We all remember the Lexus LFA fondly. A screaming, naturally aspirated V-10 supercar with a heavenly soundtrack and the looks to match. But that wasn't always the case.
When Lexus debuted its first real supercar in 2010, the LFA was maligned for being too slow, too brutish, and way too expensive. With a starting price of $375,000, the LFA wasn't as immediately desirable as its steep, six-figure asking price would have led you to believe. The competing Ferraris and Lambos of the time were objectively better on nearly all fronts.
But as with many things, our memories are clouded by nostalgia; we yearn for the days of that naturally aspirated V-10 and howling Yamaha soundtrack. Sadly, those things are forever relegated to the history books as automakers continue to downsize and hybridize their newest performance cars.
Lexus is no exception. More than a decade after the last LFA rolled off the production line in Motomachi, the company is finally ready to introduce its "successor," the so-called LFR. But if you're expecting another high-revving, 10-cylinder supercar similar to the former LFA, you might be disappointed.
This car isn't really an LFA successor at all. It won't have a V-10 or a screaming Yamaha soundtrack. It won't look nearly as wild. And from what we can tell by all the spy photos, it won't even have the LFA's signature triangular exhaust tip arrangement. Sad!
What the Lexus LFR is, then, is something better.
The LFR started life as the Toyota GR GT3 concept, which debuted in Tokyo in 2022. Even though that concept wore a Toyota badge—and the production version undoubtedly will in certain markets, too—the company later confirmed that the GR GT3 concept would make its way to America with a Lexus logo.
Since then, we've seen dozens of spy photos and videos of the purported Lexus sports car showing off its long hood and bellowing soundtrack on the Nurburgring, in Los Angeles, and even recently puttering around near Pikes Peak. And that has us pretty hyped.
But in order to break into the mainstream sports car space, Lexus needed to do something different here. That meant tossing many of the LFA's "bad" habits out the window of its gorgeous new headquarters in Shimoyama, sadly.
When the production LFR debuts (hopefully early in 2026), it will take aim at the Chevrolet C8 Corvettes and Porsche 911s of the world—a segment ripe for a new contender. With that specific positioning in mind, this new Lexus should be an actual, usable sports car—not some quarter-of-a-million-dollar collector's item.
Of course, much of the LFR's success will be dependent on the specifics. Specifically, what’s under the hood. Early signs point to a powerful twin-turbocharged V-8, potentially with some form of hybridization. With vehicles like the IS500, RC F, and LC500, we know that Lexus still builds damn good eight-cylinder engines. This new one should be no exception. Hybridization, mild or not, will only make it better.
Styling will also be a big determining factor in the LFR's success. Thankfully, early prototypes leave plenty to be excited about. Even under camouflage, the LFR looks beautiful, with a loooong hood, a tight cabin, a wide stance, and short rear overhangs. Lexus has been testing the LFR alongside the previous Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe, which had similarly stunning proportions.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the sounds of the Lexus LFR at Goodwood. pic.twitter.com/T7cMP1WA4L
— Motor1 (@Motor1com) July 10, 2025
And then there's the interior. We caught a quick—blurry—glimpse of the LFR's insides during its run up the Goodwood hillclimb a few weekends back. It certainly doesn't look like any Lexus we've seen, but that's probably good news. It's no RX with a sports-car body.
The inside of the LFR looks like a proper sports car. The lone photo shows a large center screen with what appears to be a few buttons below it, carbon fiber bucket seats covered in a lovely red leather, and a digital instrument cluster just ahead of the driver. It appears to have everything you'd want in a sports car in this class (other than a gated six-speed).
But what will really determine the LFR's success is its price. Thankfully, it shouldn't be anywhere near as expensive as the LFA. If Lexus truly wants to take on Chevrolet and Porsche in this class, the LFR needs to have a sub-$100,000 starting price. Even right at $100,000 to start, the LFR would still be priced competitively.
Remember, the LFA wasn't a huge hit initially. Hell, the LC500 hasn't been entirely popular either—and soon it'll be gone, too. That's why Lexus needed to do something different here—it needed a sports car that could take the fight to Chevy and Porsche, and potentially woo customers craving something a bit different.
So if you're expecting a true LFA successor, yeah, you might be a bit disappointed. But for Lexus, the LFR is exactly what this company needs right now.
