Currently reading: Lexus ponders LF-LC production
Positive public reaction means that Lexus is now looking to turn the LF-LC into a production car

The popularity of the dramatic Lexus LF-LC concept has significantly boosted its chances of making production, Autocar has learned.

Senior bosses at Lexus parent firm Toyota insisted at the LF-LC’s Detroit show unveiling in January that the hybrid 2+2 coupé was strictly a concept. But an emphatically positive reception — including winning the public’s ‘best in show’ award at Detroit — has led to management discussions over “how we can do it” in production.

Speaking to Autocar after the LF-LC’s successful European debut at the Geneva show earlier this month, Lexus product planning chief Karl Schlicht rated the LF-LC’s chances of making production as 50/50.

“A decision has not been taken,” he said. “But we’re now up to a 50 per cent chance from a zero per cent one. Every top Toyota Motor Company manager is aware of the great reception it has received and now we’re talking about how we can do it and fit it into the product plan.”

Schlicht, who becomes Toyota and Lexus Europe’s product planning chief from 1 April, said if the proposal for such a dramatic Lexus production car had been presented to Toyota management without the concept, they’d have dismissed it. Instead, the Calty Design Centre in California was “let loose” in creating a concept, its only brief being that it had to be a 2+2 coupé.

“The only parameter was size. We wanted the designers to create excitement,” he said. “We’d never get it built from a product planning point of view on paper, but people have seen the concept and fallen in love with it. Dealers have gone crazy for it as well.”

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Peter Cavellini 25 March 2012

Re: Lexus ponders LF-LC production

507 wrote:
Takes the meaning of ugly to a new level!
So by your reasoning the Nissan GT-R is drop dead gorgeous?

RadeB 25 March 2012

Re: Lexus ponders LF-LC production

Flash Harry wrote:
Build,build,build !!!

Easy, tiger!

They must do something with that grill, otherwise.... children seeing this on the streets would suffer psychological disturbances for life.

507 25 March 2012

Re: Lexus ponders LF-LC production

Takes the meaning of ugly to a new level!