Lexus to Power the Next Lotus

Edmunds’ Inside Line is reporting that the next generation Lotus Esprit may be powered by the same V10 engine used in the Lexus LFA:

The next-generation Lotus Esprit supercar, details of which will be announced at the2010 Paris Auto Show next month, could be powered by the 552-horsepower Lexus LFA V10, says a source close to the company.

That would be for the Esprit in its ultimate form — the more mainstream version would be offered with a V8, also likely to be sourced from Lexus. That engine will probably be a version of the 416-hp 5.0-liter engine fitted to the Lexus IS F sedan. When asked to confirm this possibility, a Lotus spokesman said that he “couldn’t comment.”

This isn’t the first time this rumor has been reported, and given that Toyota has been supplying Lotus with engines for over 25 years, this has a very good chance of being true. Should that be the case, it’s good for everyone involved. Lotus gets a supercar powerplant that can compete with the best in the game, and Toyota gets to recoup some of the development cost of limited-edition, high-cost LFA.

Seems like a win all round to me.

http://www.insideline.com/lotus/lotus-esprit-may-use-lexus-lfa-v10-power.html

Great Video Review of LFA from Leno's Garage

Although Jay doesn't drive the car, an actual racer Justin Bell with Scott Pruitt. Great listening to racers and what they think. Check it out.



http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/super-cars/lexus-lfa/

NY TIMES: LFA BEST OF THE SUPER CARS

Lawrence Ulrich of the New York Times travelled down to Millville, NJ to take the Lexus LFA around the track, and he brought some very choice quotes back with him, including this info on LFA buyers:

So far American buyers are exclusively men, and on average are in their mid-50s. Many have owned a Lexus, and they tend to be entrepreneurial types, along with one sports star whose name Lexus would not divulge.

Nor would Lexus connect me to the Midwest man who, Lexus swears, is leaning toward an LFA painted Passionate Pink, one of 30 available colors. (Mr. Mary Kay, perhaps?)

Mr. Rohovsky did allow that one “fresh green” LFA — a petri-dish shade wild enough for any Lamborghini fan — is headed to — where else? — Miami.
“He told me, ‘I want people to see me coming and going,’” Mr. Rohovsky said.

The whole article’s great — and when it comes to what Mr. Ulrich thought of the LFA?
Judged purely as an adrenaline-inducing performance tool, the Lexus tops a number of supercars I’ve driven — not just the similiarly priced Lamborghini Murciélago, but also the $1.3 million Bugatti Veyron.

That’s some heavy praise, to be sure.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/automobiles/autoreviews/22LEXUS.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1

LFA Gets Its First Speeding Ticket

Claus Ettensberger, owner of CEC Wheels and past Bullrun winner, has the “honor” of being the first person to get a speeding ticket in the Lexus LFA, or at least the first person to do so and post about it on Youtube.

For the record, Mr. Ettensberger was going 91mph in a 35mph zone — absolutely ludicrous in my opinion — and yet still managed to get his picture with the officer that pulled him over

Real Live CT200h photos

Spotted at the Lexus headquarters in Torrence. It disappeared as quick as it showed up.....

A Daily Driver Lexus ISF Kicks............

Around Everyone at the NASA Event

Billy Hsu, this needs to be you!!!!!

This weekend, Dave Schotz raced his daily driver Lexus IS F in National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Time Trials at the Auto Club Speedway in California and proceed to dominate against dedicated racecars — Jalopnik has the full story:

NASA Time Trials allow for almost any car to compete for the fastest lap time on a legitimate race course. One guy rolled up in his daily driver Lexus and crushed everyone.

He ran the car bone stock (other than a set of Hoosier Tires andCarbotech brake pads for track duty) and hit 150 miles per hour on the banking.Regardless of the number of doors the car has, obviously the Lexus is not shy of performance. The car won the TTB class against dedicated trailered racecars with full rollcages, no interiors and heavily modified suspensions.

As a three time SCCA solo national champion and two time NASA road racing national champion, Schotz is a proven racer, but no matter — cleaning up on the track with a daily driver (even an IS F) is still a story to tell.

(There’s also a thread over at Club Lexus where driver Dave shares some details about the IS F and this weekend’s race, including some minor controversy.)

http://jalopnik.com/5606943/street-legal-lexus-is+f-owns-dedicated-racecars-in-time-trials

Hey, Now You Can Buy Your LFA---Forget That Lease

Lexus USA Revises LFA Purchase Options

Lexus USA has revised their LFA purchasing options, and will now offer outright purchase of the $375,000 supercar rather than the mandatory two-year lease that was initially required.

This new purchase option does come with one condition, however — the Lexus dealership where the LFA was purchased will retain the first right of refusal to buy back the supercar if the owner wants to sell it within the first two years, and the price will be set at either fair market value or the original price, whichever is lower.

The reasoning behind this restriction is simple: prevent speculators from purchasing the LFA only to turn around and sell it for a profit — a common occurrence when it comes to exotic supercars.

http://lexusenthusiast.com/2010/08/05/lexus-usa-revises-lfa-purchase-options/