Just like the Nissan GT-R, this is only 3 months away from being released (the production version). And what prompted me to make this thread is that finally spy pics have been taken showing the car without any disguise.

I like it from the front (very Supra-ish!), but damn, those taillights could have been even smaller, dontcha think? And that triple exhaust, I am still mixed up about it :-/

Lexus LF-A Uncovered

Quote :

"True to the concept Finally, here it is. For the first time without disguise, the V10 powered Lexus LF-A prototype driving is its rounds at the Nürburgring. It’s close to the concept as we all expected, with just some minor changes. The official debut will probably be at the Car Show in Frankfurt during September. In the meantime the guys at Lexus will continue testing and fine tuning suspension and handling. With photos of the Honda NSX mule surfacing a little while ago, Lexus probably wanted to let the readers of car magazines across the globe have a glimpse of the LF-A instead of the NSX mule. The Japanese super-car war has just started, beware of the Ninjas. "

[Edited on June 12, 2007 at 7:49 PM. Reason : ]

6/12/2007 7:49:22 PM

6/12/2007 7:58:31 PM

is that spolier veyron-style, i.e., retractable?

6/12/2007 8:05:40 PM

6/12/2007 9:05:49 PM

maybe they're taped down for cammo-ness

the tail lights that is
btw they look like mini murcielago lights

6/12/2007 9:54:17 PM

Quote :

"maybe they're taped down for cammo-ness "

nope. those huge exhausts are just underneath the tail lights. same with the concept.

Quote :

"btw they look like mini murcielago lights"

murcielago look-alike: good
mini in size: not good

*****************************************

BTW, i just realized something strange.

those tail lights are from the earlier concept shown in 2005. a newer version of the LF-A concept was shown in 2007, which was very similar to the first one, but had different head and tail lights. and one would think they would use the styling of the newer version concept.

see this is what was shown in 2007 as the new refined concept:






but those images in the first post show the old style head lights, which have been seen in spy pics for 2 years now.

confuzzled.

6/12/2007 10:13:24 PM

Quote :

"http://photos-656.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v74/187/5/11811525/n11811525_33085656_8894.jpg"

It looked pretty sweet in person. I've just gotta say though, if Honda goes with that bullshit front engine designed GT and actually calls it the NSX I am gonna be sooo pissed!

6/12/2007 11:01:47 PM

i think those are pre-production taillights from autozone they just hung there for testing purposes to make the car street legal. hopefully production ones will look something like the ones on the concept. rear plastics seem suited for those. if not, WTF lexus? semi's got better looking taillights

[Edited on June 13, 2007 at 12:18 AM. Reason : better be LED too]

6/13/2007 12:17:37 AM

To me, Lexus has no racing history compared to the this car's competitors. It kinda seems like a poser.

Don't say Supra, because this isn't a Toyota.

6/13/2007 12:31:05 PM

ever hear of the Rolex Sports Car Series???

6/13/2007 1:00:05 PM

Sorry for being a retard in the above post

6/13/2007 1:10:01 PM

No I've never seen that car. But I have seen tons of BMWs and Mercedes race in all kinds of different classes. What has Lexus been doing for the last 5 or 10 years?

6/13/2007 1:13:26 PM

BALLIN!

6/13/2007 1:46:24 PM

Dude, Lexus IS Toyota.

Lexus engineers are privy to all of Toyota's motorsport expertise.

What you are saying is if Bill Gates starts a software company within Microsoft, specializing in special/technical software packages, you are going to say that [name of sub-company] has no software producing history.

6/13/2007 1:47:07 PM

Toyota has no recent production sports car history.

6/13/2007 5:05:28 PM

... in the us

6/13/2007 6:16:14 PM

Anywhere.

F1 doesn't count.

6/13/2007 6:19:15 PM

Japanese touring cars ?

6/13/2007 6:25:10 PM

^is that factory backed? Doubtful.

Quote :

"No I've never seen that car. But I have seen tons of BMWs and Mercedes race in all kinds of different classes. What has Lexus been doing for the last 5 or 10 years?"

What are you trying to say really? Are you implying that luxury brands have no place racing, or experience racing. B/c BMW and MB have more racing history than the majority of manufacturers.

6/13/2007 10:56:39 PM

easy on the roids tke. I was saying that benz and bmw have been racing, but what has lexus been doing?

6/14/2007 6:04:43 AM

It looks like they opted for real rear view mirrors instead of the little cameras seen on the concept car.

6/14/2007 7:02:50 AM

durrrr lexus = toyota..... durrr

glad to see them back at it tho...

6/14/2007 9:01:00 AM

http://trdparts.jp/english/pdf/trd_gt_journal_vol1.pdf

Whomever says Toyota (Lexus) doesn't race may be retarded.
No, they're just going to race trucks, nascar, nhra, and nopi and not have one single factory backed race car in they're own country .

and for those who don't like to or can't read its an article about the mr2 and celica racecars in japan
and they still factory back a couple supras too.


[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 10:55 AM. Reason : .]

6/14/2007 10:54:09 AM

Quote :

"easy on the roids tke"

lol, dude I'm just asking

6/14/2007 1:04:36 PM

Did you miss the part where I said "production"

6/14/2007 1:11:17 PM

all i'm saying is they can build a f*&Kin race car.
ohh and alot of the supras and mr2s are production based.
i mean shit bmw had a v8 in a inline 6 car for one series
if you're going for production based then
mazda porsche and honda wax everyone
and honestly at this moment there isn't a mazda or a honda i would own.

merc hardly races production cars anymore

6/14/2007 1:33:19 PM

Once sexy, always sexy.

6/14/2007 1:36:43 PM

Quote :

"all i'm saying is they can build a f*&Kin race car. ohh and alot of the supras and mr2s are production based. i mean shit bmw had a v8 in a inline 6 car for one series if you're going for production based then mazda porsche and honda wax everyone and honestly at this moment there isn't a mazda or a honda i would own. merc hardly races production cars anymore"

Most of the Supras raced have a 4 cylinder engine in them. And MB competes in the highly competitive DMT series don't they?

6/14/2007 1:52:13 PM

Who gives a shit? Everyone knows factory racing is just another form of advertising and production cars share absolutely none of the same technology. Of course it's a toyota. If they make the car sexy and cheap enough, no one will care.

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 3:02 PM. Reason : Exhibit A: the Z32 above.]

6/14/2007 3:01:15 PM

Quote :

"and production cars share absolutely none of the same technology"

That is really dumb dumb thing to say. I said Lexus not Toyota.

6/14/2007 3:10:07 PM

When you own a car with a tube chassis and a carbon-fiber body get back to me.

6/14/2007 3:12:35 PM

don't get a roll bar confused with a tube chassis boi
alot of scca cars are pretty much factory chassis w/ cages and bolt on parts.


and its DTM


and that looks as production as a nascar fusion...
well i wouldn't go that far...
but it is about 1' wider than stock.




[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 4:09 PM. Reason : .]

6/14/2007 4:07:37 PM

I'm waiting for someone to point out that the Lexus LF-A will in fact have a carbon-fiber body.

But my point remains. Factory sponsored racing is all hype. It's complete bullshit.

6/14/2007 5:07:28 PM

Quote :

"When you own a car with a tube chassis and a carbon-fiber body get back to me."

Way to generalize. Racing technology has been put into production cars (although trickled down) since the car has been invented.

Manufacturers learn tons of information by racing their cars. They test reliablity, chassis dynamics etc.

Off the top of my head, not doing any research I can think of several cars that have benefitted from their racing background. BMW started out with their M division. Porsche has been racing since it was founded almost. Subaru's rallying reputation...The list goes on. But I can't think of any Lexus that I know of that I've ever seen or heard of racing. Toyota is a given, but I've seen Integra's racing in SCCA forever. Why couldn't Lexus?

6/14/2007 8:57:44 PM

Quote :

"and its DTM"

Yeah I know, what I put was a typo

6/14/2007 8:58:21 PM

back in the day fiberglass was racing technology.

6/14/2007 8:58:37 PM

Quote :

"But I can't think of any Lexus that I know of that I've ever seen or heard of racing."

3 reasons:

1) Lexus is quite new.
2) Lexus was started as an ultra-luxury brand within Toyota, moreso than Acura.
3) Lexus GS, IS, and SC do race. I have seen pics.

Here are some pics:

IS: http://www.btcc.net/images/gallery/lg_2506_0ba5.jpg
IS: http://www.btcc.net/images/gallery/lg_2505_c27a.jpg
GS: http://www.automotoportal.com/media/images/vijesti/060818001.jpg
SC: http://www.endurance-info.com/2006_SUPER_GT/07_SGT_Motegi_Lexus36.JPG



OK, now can some tell what Lexus this is:









Is it just a Lexus engine in there? If so, whose is the body?



And check out these cool photochops of a two door IS racing car:

http://hvtm.hu/car/m/lexus/908229.jpg
http://www.digimods.co.uk/images/Virtualcarimages/cars/lexusIS.jpg

[Edited on June 14, 2007 at 9:17 PM. Reason : ]

6/14/2007 9:09:17 PM

Benz-1886
lexus-1989

(that may also be a reason)

6/14/2007 9:22:56 PM

^^that 2 door shop IS looks good.

Yea, they've been racing. But not as extensively as everyone else. It's like they're just now trying to start building a serious sports cars (the SC has never been one), and running this car on the ring is just a show.

6/14/2007 9:41:04 PM

Hey, everybodu starts somewhere, right?

As for the SC, it is sh!t, but the old one (the original one) was one of the coolest cars ever made by any manufacturer.

6/14/2007 9:43:39 PM

http://www.worldcarfans.com/spyphotos.cfm/country/jcf/spyphotoID/6070618.001/nissan/more-nissan-350z-spied

OK I am baffled by this. Below you see a spy pic (click above to see all) of the next 350Z, which some people are saying will be the 370Z or even the 400Z. Fine. But why is the Lexus LF-A right behind the Nissan??? Wouldn't the 2 competitors want to avoid testing their cars at the same place and time?



BTW, that sliver of the Lexus in the pic looks mighty awesome!!!

6/19/2007 9:37:57 PM

spy video:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=121313

6/27/2007 6:39:58 PM

what kinda faggot would start a stupid fuckin thread like this?

7/5/2007 8:35:17 PM

Now this is a Supra everybody would love to own!

http://blog.worldcarfans.com/index.cfm/8070718.003/toyota-wins-tokashi-24-hour-race-with-hybrid-powered-supra

Toyota Wins Tokashi 24-Hour Race with Hybrid-Powered Supra

Quote :

"Toyota's Tokashi 24-Hour motor race win marks the first time that a Hybrid race car has ever won a competition. In 2006 Toyota was the first manufacturer to enter a hybrid vehicle, a Lexus GS450h, into the Tokashi race, hoping to discover how to make hybrid systems both more efficient and lighter. Utilizing data from last year's race, where the Lexus GS450h finished 17th, Toyota has now been able to develop a special racing unit "to test the limits of hybrid performance." The advanced hybrid technology can be used in future hybrid production cars. The Denso Toyota Supra HV-R weighs 1,080 kg (2376 lbs) and produces a maximum output of 480 hp at 6,800 rpm. For more specifications, see press release. Vehicle name Denso Toyota Supra HV-R Entry Class GT/TP1 Engine Modified (Super GT version 3UZ-FE engine) Engine displacement 4,480cc Air restrictor 29.6mm i2 Maximum output 480ps/6,800rpm Maximum torque 510 Nm at 5,600rpm (376 lb-ft) Electric motor Front motor: 10kW i2 (in-wheel motor) Rear motor: 150kW Vehicle weight 1,080 kg (2,376 lbs) Team name TOYOTA Team SARD Drivers Katsuyuki Hiranaka (Japan) Andre Couto (Portugal) Akira Lida (Japan) Tatsuya Kataoka (Japan)"

7/18/2007 8:15:02 PM

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/08/31/lexus-announces-chinese-pricing-for-lf-a-supercar-already/

Lexus announces Chinese pricing for LF-A already

WTF, B?

Yeah there are some very rich Chinese dudes, but China is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from the top market for Lexus. So they announce Chinese pricing for a Lexus not yet in production before American or Japanese pricing?

Quote :

"In early 2008, the Lexus LF-A will go on sale on China. The price: $264,700. That's a lot of yuan, even with the expected markup for the Chinese market. Zeng Lintang, vice president of Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co, said that the car will sell "for more than 2 million yuan." By comparison, in China, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS sells for about 1.9 million yuan, and a Ferrari F430 sells for about 2.6 million yuan. ThePassionatePursuit actually compared the price ratio of a Lexus LS600hL sold in China and the U.S. and guesses the car could cost $129,703 USD when it goes on sale here. Lexus has talked about creating a car that can compete with Ferrari performance-wise. We'll soon see if it can also compete price-wise."

So looking at it proportionately with the LS 600hL in China and US, the LF-A would cost $130,000 here. A bargain compared to many supercars with 500 hp, but at the same time, how well could it actually compete with any German/Italian/American supercar?

BTW, sucks to be in a poor country which slap massive taxes on cars.

I know in Turkey, India, and Pakistan, cars cost twice as much or more, as they do in the US/Middle East. If you have a Corolla in Pakistan/India, you are doing well. If you have a Camry there, you are a king. And if you have a Land Cruiser, you are a mafia boss. I guess China is the same, along with perhaps 100+ other countries.. Imagine paying $30,000 for a base Corolla. And $40,000 for a base Camry. Or about $100,000 for an M3.

BTW, why do cars in the UK cost 1.5 times as much as they do in the US? I am not sure if it is all cars, but certainly Asian and mainland European cars.

9/3/2007 9:32:54 PM

http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-lexus-lf-a-development-hits-speed-bumps.html

Report: Lexus LF-A development hits speed bumps'

Quote :

"According to a new report, development of the LF-A is definitely not going according to plan, and delays are due to a number of internal issues plaguing the project. As indicated by previous reports, the scope of the project expanded to include both a V10 version and a V8 hybrid version — a move that has surely contributed to the delay. Toyota has also apparently diverted engineers and resources from the LF-A project to other, more mainstream tasks, according to Winding Road. Apparently, Toyota's push from global expansion has made projects like the LF-A less worthy of resources. Lastly, engineers are said to be struggling to make the car reach an internal top speed goal of 350 km/h (218 mph), which has been publicized since the first concept's debut. In May of 2006, a report surfaced indicating Lexus decided to ditch plans for an aluminum body and instead opt for a carbon fiber one. It's not known if this report is accurate, or if that decision also plays into the delays."

11/15/2007 8:42:27 AM

If they're trying to hit 350km/h with this car its gonna be $Texas. If they're gonna need a carbon fiber body as well, I'm thinking $Alaska.

11/15/2007 1:36:40 PM

Simply unbelievable!



http://www.worldcarfans.com/9071228.015/lexus-lf-a-sets-ring-record

Lexus LF-A Sets 'Ring Record

Quote :

"According to Auto Express and Japanese car magazine Holiday Auto, Lexus insiders have revealed that the upcoming 552 bhp Lexus LF-A sports car has lapped the Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 24 seconds, slashing the current record time of 7 minutes and 27 seconds set by the Pagani Zonda F. Despite conflicting claims regarding the lap times of the all-new Porsche 911 GT2 (7:32 AutoBild, 7:25 AutoExpress), one thing appears to be clear; the Lexus LF-A has raised the bar to a new level. While the German Nurburgring has always been the benchmark for measuring the performance of a sports car, Porsche and other European sports car manufacturers are starting to feel the heat of Japanese manufacturers, particularly from Nissan and Lexus, who are currently going head-to-head with their GT-R and LF-A sports cars. In September, the Nissan GT-R lapped the Nurburgring in 7 minutes and 38 seconds, narrowly beating the time of the Porsche 997 GT3. Even Honda is reportedly working on a 5.0-litre V10 powered NSX. Sources say that the Nurburgring test mule was powered by a 4.8-litre V10 engine putting out 552 bhp, capable of reaching 210 mph. We can't wait to hear the official announcement on the final specifications of this car. What are your thoughts? While the Nissan GT-R may not stack up against its German archrivals in terms of interior build quality, do you think the Lexus will?"

Wow.

12/30/2007 12:38:44 AM

Quote :

"Supras raced have a 4 cylinder engine"

orly?

12/30/2007 1:10:53 AM

6:11.13 Porsche 956 Gr. C Stefan Bellof n/a n/a pole-position for 1983 1000 km Nürburgring (202.073 km/h)

[Edited on December 30, 2007 at 1:16 AM. Reason : new lap record ? i think not]

12/30/2007 1:15:42 AM