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Lexus LF-LC approved for production

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:01:00 EST

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

On the sidelines of a press drive for the 2014 Lexus IS, the company's vice president of marketing in the US told Ward's Auto that the honchos in Japan have approved the Lexus LF-LC concept for production. He wouldn't offer any other details on how the luxury coupe might be transformed into a vehicle for the buying masses, and that has led to a bag full of speculation.

The show car was hybrid-powered and rear-wheel drive, a beautifully executed stab by Toyota designers in Newport Beach at redefining Lexus, but even with the concept, the point was to keep it "within reach for premium buyers." The report says the odds are on limited production and higher pricing than Lexus' "mainstream products," and other sites have speculated on what kind of powertrain it might end up in showrooms with.

GT Channel posits that the LF-LC will be the inspiration for a coupe in the Lexus LS price bracket with a choice of either the 4.2-liter V8 or the hybrid powertrain from the LS 600h, further speculating it will be called LC 550 and cost more than $100,000. It then says that there would be another coupe created beneath that one to replace the SC 430. Lexus Enthusiast, however, calls those "warmed-over rumors" and says that the marque probably won't deviate from its engine-capacity-naming scheme - labeling a car with a 4.2-liter V8 an LC 550. Nor does it think Lexus will use the letters LC after the company has trademarked "RC" in the US and Australia.

Time will sort the rumors from the truth, but we can probably start to admit that we're look forward to it.

Lexus LF-LC approved for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus shows LF-LC Blue at Australian auto show

George Kennedy — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Lexus, Misc. Auto Shows, Australia, Design/Style

Lexus has chosen the Australian International Motor Show to unveil the second iteration of its LF-LC concept car. This version is called the LF-LC Blue, and is a followup to the original LF-LC that debuted in Detroit earlier this year. As you might expect, the car is shod in a color called 'Opal Blue,' and is inspired by the semi-precious opal stone found in the Australian Outback.

In addition to the new color, we finally get (some) details on the hybrid powertrain that propels this elegant concept. The Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive system features an Atkinson-cycle gas engine, combined with an "advanced high-energy battery pack" and an electric motor. According to Lexus, the gas/electric hybrid setup conspires to produce 500 horsepower, though the power split between gas and electric it not specified.

According to Tony Cramb of Lexus Australia, the LF-LC Blue is a vision into the future of sports cars. "Its good looks mask some very exciting design and engineering innovations that will influence Lexus vehicles in the future." Cramb continued, "LF-LC is part concept, part reality: the concept hints at what's to come from Lexus." That is, in fact, the point of a concept car, so Cramb gets points for accuracy.

Lexus also highlights the interior of the LF-LC Blue, including what appears to be the next-generation of Remote Touch. Rather than a joystick controller, like its current incarnation, the 12.3-inch LCD screen is operated by a separate, smaller touch screen control board at the driver's fingertips. The touch screen can pop up and provides the driver with a keyboard. Like the current setup, this new form of Remote Touch controls climate, audio and navigation systems.

Show-goers Down Under can enjoy the LF-LC Blue at the Australian International Motor Show from October 19th to the 28th. To find out about the blue-hued concept, scroll down to get the press release and check out the gallery above.

Continue reading Lexus shows LF-LC Blue at Australian auto show

Lexus shows LF-LC Blue at Australian auto show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus LF-LC production-bound based on positive reaction?

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:59:00 EST

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

Six months ago, at the Detroit Auto Show, the Lexus LF-LC Concept was just that and only, stricly that: a concept. Three months ago, after praise from the four corners and a design award - and did we mention praise from just about everywhere? - Autocar reported that the concept was given 50-50 odds of production by Karl Schlicht, who was Lexus' head of product planning at the time.

Now, four months after that, Schlicht is the head of product planning for Toyota and Lexus, and a report in Automotive News says the swoopy 2+2 hybrid Lexus coupe is "on track for development" and "almost certainly will come to market." Lexus even sent a block of crystal containing a 3D etching of the LF-LC to dealers, by way of suggesting that if dealers sold 27,500 Lexus GS sedans, they'd get the LF-LC to sell.

This is all still insider trading, so it's certainly possible that an LF-LC production car won't happen. However, Lexus has motive: after 11 years at the top of the U.S. luxury car race, it fell two big notches to number three. It is partly responsible for BMW and Mercedes-Benz raising their games, and Lexus knows it needs more engaging products if it's going to regain the top spot. The kudos that the LF-LC received is just the kind of kindling to help stoke the brand fire again.

Since it's so early in the game, we have no idea how much will make it from the auto show floor to the dealer floor if it happens at all. But it's said the retail version will be slotted against the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage, a corner of the playground where all kinds of exciting things are possible.

Lexus LF-LC production-bound based on positive reaction? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota working on even more exotic followup to Lexus LFA?

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

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lexus

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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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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Road & Track leaks Lexus LF-Lc concept

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:55:00 EST

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

We're still a couple weeks away from the Detroit Auto Show, but the Lexus LF-Lc concept has leaked thanks to the crew at Road & Track and their YouTube account.

We still don't know much about Lexus' Detroit-bound concept, but the swoopy coupe combines some of the more emotive elements of the LFA, along with the grille of the LF-Gh concept that eventually formed the basis of the Lexus GS. The massively elongated hood terminates with headlamps that plummet deep into the air intakes and a more extreme grille than that found on the Predator-esque fascia of the Gh.

With an "Lc" designation, this could signal Lexus' intention of building an LS-based coupe to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL, but until the official curtains are pulled in Detroit, we'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, check out the video after the jump for the unintentional early reveal. As long as it stays on YouTube...

Continue reading Road & Track leaks Lexus LF-Lc concept

Road & Track leaks Lexus LF-Lc concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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