing is still rumored to be somewhere in the $200,000 range, and if the LF-A does debut in Tokyo – likely alongside the rear-wheel drive Toyobaru sports coupe – it could be on sale as early as 2010.
[Source: AutoExpress]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
VW GTi 7:07PM (5/27/2009)
Finally, this has been long in coming.
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audi_arena 10:09AM (5/28/2009)
A long time coming, and yet still an epic failure on Lexus's part. A large part of why outrageous supercars sell is because thier customer is the appreciation for the engineering and history and craftmanship that went into the car. While they spent a lot of time in development on this baby, it hasn't achieved anything in racing, nor broken any ground in engineering (other than to make a pretty fire).
They will never get 200k for this car in the states.
audi_arena 10:11AM (5/28/2009)
-1 for bad grammer on my part. I'm at work and not paying attention
rlq138 5:31AM (5/28/2009)
Lets hope the street version is more reliable.
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Imag 10:10AM (5/28/2009)
All the whining about how Toyota makes boring cars, then you want to take a shot at this car's reliability?
Why don't you all just say "we hate Toyota because we want to hate something and because we feel inadequete!" instead of pretending to direct your hatred into cheap shots and the same pointless jokes.
They. Are. Racing. The. Car. During racing, things happen, to any car. That has no bearing on how reliable production versions will be (in fact, racetrack experience will always make the street version better). You already know that, most likely, but you just had to make a pointless whining comment about Toyota anyway... so you can feel superior to something I guess.
zamafir 7:14PM (5/27/2009)
BURN BABY BURN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMkpdLPt2KU&feature=player_embedded
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Boudu 10:44PM (5/27/2009)
It actually wasn't an engine blow-out, as some lesser blogs are reporting, the 15th car did actually finish the race. This car has a odd design where the radiator for the car is behind the engine and it over heated.
Gazoo Racing (the people fielded the LFA) had a detailed minute-by-minute report on their website:
http://gazoo.com/racing/top/2009NUR24/CircuitLive.aspx
...it should be noted even the R8 prototype burned up with much worse results at the Nürburgring:
http://www.nextautos.com/safety/rip-rs8-audi-supercar-prototype-burns-up-on-nurburgring?page=1
Even the production version...
http://www.rpmgo.com/creepy-audi-r8-burns-on-a-street-in-germany
sparrk 4:10AM (5/28/2009)
that R8 was the turbo version they were testing on the Ring , it didn't burn in a race after years of testing like this pathetic Toyota.
LimeDaiquiri 7:22PM (5/27/2009)
"...sending all 550 hp through a six-speed *semi-automatic gearbox*."
*Sigh*
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M Al B 7:32PM (5/27/2009)
It's called "Sequential Gearbox" used in F1!!!
*@#$%^&
Alex 1:28AM (5/28/2009)
why do they put an 8 speed in the is-f but only a 6 speed in the lf-a?
Serge 9:32AM (5/28/2009)
@Alex
Because the 8-speed is a fail-box...
arturo 7:25PM (5/27/2009)
If it was Toyota Supra instead of Lexus I will consider dreaming about this car. The body style of Lexus and Lexus brand is really not my taste for anything.
Reply
hashiryu 11:20PM (5/27/2009)
This thing has a very similar profile to the Supra, WTF is wrong with you?
tekd 11:35PM (5/27/2009)
Of all the ridiculous things to whine about, you're whining that they decided to brand their $200,000 supercar as a Lexus and not a Toyota? WTF
arturo 11:46PM (5/27/2009)
yeah rate me down. I just think a Toyota Supra makes more sense to me what's wrong with that!
Harrison 12:05AM (5/28/2009)
If it hurts so much, I'm sure Toyota is willing to sell you Toyota Supra badges. Will that make you want it then?
arturo 12:21AM (5/28/2009)
it doesn't hurt I just hate this thing with a passion.
hashiryu 12:26AM (5/28/2009)
This thing has a very similar profile to the Supra, WTF is wrong with you?
arturo 12:28AM (5/28/2009)
well what can I say " I hate this thing with a passion" yeah keep rating down!!! lol