Autoblog

Toyota working on even more exotic followup to Lexus LFA?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:31:00 EST

Many countries have produced supercars with price tags that dip into the six figures, but that rare breed of exotic that fetches upwards of a quarter million is all but completely exclusive to Europe: Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani out of Italy, Bugatti from France, McLaren and higher-end Aston Martin models of Britain, top-of-the-line Porsche offerings from Germany, Koenigsegg of Sweden and so on. That's what makes the Lexus LFA so exceptional. It extends beyond the Acura NSX and the Nissan GT-R that previously defined the top end of Japanese supercars and joins its European rivals at the very top of the market. But that, we're reading, is only the beginning.

According to a shadowy anonymous source cornered by AutoGuide, Toyota is already working on a successor to the LFA, and their mole says the car will be even more exotic, more powerful and more expensive. Just what that entails when the LFA is already limited to 500 examples, packs a 552-horsepower 4.8-liter V10 and costs $375,000 has us conjuring up images of an animé take on the Bugatti Veyron. AG suggests the car could nudge the million-dollar mark with production limited to just 100 examples.

Could it be a production version of the LF-LC concept? It's probably too early to tell. In fact, we're going to go ahead and take this entire rumor with a few shakers-worth of salt and advise you to consider doing the same.

Toyota working on even more exotic followup to Lexus LFA? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus LF-LC super coupe concept pondered for production

Zach Bowman — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Lexus, Design/Style, Luxury

Autocar reports Lexus may be mulling a production version of the company's LF-LC Concept. After receiving a near universally positive reception following its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show this year, Karl Schlicht, head of Lexus product planning, reportedly gave the vehicle a 50-50 shot at hitting dealers sometime in the future. Those aren't great odds, but it is a change of tone from when the vehicle first hit the stage. Back in January, Toyota made it very clear the LF-LC was strictly a concept. As you may recall, the vehicle is a 2+2 coupe with a hybrid drivetrain and a low-slung presence.

According to Schlicht, the vehicle would have never even been considered for production if it had merely been submitted as a design proposal. With a physical concept backed by chorus of positive reviews, the company's decision makers have evidently been prompted to give the LF-LC a second look.

Schlicht himself is set to become the head of product planning for Toyota and Lexus starting on April 1.

Lexus LF-LC super coupe concept pondered for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More photos of hybrid Lexus LF-LC Concept hit the web [UPDATE]

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:56:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Lexus, Design/Style, Luxury

Thanks to our friends over at Road & Track jumping the embargo gun, we received our first sneak peak of the Lexus LF-LC Concept. Now the rest of the story has been published, with R&T taking a thorough look at how Toyota's California-based Calty Design Research facility came up with the look of the racy hybrid 2+2 coupe.

"Only a few written attributes were given as criteria: avant-garde beauty, originality, driving joy and unequaled technology," according to the story, which says Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda himself weighed in with a mandate that the car "have the 'wow' factor."

Lexus has been working on the LF-LC Concept for a year and a half, so the concept is no mere auto show roller. That kind of attention-to-detail shows in the new photos, especially inside the car. A finely detailed interior with wave designs stitched into the leather door panels is a nice touch that reinforces the car's exterior design language, which R&T says Lexus is calling "tumbling ribbon." The car also has a multi-layered instrument panel that looks like it could have been inspired by any number of sci-fi video games.

One thing missing from the article is any further information about the hybrid drivetrain system in the car. Curiously, while the press release on Toyota's Japanese website announcing that it would be unveiling the car mentions "Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive," that line was omitted from the release on the American site. Apparently we'll have to wait until the car's official reveal at the Detroit Auto Show on January 9 to find out what (if anything) is under the hood of the LF-LC.

There's plenty more to take in, including two new beauty shots from Autocar, so be sure to check out all the photos in the gallery.

UPDATE: Lexus has released two high-res images and we've added them to the gallery above.

More photos of hybrid Lexus LF-LC Concept hit the web [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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