The Next LFA? Lexus Sport Concept Debuts During Monterey Car Week
We finally got an uncamouflaged look at the Lexus Sport Concept, confirming the company’s next supercar won’t be exclusive to Toyota.
The Lexus LFA is a curious thing. It stunned the world upon debut, but nobody wanted one. Only 500 were made, and many sat on showroom floors for years before dealers could finally get rid of them. Then suddenly, EVERYONE wanted one. The brilliance of the LFA was realized. Prices soared, and everyone eagerly awaited a replacement model. After years of speculation and spy shots, Lexus finally gave us our first look at the Lexus Sport Concept vehicle. This is the vehicle that we expect will be the LFA successor, and could be called the LFR. And now we can finally say it’s real and it’s spectacular.
The Lexus Sport Concept was revealed at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering at The Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, California. And while we appreciate getting to see a concept vehicle that isn’t covered in camouflage, Lexus didn’t share many details about the car.
So, we’re still full of questions and speculation. So let’s take a closer look at this concept and how we got here.
Lexus Sport Concept
We will start by commenting on the exterior design of the Lexus Sport Concept. Looks are subjective, but if the production version looks anything like this, we are going to be very happy. The car — which appears to be a revision of the Lexus Electrified Sport concept that we saw at SEMA a few years ago — looks like a bit of a mashup between the LFA , LC 500, and the fifth-generation Toyota Supra.
SEMA 2022
It is wide with aggressive hips and a roofline that has a steep slope to the rear. The hood has a bit of a Lotus Emira look to it. Traditional sideview mirrors look like they were ditched in favor of cameras on the concept. Overall, it is a beautiful and aggressive design.
Under the Hood
So, what will power this car? Sadly, we don’t think it will be a screaming naturally aspirated V10. In the Lexus press release, there is a short video of the Lexus Sport Concept, but no engine sounds are included. But several weeks ago, the Toyota GT Concept debuted at Goodwood. Albeit wearing heavy camouflage at the time. As the car charged up the hill, it was making the unmistakable sounds of a combustion engine. We expect the new car will be powered by a twin-turbo V8.
A hybrid variant is also a distinct possibility.
Toyota GR GT3 Concept
Back in 2022, Toyota released a statement announcing a GR GT3 Concept. That car was a racing version of the sports car. It was easily identified by its massive rear wing. That 2022 concept car doesn’t look all that different than the Lexus Sport Concept that was just revealed. The car that was revealed this week is likely the road-going variant, but a full-on race version is also in the cards to replace the current RC GT3 racecar. That would align with what we saw at Goodwood as well. There were two concepts racing up the hill that day, and the second one was wearing a huge back wing.
It has been over a decade since the LFA went out of production. But it seems like we are getting closer to a replacement road and race version. We can’t wait. And we will bet that this time around, people are going to buy it.
Images: Lexus
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