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Lexus LFA reborn! Upcoming spiritual successor to iconic V10 supercar to use electric power to deliver ridiculous acceleration and driving range

The Lexus Electrified Sport concept previews a future production two-door coupe.

The V10-powered Lexus LFA of yesteryear is widely regarded as one of the greatest supercars of all time, and now Japan’s premium brand has finally confirmed a successor – albeit a spiritual one.

As part of parent company Toyota’s massive all-electric vehicle (EV) announcement last night, Lexus publicised its plans for an all-new supercar as well as other fresh EV models.

The so-called Lexus Electrified Sport concept previews a future production two-seat coupe that “inherits the driving taste, or the secret sauce, of the performance cultivated via the development of the LFA”, according to Toyota president Akio Toyoda.

Lexus chief branding officer Koji Sato added: “With bold proportions and low ride height essential to a sports car, it will showcase the unique driving performance of a Lexus and become a model that symbolises the future of the brand.

“Acceleration time will be in the low two-second range, cruising range over 700km, and with the possible use of solid-state batteries in mind, we will aim to create a truly high-performance battery EV.”

Lexus RZ450e

Needless to say, the LFA’s spiritual successor sounds pretty exciting, but it’s not the only Lexus EV that’s on the way, as the carmaker’s first dedicated zero-emissions model will be the RZ mid-size SUV that’s expected to be related to the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.

As part of the announcement, the RZ’s previously teased exterior design was revealed, while its first variant, the RZ450e, was confirmed.

Lexus Electrified SUV

A full unveiling is set to take place next year alongside the release of specifications.

Meanwhile, other Lexus EV concepts shown include the Lexus Electrified SUV, an RX-style large SUV with three rows, and the Lexus Electrified Sedan, a mid-size sedan that could hint at the future of the IS series.

Lexus Electrified Sedan

A wagon version was also seemingly teased alongside an unrelated four-seat convertible.

So, why the big EV push? Well, Lexus is aiming to have EVs in all its segments by 2030, at which point 100 per cent of its sales in Europe, North America and China will be zero-emissions vehicles, with Australia and all other markets to follow by 2035.

Justin Hilliard
Head of Editorial
Justin’s dad chose to miss his birth because he wanted to watch Peter Brock hopefully win Bathurst, so it figures Justin grew up to have a car obsession, too – and don’t worry, his dad did turn up in time after some stern words from his mum. That said, despite loving cars and writing, Justin chose to pursue career paths that didn’t lend themselves to automotive journalism, before eventually ending up working as a computer technician. But that car itch just couldn’t be scratched by his chipped Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7), so he finally decided to give into the inevitable and study a Master of Journalism at the same time. And even with the long odds, Justin was lucky enough to land a full-time job as a motoring journalist soon after graduating and the rest, as they say, is history. These days, Justin happily finds himself working at CarsGuide during the biggest period of change yet for the automotive industry, which is perhaps the most exciting part of all. In case you’re wondering, Justin begrudgingly sold the Golf R (sans chip) and still has plans to buy his dream car, an E46 BMW M3 coupe (manual, of course), but he is in desperate need of a second car space – or maybe a third.
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