Lexus’s latest super car, the LF-A, has just failed its latest endurance session at the Nurburgring 24. Gazoo Racing has been campaigning the V10 powered LF-A in a number of endurance races in an attempt to bring the lessons learned from the race track onto the streets when the 500 HP Lexus finally does arrive in showrooms around the world in 2010, even if they are in limited numbers.
Apparently only 1 hour and 33 minutes before the end of the day long endurance race, one of the two LF-As competing suffered a catastrophic failure. Nearing the end of the competition, the number 15 car had to pull off to the side of the track as flames were coming out from the rear of the car. Although not much has been disclosed about the failure, this does not look good for Lexus’s future sales figures.
A short while ago, Top Speed announced that the production version of the Lexus LF-A super car will make its official debut this October at the Tokyo Auto Salon, and that potential Lexus super car owners would be able to start placing orders shortly thereafter. Fortunately for collectors, the Japanese automaker is limiting the production of their V10 powered super car to just 500 units, with 120 of them headed for their domestic market.
When the LF-A does hit showrooms, don’t expect to call it an LF-A, instead the Japanese luxury car maker is going to adopt the GT moniker "in order to express the car’s character." The GT name will be combined with some iteration of the car’s 550 HP maximum output. So it will most likely be called the Lexus GT550, it would be nice for the Toyota subsidiary to bring back the Supra name, but maybe that will happen later on. So just remember, when you go to the dealership to place your order, don’t ask for an LF-A.
The first deliveries of Lexus’s super car will be made next summer.
I apologize because we here at Top Speed could only bring you blacked out concepts or cartoon designs of the Future Luxus LF-A super car. Please let Top Speed officially present to you, the Gazoo Racing LF-A Nürburgring 24 competitor.
Even though it is a racecar and because of this is equipped with safety equipment like a roll cage, fuel tank and everything else in the rulebook. Things you most likely won’t find on the production version include the GT wing and other aerodynamic features. However one thing that might carry over is the large LCD gauge cluster.
Although this is not quite the street version, it is nice to finally have someone pop the hood to willingly expose the 500 HP V10.
The future Lexus LF-A supercar has been spotted again testing at the Nurburgring in Germany, this time on video. So no more distracting white striped camouflage, no more close ups of the rear spoiler, just the sonorous growl of the V10 and tires screaming for mercy. So take in the sights and sounds of super cars and the rolling hills of the Green Hell. The Lexus LF-A will make its official debut this October at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Rumors have been flying around that the Lexus LF-A will be unveiled at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, and this spy shot might just prove that the Japanese automaker is serious about bringing a super car to the table by 2011. The Lexus LF-A has been spotted again testing at the famed Nurburgring test track in Germany.
Due to the fact that Honda has canceled their NSX efforts, the future 500 HP Lexus will only have one other domestic super car to compete with, the Nissan GT-R. Their battle should rival that of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.
The model running around the ‘Ring in black camouflage should be much closer to a production version than the LF-A Concept that was unveiled at the Detroit show in 2005 and the updated version of the LF-A sports car we saw in 2007. If all goes well expect that the open-air LF-A Roadster will be in showrooms as early as 2012.
Check out World Car Fans to see the rest of the spy photos.
Lexus has cried wolf so many times about the LF-A that despite official word, we are still skeptical that there will be a production version shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon this October. But maybe Lexus has a good reason to make the LF-A the ultimate tease...Maybe Lexus is just trying to get some serious Nürburgring credentials before the car is released to the public. That would explain why its taken almost five years to go from concept to production version, right?
No matter the lame excuses, the LF-A will attend the 24-Hour Race on the Nürburgring this May (it ran this race last year and was just there in April). As always, the LF-A will be competing in the SP8 (engine ‘close-to-production’) class — this means at least race officials believe Toyota/Lexus’ story about getting the LF-A into production.
Most of the news we’ve heard up until now gave the LF-A’s powerplant as a 5.0-liter V10 making abound 500 hp. The only thing that has seemed to have changed is the engine now officially displaces 4.8-liters.
Back on May 10 of 2008, the LF-A competed in a 4 hour endurance at the Nürburgring where it was the only vehicle in the SP8 class (sports cars from 4 to 6.25 liters) to complete the event. On May 24 and 25 of 2008, the Lexus future super car took part in the 24 Hours Nürburgring competition, where the LF-A finished 7th in class out of 11 competitors. On 4 April 2009, the LF-A competed in the ADAC-Westfalenfahrt VLN endurance race at the ‘Ring. Once again the LF-A won the SP8 class, competing against an Audi R8, a Lamborghini Gallardo, an Aston Martin Vantage, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Lexus IS-F. The LF-A completed 25 laps around the 12.9 mile circuit in only 4 hours 7 minutes and 43.188 seconds.
Production version LF-A will be powered by a V10 engine that produces over 600 HP. The body of the Lexus will be entirely made out of carbon fiber and is rumored to take less than 4 seconds to reach 60 MPH from a dead stop on its way to a 200 MPH top speed.
The Toyota/Lexus LF-A has been a lot like a soap opera: there are a lot of interesting plot lines, but its taken it a while to go anywhere.
We first saw the LF-A Concept at the Detroit show in 2005, then in 2007 Lexus brought the updated LF-A Sports Car, and then Lexus cut off the roof last year with the LF-A Roadster. Then rumors of its demise started popping up. But just as we thought the car was dead, Toyota pulls it out for a track day at Fuji and announces it will be a racecar.
Finally it seems our saga will come to an end. In an effort to boost the ailing Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota will show off the production version of the Lexus LF-A at the show this October. Will it have the 480+ hp V10 engine? Will it go into full production? Will it be a car ready for the streets or a track-only job?
Hopefully some questions will be answered at the Tokyo show, but hey, this is the LF-A people, just be glad there is even a morsel of info.
As an added bonus, Toyota’s second biggest mystery, the Subaru-based next Celica may also make an appearance at the show. But depending on who can be believed, this project may be ready for 2010 or already stillborn.
Just because we can’t get a straight answer on when or even if the Lexus LF-A will hit the streets, doesn’t mean Lexus’ parent Toyota doesn’t want to get the most out of the design. Lexus will participate in the 2009 Milan Design Week by brining a exhibit titled, “Lexus L-finesse - crystallised wind” - featuring the LF-A.
While the real car is made out of carbon fiber and other composites, what will be seen in Milan will mostly be acrylic. But the appearnce of this artwork does give us new hope for an LF-A for the streets.
In the press release from Lexus, it does mention the 500+ hp 5.0-liter V10 engine (as well of a top speed around 200 mph). This is good news because it suggests that Lexus is once again serious about giving the public its long-awaited supercar.
Toyota has announced plans to produce the LFA, but you probably can’t get one. Toyota confirmed the construction of the car during a motorsports press conference. According to Auto Express, there will only be a handful of LFAs built, and they will likely be built not for street use but for racing.
The LFA (or LF-A depending who you believe) is rumored to be powered by a V10 engine making about 500 hp. Even if the first cars are only used for racing, it’s a step in a much better direction then the recently killed Acura NSX.
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