Key Takeaways
- Lexus is benchmarking future cars against Lamborghini products and its own LFA.
- Shimoyama Technical Center marks a significant milestone for Lexus as it becomes a fully independent entity.
- The extensive garage area in the center allows engineers and designers to work on prototypes and cars before testing.
- The successor to the Lexus LFA is expected to use a specially developed twin-turbocharged V8 engine named LFR.
30 years in the making, Lexus and Toyota are nearing completion of the Shimoyama Technical Center, a massive facility where Lexus and Gazoo Racing will develop new cars together. Automotive News was given exclusive access to the facility, and while the majority of the time was spent discussing how the new Lexus global headquarters will help it make great strides in the electric age, there was also plenty of excitement about the fact that everyone who is involved in every aspect of every Lexus from start to completion will now work under the same roof for the first time. This development sets Lexus up as a fully independent entity, unlike rivals Acura and Infiniti, whose vehicles and operations are still deeply connected to those of Honda and Nissan, respectively. At this point, we’d like to point out that the facility has Japan’s own version of the Nürburgring on-site, and this matters becasue of what was found in the garage area:
The building’s entire first floor is a labyrinth of garages patterned after the pits and paddock of a racetrack. With bays for 40 vehicles, it is where engineers, designers and suppliers can tinker on cars, work on prototypes and hammer out problems before buckling up and taking the vehicles for a quick spin on the test course right outside. On the July 30 tour of the tech center,
a yellow Lexus LFA and yellow Lamborghini were hoisted up on lifts, side by side, for benchmarking.
Lexus LFA
500 units of the 553-horsepower Lexus LFA were produced between 2010 and 2012 after an agonizingly long development process, in which the supercar’s original aluminum body was scrapped just before production. In its place, a carbon fiber body that contributed to a base price of around $375,000 – a base price that Lexus still lost money on. These days, its Yamaha-tuned 9,000-rpm 4.8-liter V10 is revered for its acoustic quality and speed of response, making the LFA a modern classic worth as much as seven figures on the used market.
Which Lamborghini Could It Be?
The one thing the (presumed) supercars have in common (besides their color, in this case) is the fitment of a high-revving engine, and although the outlet did not specify which Lamborghini was undergoing benchmarking, any option could have bearing on the next Lexus supercar. If it’s the Urus, Lexus could be taking a closer look at the twin-turbo V8 engine, a configuration that we know the automaker is working on already. If it’s the Huracán, mid-engine packaging details could be on the agenda. The Revuelto may hold similar insights and could provide insight into electrification.
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Any of these V8, V10, and V12 powertrains would be worth examining, especially when each of these is quite pleasant on the ear. According to reports from Japan, the Lexus LFA successor is tipped to use the engine from the Lexus LC endurance racer, which is powered by a specially developed twin-turbo V8. When this engine was first announced for its motorsport application in 2020, Lexus said the engine would be introduced in a sports car sometime in the future. According to our trademark findings, the name LFR is likely to appear on the car, which has already been discussed with dealers.
Lexus Is Primed For A Sports Car Comeback
It has been a long decade since the LFA ended production, and in the time since, enthusiasts have been begging for some sort of replacement. Toyota and Lexus have been teasing such a thing, but these promises have never been concrete, and what would power the car has never been officially confirmed; both a Toyota GR GT3 concept with a clear front-engine layout and a Lexus Electrified Sport Concept hinting at an EV have been shown to the world.
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However, with Toyota showing a Lexus-badged GR GT3 Concept to its dealers two years ago, and Lexus now clearly looking to two of the world’s finest combustion-powered machines as a benchmark for the future, we’re cautiously optimistic about an amazing engine. Perhaps Lexus will try to do what Lamborghini is with its upcoming supercar, exceeding 10,000 rpm despite making use of forced induction. A screamer like that would be a fitting LFA replacement, but we can’t discount the idea of a new Lexus RC, either.
Source:
Automotive News
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