2021 Lexus Is 300 on 2040-cars

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Toyota applies to trademark Lexus LFR name in Europe

Less than a week ago, Toyota appealed to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to reserve the names Lexus LFR and LFR for "Automobiles and structural parts thereof," CarBuzz discovered. Starting with the usual disclaimer, we can't know what this will be applied to, nor if it will be applied to anything; automakers constantly reserve names that never find their way to production vehicles. Now for the fun part: The short money says this is for the production version of the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept shown in December of last year, successor to the LFA. Pulling back the nomenclature curtain, Lexus began its Lexus Future (LF) series with the LF-S sedan in 2003. The A in the LF-A concept that followed two years later was said to stand for Apex. Our guess is that what's coming is the Lexus Future Revolution. This is, after all, the car that will "destroy the spindle grille."  On top of potentially evolving from the concept name to LFR, if that's what it's called, the vehicle itself still appears to be in flux. The Electrified Sport was touted with an electric powertrain run off solid-state batteries, as targeting a 435-mile range or more, and having 1,000-horsepower guts enabling a 60-mph sprint in just over two seconds. In March, reports out of Japan said a version powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid would launch first, the EV not arriving until the end of this decade — a timeline that makes sense considering solid-state batteries aren't due in a Toyota until 2025, and only then in a hybrid. There's no reason to believe Lexus would want to run high-tech, high-voltage, high-risk experiments in its halo car. In July, another Japanese outlet refined the ICE rumor with gossip that what was then referred to as the LFA II would fit the 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from the Lexus LC 500 endurance racer and make around 700 horsepower. Supposedly, it would also become the "substitute for the GR010 Road Going version." The Gazoo Racing GR010 is Toyota's entry in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. We're still not sure how these two vehicles could line up since the GR010 needs to be sold in at least 20 road-going versions within two years to satisfy class rules, each of which would need to use its V6 powertrain, not the 5.0-liter.  And in August, Lexus boss Koji Sato told Top Gear he's toying with a simulated manual transmission.

TMG's super Lexus LS Sports 650 gets track tested

The people at Toyota Motorsport GmbH have been responsible for the Japanese automaker's motorsports efforts since the 1970s, but since Toyota pulled out of Formula One after the 2009 season, the tuning shop has been developing a super sedan based on the Lexus LS called the Sports 650. Details on TMG's first road car have been scarce, but XCAR was recently invited to drive the 641-horsepower Lexus on track.
Here's what we know: the Sports 650 has enough power to sprint to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds, tops out at 199 mph, weighs over two tons and utilizes LFA brakes. Oh, and its twin-turbo V8 bellows like an AMG V8. That last part isn't surprising when considering TMG could become Toyota's in-house tuning arm - like AMG is to Mercedes-Benz. As for the bespoke body kit, fender flares and stacked exhaust pipes? They fit the car well and even remind us a bit of Lexus' other high-performance sedan, the IS F. Currently there are no plans for the Sports 650 to be made into a production car, but we doubt TMG is devoting this much effort developing the LS into a road-rocket for nothing.
Check out XCAR's video below to see the AMG-fighter wrung out on track, and then ponder what could be if TMG were let loose to fiddle with other cars in Lexus' lineup. Now that's something we could get used to!

Lexus previews the concept car that illustrates its new brand vision

Lexus will start writing the next chapter in its 32-year history when it unveils a mysterious concept car in spring 2021. It hasn't revealed the design study's name yet, but it explained the model will show what's coming. Koji Sato, the company's president and chief branding officer, noted that the concept "illustrates our intentions for the future, and marks the beginning of the next generation of Lexus." He stopped short of providing additional details, but the company's plans for the future are fairly easy to decipher. Lexus isn't going to start making rifles, lawn mowers, or garage flooring; it's very likely going to electrify its range while reinventing its design language for the 2020s and adding more technology — including advanced semi-automated systems — to its cars. The dark preview image released by Lexus shows the concept car's rear end. We see a relatively low roof accented by a fin, a sculpted rear bumper that's much wider than the greenhouse, and the company's name written in a new font. While the photo asks more questions than it answers, we know that we're not looking at the electric crossover that the Toyota-owned company hinted at in December 2020 because the proportions don't match. And, we highly doubt it's the rugged, body-on-frame off-roader that's allegedly also in the works. We'll have to be patient to find out whether Lexus is planning to move away from the spindle-shaped grille that has characterized its cars for nearly a decade. Geneva's annual auto show was canceled for the second year in a row, but it should have opened its doors to the public and the press in early March 2021. Odds are the Lexus concept's online unveiling will coincide with (or at least fall very close to) the axed show's dates. Sato confirmed that Lexus will release a new car in 2021, though he didn't specify if it's related to the concept, or if it's merely inspired by it. He pledged to continue rolling out new additions to the range through 2022. Related video: