The Lexus LFR Supercar Sounds Promising

Camouflaged prototypes have been caught testing at the Nürburgring.
The LFR appeared to have the production body with a long hood hosting a V-8 engine.
The supercar is twinned with a Toyota race car.

Downsizing is in full swing. Just look at the Ferrari F80 and its V-6 with half the cylinder count of the LaFerrari. Lexus is working on a new supercar as a follow-up to the legendary LFA, albeit not a direct replacement. It too is shaving off cylinders by dropping the Yamaha-developed V-10 in favor of a V-8. As with Maranello’s flagship, the LFR (name not confirmed) will be electrified. This is how the low-slung coupe sounds while working out at the ‘Ring gym.

Hot take (or maybe not)–the LFR sounds better than the F80. Essentially a road-going version of Toyota’s upcoming GT3 race car, the new supercar looks like a Japanese take on the Mercedes SLS or AMG GT judging by that elongated hood. It hosts a newly developed V-8, likely with a pair of turbochargers thrown in for good measure. It certainly doesn’t sound as exciting as the LFA's naturally aspirated 4.8-liter mill, but such is the life of an automaker in 2024 when it’s forced to meet increasingly stricter emissions and noise regulations.

If the vents at the front make us think of a Corvette C8, the rear ones harken back to the LFA. The camouflaged LFR prototypes could easily pass off as race cars but these have license plates. In addition, the last part of the spy video shows the test cars on public roads, so they’re definitely street-legal. Lexus was seemingly evaluating vehicles with production bodies featuring a mighty rear wing and a quad exhaust setup.

Lexus’ parent company Toyota previewed a new race car in early 2022 with the GR GT3 concept, pictured below. Since then, we’ve learned via our sister site Motorsport.com the road-going model would wear the Lexus badge. The disclosure was made by Toyota WEC team director Rob Leupen, and although the LFR designation was not confirmed, there have been trademarks with this moniker.

The track-only Toyota will race in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026, so an official debut is likely to take place next year. However, it’s unclear whether the Lexus LFR will be unveiled before or after the motorsport-spec version.

Toyota GR GT3 Concept

Although just about everyone has been comparing the LFR to the LFA, the newcomer is likely to be a more affordable model to supersede the RC F. A flagship performance model from Lexus will take the shape of a pure EV previewed by the Electrified Sports concept nearly three years ago.

We’re likely not exaggerating with the following projection: the LFR will be one of the last all-new cars ever to feature a V-8 engine. We should count our blessings, even if the LFA’s high-revving V-10 was a one-and-done affair.