From LFA to LFR – more evidence emerges of the next high-performance Lexus supercar, rumoured to go hybrid or electric.
The Lexus LFR could be the name given to the brand’s next supercar.
Lexus has reportedly filed a trademark for the LFR badge in Europe, according to Motor1, with the likely candidate for the new name being the much-rumoured LFA successor.
Rumours have swirled for years of a Lexus supercar being in development, with a number of Japanese media outlets in recent months suggesting the carmaker was working on a twin-turbo V8 engine with hybrid assistance to power the vehicle.
More recent reports have suggested the flagship coupe will actually be based on the Toyota GR GT3 Concept from January 2022 – a vehicle which shares a strikingly similar silhouette to the Mazda RX-Vision Concept of 2015.
Another vehicle that echoes the shape of the GR GT3 Concept is the Lexus Electrified Sport concept (top), which was first shown to the world as part of parent company Toyota’s electric-car showcase in December 2021.
Developing and manufacturing a supercar is notoriously cost prohibitive for car manufacturers, but Toyota has a precedent in sharing the financial burden with other brands.
Both generations of the Toyota 86 were developed with Subaru, while the revived Toyota GR Supra shares much of its architecture with the BMW Z4.
In February 2022, Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson told US publication Car and Driver the GR GT3 Concept could end up wearing a Lexus badge.
“It’s fairly safe to connect the dots and suggest that that could be a precursor to the next global GT3 car for Lexus,” Mr Wilson said at the time.
According to an earlier report by Japanese publication Magazine X, development of the Toyota GR GT3 Concept is actually being headed by departments within Lexus.
The report also suggested the Lexus supercar could be the first model from the luxury brand to wear the ‘GR’ badge – a designation up until now only afforded to selected performance models from Toyota and Daihatsu.
Exactly what turns out to be true will have to be seen, but the latest trademark filing suggests the Lexus supercar is edging closer to its unveiling.
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