Key Highlights
- The Lexus LFR test vehicle was seen testing energetically on California’s Angeles Crest Highway next to a Mercedes-AMG GT R.
- It is said to employ a twin-turbo V8 hybrid configuration aiming for close to 900 horses.
Key Facts
- The LFR is an all-new front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car that does not share the Lexus RC F platform.
- The powertrain will have a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and a hybrid system with a combined output of approximately 900 horsepower.
- It’s expected to go into production at the tail end of 2025, with the price tag placed around $185,000.
Key Background
Lexus will be making a serious return within the high-performance sports car market with the new LFR, which will be the official replacement for the legendary LFA. Where the LFA boasted its naturally aspirated V10 and custom sound, the LFR adopts a more contemporary approach through the use of a hybrid powerplant. The car is going to come with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 powerplant with around 720 horsepower, but it will also be equipped with an electric motor system that will contribute an additional 180 horsepower, making the total output very close to 900 horsepower.
New spy photos taken while testing on California’s legendary Angeles Crest Highway indicate that the LFR is being compared against a Mercedes-AMG GT R in tests. Two Toyota Sequoias, which reportedly were support vehicles, followed behind the prototype as the prototype followed and pursued the AMG GT R along the mountain route. What this implies is that Lexus is testing the LFR against directly competing with one of Germany’s most high-performance offerings.
Compared to the Lexus RC F, the LFR boasts a brand-new platform to its underpinnings. It takes styling cues from the Toyota GR GT3 concept’s long hood, wide body, and aggressive aero components and high rear wing. Dual exhaust tips and operational rear diffuser lay out its racing intentions.
Lexus would be able to construct two variants of the LFR—a road-biased grand tourer, and a track-only one with additional aerodynamics and reduced components. Both would have dynamic performance at their core with the refinement for which Lexus has become famous.
LFR will commence production in the second half of 2025, starting sales in Europe at approximately 200,000 euros. Japanese buyers will pay 30 million yen, while Americans will pay a starting price of approximately $185,000. LFR is Lexus’s bold comeback to the super-high-performance sports car segment, looking to compete on sales and reputation against the best European supercars.
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