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Toyota and, by extension, Lexus have been a model of reliability in the automotive world. Over the last decade or so, the two Japanese carmakers have given us some epic performance and luxury vehicles, chief among which is the Lexus LFA.
That was some time ago, and while we know a sequel is on the way, it begs the question, will it capture the essence of the original? The Lexus BEV Sport Concept was unveiled in December 2021, alongside 15 other Toyota and Lexus models, and it previewed a successor to the LFA, which was powered by an almost-sentient V-10 engine.
The unveiling of this concept, along with Toyota's future plans for electrification, begs another question – what comes after?
We already know how the Lexus LFA successor will look and what will be powering it.
Some time has passed since Toyota and Lexus made the largest concept car exhibition in December 2021. Since then, we have seen many of those concept models transition nicely into production models. Those include the Toyota BZ4X (and its twin, the Subaru Solterra, and the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck to name a few. The EV Compact Cruiser concept also previews an upcoming successor to the Toyota FJ Cruiser, set to appear in 2025.
The Lexus LFA successor is confirmed to have a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine. However, it will be a part of a plug-in hybrid setup, which results in a power output of 720 metric horsepower and what would likely be over 700 pound-feet of torque.
Reports from Japan also indicate that the car will feature an aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber body. It is unknown whether the chassis itself will be an evolution of the original Lexus LFA's carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer monocoque with aluminum front and rear subframes.
The PHEV setup of Lexus’ future halo car should be capable of 435 miles (700 km) of range and a 0 to 60 mph time of around 2.2 seconds.
Hydrogen or electricity will bless the Lexus Halo car in the future?
We know Toyota will not go fully electric despite granting its models various levels of electrification. So far, those mostly consist of FHEV or PHEV powertrains, combined with downsized engines, as seen in the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and the 2024 Toyota Tundra i-FORCE MAX. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 will also become a hybrid-only SUV, following the 2025 Toyota Camry.
The PHEV Lexus LFA successor clearly fits Toyota's electrification plan, but it seems Toyota won's stop there.
An all-electric supercar was believed to be a plausible evolution for the LFA successor, but Toyota might take this differently. X (Tweeter) footage from March 2023 saw the Lexus LFA successor driving on a racetrack and you can clearly hear the V-8 engine. At the same time, reports from Japan confirmed Toyota and Yamaha have, once again, teamed up to create an interesting engine. This time, it is a V-8, based on the 5.0-liter, 2UR V-8 unit, adapted to run on hydrogen fuel.
After the Toyota Mirai fiasco, Toyota might be hesitant to go through with this. The average price for a kilogram of hydrogen highly depends on the production method. Hydrogen produced from natural gas is much cheaper compared to hydrogen produced from electrolysis.
In most cases $1.5 to $5 for the natural-gas-sourced hydrogen and $3-$7 for hydrogen created through electrolysis. However, in some cases, the price can be as high as $36, and you can see how that can be a problem, compared to gas and electricity prices.
What transmission will the Lexus LFA V-8 successor have?
The spy footage from last year clearly indicates very quick gear changes. Unlike anything Toyota has given us so far. I reported on this development a while back and theorized a DCT transmission would likely be introduced with the new Lexus supercar. Now, more than ever, this seems likely, after we learned that the 2025 Toyota Supra GRMN will feature a dual-clutch automatic – a first for Toyota sports cars.
Could the future of Lexus high-performance cars rely on electric powertrains?
One thing that doesn't rule out a fully-electric, Lexus supercar just yet is the fact Toyota devised a "manual” transmission for EVs, which was modeled specifically to emulate gear changes by reducing torque output from the electric motors.
Toyota wants to make EVs fun and we already saw Toyota's manual transmission for EVs. This creates a problem since the people who want to experience an old-school driving experience, will likely still go to a combustion-powered offering instead.
Will the Lexus LFA successor, despite not being fully electric, get a variant with the EV manual transmission? We'll have to wait a bit more to find out. Of course, we will share new information as it appears. In the meantime, feel free to click the red link and drop a comment with your thoughts.
About the author
Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.
Image sources: 2022 Lexus BEV Sport Concept
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