It’s only been a few years since Lexus told the world that demand would dictate whether or not there’s a second-gen LFA, and just eight months after that, it was announced that the LC F – the spiritual successor to the LFA – was canceled. In 2021, we learned that Lexus hadn’t given up on the idea, but we’d have to wait, and when Lexus revealed the Sport Concept. We learned that it would, in fact, inspire the LFA’s successor and that the wait may have been coming to an end. So, the next-gen Lexus LFA is going to be electric, and this was expected, but what we’ve learned now borders on the line of insanity. According to a new report, Lexus is prepping two LFA successors, and only one is electric – how’s that for a twist?

Twin Next-Gen LFAs with Different Hearts and Outrageous Performance

So, we knew that the performance EV concept revealed alongside a number of other EVs would carry forward the LFA’s legacy, albeit with a battery and a handful of electric motors. And, we know that it’s an early design for the LFA’s successor, but what we didn’t know is that Lexus was also cooking up its evil twin – something a new report from Best Car Web is calling the “LFA2.” Fair notice: what you’re about to read remains unconfirmed, and the report cites “an insider that’s well-versed in the future development of Gazoo Racing.” So be sure to take this report with an optimistic grain of salt.

This so-called insider claims that the battery-powered LFA successor will be supplemented by a fuel-powered car (the LFA2 I mentioned earlier.) It’s said to ride on Toyota’s TNGA-L architecture, so that means it won’t feature a carbon chassis structure like the original LFA. This isn’t necessarily bad news, however, because this leads the way for it to be a bit cheaper, so it won’t have the original’s defining price tag of $375,000 at the entry-level. This is the same platform that underpins the Toyota Crown that’s said to arrive in the U.S. later on in 2022 as well as the new Lexus LS and Lexus LC.

What really remains to be seen at this point is where Lexus is going to get a twin-turbo V-8. As of now, neither Toyota nor Lexus has one in its portfolio. It did have the 1UE-FE that was offered in a handful of premium models, but that engine went out of production in 2000 and it would take considerable effort to not only put it in a position to support twin turbos but meet current emissions regulations as well. So, Toyota and Lexus either need to completely rework that dated engine design or come up with something entirely new, either of which is quite the undertaking, but there is a wildcard in all this.

Right now, Toyota and Yamaha are working on a 5.0-liter hydrogen-powered V-8, which makes it a little too big to go along with the rumor, but it wouldn’t make at least some logical sense. See, Yamaha played a pretty big role in the original LFA’s V-10, so playing a part in the development of this engine certainly isn’t outside the realm of possibility. As of now, this V-8 only puts out 450 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, which isn’t exactly close to 700 horsepower, but it also doesn’t have to be. Remember, the LFA2 is going to have hybrid assistance, which means that even 500 ponies could be enough with the hybrid side of the powertrain providing an additional 200 horsepower. Of course, the canceled LC F project was also said to pack a twin-turbo V-8, so Toyota could already have an engine ready to go depending on how far that engine made it into the development phase.

The report also claims that the LFA2 will be branded as a Lexus, but it will also be the last Sportscar from Toyota that falls on this side of conventional. Pricing will come in at around 25-40 million Yen, which will put it at somewhere between $217,000 and $260,000 – still a pretty sizable price tag for a Lexus, but nowhere near as exorbitant as the original LFA at $375,000. There’s no word on how many LFA2s will be produced, but I wouldn’t hold out hope for mass production at that price.

2012 Lexus LFA Specifications