The new Lexus GT500 has made a rare public appearance at the Toyota Motorsports Festival at Fuji Speedway in Japan.
This black prototype, the firm's first supercar, ran in this summer’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, and this is the first time it’s been photographed in such detail.
Still referred to as LF-A by Lexus officials, although the car is more likely to be badged GT500 in production, it was driven by Akio Toyoda, Toyota executive vice president and scion of the Toyoda dynasty that founded Toyota.
An arch motorsport enthusiast and one of the prime movers behind the car, Toyoda drove the Lexus LF-A for two laps around Fuji.
Without the support of Toyoda, a high flier long tipped to be the next president/CEO of Toyota, the LF-A would most likely already have been canned.
Well connected sources in Japan believe the car is now finally signed off, after years of uncertainty about its future. Toyota is believed to have settled on a limited run of 500 cars, priced at around ¥25 million to ¥30 million (£175,000-210,000) each.
At those prices, Toyota managers are understandably nervous about committing the car to production, especially in today’s economic climate.
But LF-A watchers in Japan believe that Toyota will launch the car late next year, in time for the Tokyo show, with sales commencing in 2010.
The once-mooted hybrid version has been canned and the 200mph LF-A will run with the existing 4.8-litre V10, which produces “over 500bhp”.
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Re: Lexus LF-A shown at Fuji
Think of it this way - they're not shrinking they're getting cheaper, they're coming within range of us mere mortals, you might never have a better chance to own a special set of wheels in your life time even if you only have it for a few months it would have been worth it, an M3 for instance can be had for Mondeo money, ok its not cheap to run ,but for six months what a hoot! .There will always be supercars, the unattainable, the car that goes the other way that you look longingly in your side mirror , the car you see out parked next to you in the carpark and you think lucky ****** ! . Like i said not shrinking CHEAPER!
Re: Lexus LF-A shown at Fuji
OH COME ON!
Are you seriously saying that Jeremy Clarkson is a fungus spreading through the fabric of motoring enthusiasts like us, i think you need to re- think your statement, he may come over as brash,phopish, but he does know how to entertain you he has wit that makes you laugh, he gives insite into diferent areas, yes he likes to win and usally does but thats why people watch after all its been back on the box for five years now and is still great telly so he must be doing something right.A nd before i talk about the car let me say hes a top author, his books are funny and he out sells some notable authors Ian Rankin for one. The LF-A which it should be called not the stupid GT-500 is ithink for all the hype slightly disapointing- its not dramatic enough,its going to be over priced and it not special or as quick compared to the GTR, i mean £210.000 COME ON! , what Toyota were good at was producing sports cars for the masses, affordable cars ,surely if Mazda can do it then they can too!. Manufacturers should be concentrating on cheaper thrills for us average people not people with money to burn, cars like these are play things for the well off whereas it our daily transport that we occasionly like to thrash down a deserted road.We are being ignored, not listened too, maybe if they did more clinics with joe public we might get the cars we want not the cars they think we want.
Re: Lexus LF-A shown at Fuji
Oh dear, oh very dear Lexus.
It reads like another perfect entry for the lemmings super car meeting at the White Cliffs of Dover being hosted by the goon of all goons Jeremy Clarkson, who like all similar people can't even begin to grasp that the days of the super car has now gone !