Officially it’s called the Lexus Sport Concept – but expect this to be called the Lexus LFR, the highly-anticipated new sports car from the Japanese luxury brand.
While Lexus was very short on details, issuing a three-sentence statement that focused on its ‘progressive design’ the Sport Concept is our first official preview of the LFR, which is a spin-off from the Toyota GR GT3 concept revealed in January 2022.
Toyota and Lexus have both been coy about what the future holds, but it’s believed that both brands will get a new sports car based off the same rear-wheel drive platform. Toyota will get a new Supra, while Lexus is developing a new sports car to replace both the RC and LC coupes and push closer to the iconic, V10-powered LFA than anything since.
The new Lexus will also spawn a GT3 racing version which, like the BMW M4, Chevrolet Corvette and Ferrari 296 GTB, has been developed in tandem with the road car. Several spy videos of the GT3 car have been posted online, indicating that it will be powered by a V8 engine.
Whether or not the road-going version gets a V8 remains to be seen. Lexus announced way back in 2019 that it was developing a new twin-turbo V8 engine but it has yet to deploy it in a production car. The successor to the LFA and the brand’s new hero sports car would seem like the most suitable place to do so.
As for the new design of the Sport Concept, it appears to match closely with spy shots taken of a camouflaged prototype testing in Los Angeles in June. The large inlet in the front suggests that there will be an internal combustion engine underneath the long bonnet, while the front fender outlets and larger rear outlets speak to both cooling and aerodynamic needs. The concept also features a rear wing that extends from the rear decklid.
The only official statement explained the styling is meant to set the tone for the upcoming sports car.
The statement read: “The progressively styled, future-focused yet truly authentic sportscar signals the way forward for Lexus design. This inspiring concept car features a wide, low-profile two-door form that blends dynamic and emotional elements into a vision for a next-generation sports car.”
Lexus hasn’t announced specific timing for the reveal of the production car, but in order to get the GT3 car on the grid for the 2026 season it’s likely to be soon. The Tokyo motor show opens in late October and the Los Angeles show is on in November, both would make logical venues for its public debut.
The launch of the new Lexus sports car, plus the upcoming Supra and talk of revived MR2 and Celica is all part of a wider push from Toyota to expand its GR performance sub-brand and create a new generation of iconic performance cars.
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