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]

Well, it looks like Toyota is committed enough to the Lexus LF-A to at least race it again in this year's 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Just like last year, the rumored on-again, off-again for production luxury supercar is set to tackle the Green Hell in another 24 hour endurance run. That certainly lends some credence to rumors that the company is still considering it for production. The last we heard they were planning on showing a production version of the LF-A in Frankfurt Tokyo.

While we have grown somewhat tired of all of the speculation, the car remains formidable, at least on paper and in the flesh. Driving it will prove or disprove our feelings, but what's not to like about a sexy 600 horsepower, V-10-powered supercar that should offer some of the same driving thrills as a Ferrari Enzo for one third the price? Racing it for 48 hours at the 'Ring can only improve the durability and aid in finetuning. GAZOO Racing is prepping the car for competition this year with just a few minor tweaks to the basically stock platform.

Lexus is also using this as an opportunity to give some young employees a bit of experience developing product under pressure. That will likely help with future product development as well. Hopefully, we will see a production vehicle in October, but until then, we look forward to seeing it under the whip in May. There's a press release from Lexus after the jump.



[Source: Lexus]

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.



[Source: InsideLine]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A concept.

The writing has been on the wall for some time. Although the Lexus flagship graduated from "concept" to "prototype" when it campaigned in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, Toyota has refused to even hint at a production date for the V10 supercar. Then Toyota declined to plonk an LF-A silhouette on their Super GT racer, electing to continue with the doomed SC 430 jello mold.

Then news broke that production cars would cost a whopping $225,000, but the LF-A still wouldn't turn a profit. Needless to say, Toyota doesn't like things that are not profitable.

Finally, members of the testing and development crew who have been putting the car though its paces in Germany, as well as test drivers from rival Honda and Nissan crews, have told Autoblog that the LF-A is not destined for the showroom, and will remain only a development platform.

No reasons were given, but we can think of a couple. How many people are willing to part with nigh on a quarter of a million bucks for a Toyota/Lexus? Also, the world's most prolific car maker may not be willing to join the current Nurburgring pissing contest unless it is 100% sure that they can beat the Viper, ZR-1 and perhaps more importantly, the GT-R and upcoming NSX replacement.

Actually, one 'Ring test driver didn't mind going on the record with his opinion. Former Nissan racer, NSX development driver and Nurburgring legend Motoharu "Gan-san" Kurosawa reckons, "Toyota are good at making money, but they're no good at making sports cars."