Well, we weren't expecting this. At The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week, Lexus took the wraps off its new Sport Concept. This is a preview of what we've been calling the LFR, and it looks like a blend of LFA and LC500.
Lexus hasn’t released any details on the car yet, but we should (and hope to) be learning more very soon. We do know it’s a front-engine rear-drive machine with a twin-turbo V-8, and likely a rear transaxle gearbox. There will be a Toyota version, too, though not for the US market, and the car will make the basis for Toyota’s upcoming GT3 race car.
There are all sorts of interesting details on the concept, like exhaust pipes that exist under the wing, and huge vents on the rear that look like those on the LFA. The big vents behind the windows look like they could be used for brake and/or transaxle cooling and there looks to be four small fans on the center high-mount stoplight.
Obviously, there are some pure concept-car details that may not make it to production, but you can expect the road car to look a lot like this. Lexus obscured a lot too. The Sports Concept doesn't have an interior, and all but the Bridgestone logos were shaved off the tire sidewalls. But, it's obvious from the hood that this car will have its engine pushed well behind the front axle, giving credence to the idea that this has a rear transaxle.
Toyota and Lexus benchmarked the old AMG GT R in developing this car, as it’s one of the best front-engine sports and race cars of the recent past. It also used the front-mounted V-8, rear transaxle layout.
We first saw this car as the Toyota GR GT3 concept back in 2022, and this is our first look at what a road-going Lexus version will look like.
In a release, Lexus said "[t]he progressively styled, future-focused yet truly authentic sportscar signals the way forward for Lexus design. This inspiring concept car features a wide, low-profile two-door form that blends dynamic and emotional elements into a vision for a next-generation sports car."
