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This Lexus Electric Supercar Will Carry Forward The LFA’s Legacy
Lexus unveiled a performance EV concept and confirmed it will be LFA’s spiritual successor
by Sidd Dhimaan, on LISTEN 05:06Toyota recently announced an $18-billion investment towards electrification that showed the automaker’s commitment to the future. This even includes Lexus, which will be completely electrified by the end of this decade. A myriad of Toyota and Lexus concepts were also revealed – 16 to be precise – but there was one that caught our attention the most. This was the ‘Lexus Electrified Sport’, an electric supercar that could carry forward the legacy of the iconic LFA.
The ‘Lexus Electrified Sport’ Is A Head-Turner
There were a lot of different vehicles on display, some of which seemed like an ode to other loved monikers from the auto giant, like the FJ Cruiser and the MR2. We can talk about them some other time, because for now, we’re drooling over another concept that wasn’t lost in the mix. This is the ‘Lexus Electrified Sport’ and there is nothing humble or modest about it. It was arguably the star of the cast and it was more than happy to enjoy the limelight.
The concept has an aggressive, low-slung stance. It has a fluidic design and not the sharp cuts and creases that we see on a lot of Lexus models these days. Interestingly, and for the good, I’d say, it doesn’t have the spindle grille up front. It is a signature Lexus feature, but the automaker has not forced it into the smooth design here. Lexus has, however, carried over the boomerang LED DRLs and integrated them very well here.
The Lexus Electrified Sport doesn’t bear a resemblance with any Lexus car from the current crop. Instead, it reminds me of the FT-1 concept, and in extension, the Toyota Supra, to some extent. The big hood, large tires, and sexy wheels make this a very good-looking supercar.
The automaker is looking at it as the spiritual successor to the Lexus LFA. Following up on the LFA won’t be easy, but Lexus thinks this model will carry forward the legacy. Of course, it’s too soon to comment, speculate, and compare the two, but it’s good to know that the automaker plans on having performance vehicles like the LFA in its EV portfolio.
Do We Know Anything About The Lexus Electrified Sport?
That said, Lexus has given us a little something to calm our nerves for now. The production-spec of the Lexus Electrified Sport will be able to sprint to 60 mph from rest in a low two-second range! The car will draw power from solid-state batteries and will have a range of around 435 miles.
What Is The Lexus LFA All About?
Lexus came up with the LFA around a decade back. It stayed in production for only two years and the automaker made only 500 examples of it. But, that was enough for it to achieve legendary status. Somehow, Lexus wasn’t able to move all the 500 copies!
The LFA is powered by a 4.8-liter, naturally aspirated V-10 mill. It puts out 552 ponies at 8,700 rpm and 354 pound-feet of oomph at 6,400 rpm. The free-revving engine holds court all the way up to 9,400 rpm! Power is routed to the rear wheels via an Aisin-sourced six-speed automated manual gearbox and a Torsen limited-slip differential.
This allows the car to sprint to 62 mph from rest in just 3.6 seconds and goes all the way up to 202 mph before losing breath. As for the car’s weight, it stands at around 3,250 pounds.
The biggest difference between the LFA and its spiritual successor will be the economy. The LFA is a gas-guzzler and delivers just 11 mpg in the city and 16 mpg on the highway. The electric LFA (if we can call it that) will be a whole lot efficient and cheaper.
When Will The Production-Spec Lexus Electrified Sport Arrive?
Lexus didn’t present us with any timeline about it. But, given that the car will feature solid-state batteries, we don’t expect it to come any time soon. BMW and Nissan also plan on using solid-state batteries in their EVs. BMW unveiled the i Vision Circular concept sometime back that would be equipped with solid-state batteries, but it’s a 2040 concept. Previously, the automaker stated that it is working on solid-state batteries, but don’t expect them to be mainstream until 2027. Nissan also revealed its ‘Nissan Ambition 2030’ plan, wherein it mentioned that the solid-state batteries will come in 2028. Going by this, we speculate the Lexus Electrified Sport to come in the second half of this decade and not before that.
Do you think the Lexus Electrified Sport has the ‘secret sauce’ to be the carry the LFA’s legacy forward? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
