Better Than New Immaculate Lexus Is "f" on 2040-cars

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Lexus LFA II could get TTV8 from LC500 endurance racer

We are thought to be three years away from the successor of the Lexus LFA arriving in showrooms. We are thought to be less than a month from the debut of a pre-production version of Lexus' coming supercar, which could take place at next month's Monterey Car Week. Persistent reports say Lexus is preparing two versions, one with a hybridized twin-turbo V8, one with a battery-electric powertrain; the former is thought to be the one on show in California in August, the latter not ready for primetime until around 2030. One of the many questions has been, "Where is that V8 coming from?" CarBuzz had its feelers out in Japan, picking up a report from Japan's Mag-X (translated) that Lexus will use the 5.0-liter TTV8 in the LC500 endurance racer for the super coupe being referred to as LFA II. This particular engine has been a specter, rumored for ages to make production but never seen. Way back in 2014, rumors that were already a year old posited a trio of engine options for the coupe still known as the LF-LC concept. Paramount among the powerplants was a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 with around 600 horsepower. The scuttlebutt continued even after the LC launched in 2016, we saw no truth of it on the street. Even when Lexus launched an endurance racing program with the LC500 in 2018, no one knew what was under the hood. It wasn't until a year later that the brand officially announced the TTV8 engine with a release that included one aim being "to complete the [Nurburgring 24-hour] race without any trouble by adopting a variety of new technologies, including a newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars." At the time, almost everyone expected the "sports cars" reference to indicate the coming of an LC F.  That could still be the case. But Mag-X says the racing engine will be used in the LFA II.

2021 Lexus IS debuts with new styling and greater emphasis on handling

The reveals keep on coming today. Lexus just took the wraps off the 2021 Lexus IS sport sedan, the fourth generation of its small, sporty four-door. It may not look all that different on the outside, but Lexus is making heady claims that the driving experience is going to be the real head turner. We’ll start with the looks, though. Lexus has only revealed the 2021 IS in F Sport trim, which is the most aggressive of all the models. The spindle grille again sits proudly in front. (Apparently, even non F Sport models have mini spindles within the grille design, so we hope you like spindles.) YouÂ’ll also see a new air intake below that grille. ItÂ’s meant to direct air to the brakes and assist in cooling. The slimmer headlights with a new LED pattern look sharp. Along the side, Lexus has implemented new rocker panels that kick up into the rear fender for a more aggressive stance. The view from the rear offers up the most noticeable change. Lexus has gone with the full-width taillight design, stretching the red element from one side of the trunk to the other. Those taillights feature more intricate sculpting, and the rear valance is finished in a glossy black. Lexus changed the exhaust tip look, too, opting for ovals this time. But, onwards to the performance. The powertrain lineup hasnÂ’t changed a bit. A Lexus IS 300 with rear-wheel drive continues to be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It makes the same 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as before, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission only. However, Lexus says itÂ’s been updated for “adaptive transmission control” that is better at choosing the appropriate gear for the driving situation. An all-wheel-drive IS 300 is also available, but itÂ’s equipped with the 3.5-liter V6 that makes 260 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The all-wheel-drive IS 300 is also continuing to send the power through a six-speed automatic transmission exclusively. The system can send as much as 50% of torque to the front axle. The tip-top IS is the IS 350. ItÂ’s equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. With rear-wheel drive, itÂ’s equipped with an eight-speed automatic, but the all-wheel-drive version is equipped with a six-speed auto. Lexus says the rear-drive IS 350 will get to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, while the all-wheel-drive car gets there in 5.7 seconds.

Lexus LQ flagship crossover due around 2022, so what of the LX?

When Lexus debuted the LF-1 Limitless crossover concept at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Lexus' U.S. general manager waited roughly six minutes to tell the world, as a way of hinting to HQ in Japan, "We have to build this vehicle." Car and Driver says the GM and his dealers will get their wish when the Lexus LQ crossover takes the top spot in the automaker's range in 2022. Underneath the "molten katana" design language that looks like an RX sent back from the future to kill an RX named Sarah Connor, we'll find the inner workings of the LS sedan, possibly including the luxury-specific TNGA-L rear- and all-wheel-drive platform. Engines could be ported straight from the LS stable for standard LQ models, meaning — for now — a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.5-liter V6 helped by two electric motors to produce a combined 354 hp. An LQ F or F Sport model could bolt up the impending twin-turbo V8 and cross the 600-hp mark. Numerous rumors over several years have clouded our view of what's planned for the pinnacle end of Lexus crossovers, though. In late 2018, whispers out of Japan claimed Lexus was working up a twin-turbo V8 with 660 horsepower for a production version of the LF-1 concept due to launch this year, with a milder V6-powered trim to make 424 hp. The V8 part came true, at least. Would an LQ cohabit with the LX as the luxury side of the flagship people-hauler coin? Or would they cohabit at all? Toyota insiders have said the next LX will turn into "an entirely different vehicle" and get far more luxurious, perhaps meaning the LX turns into the LQ. However, last October Lexus trademarked the LX 600 name, a Japanese magazine predicting a month later the next-gen LX would bow in 2021 on Toyota's truck-focused TNGA platform. And with the Toyota Land Cruiser going downmarket, jettisoning the LX would eliminate all those buyers looking for something big, luxurious, and conspicuously rugged.    Toyota has taken the time to trademark the LQ name in the U.S., Canada, France, and China, so dealer lots should clear up the mystery eventually. C/D thinks the entry-level LQ could start around $80,000, and since Lexus won't put its V8 into anything under $90,000, the top LQ trim could demand around $100,000. For comparison, the LS starts at $80,010 before destination, the LX at $86,480. Related Video: