Rumors

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.

[Source: Inside Line]

According to Motor Trend, Lexus will be taking the LFA and the experience they gained at the Nürburgring into the FIA GT1 Championship:

In a series that is widely considered to be the pinnacle of sports car racing, Toyota will come up against the likes of Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, Lamborghini, Nissan and Maserati.

LFA drivers will reportedly include Japanese aces Junichi Wakisaka and Takayuki Kinoshita as well as a couple of European pilots. Toyota will also be looking to recoup some of the LFA’s sizeable R&D costs by racing in the series. That’s why we will also see the LFA competing in Japan’s GT series. Be sure to keep an eye on the starting grid for next year’s Le Mans 24 Hours as well, because the LFA is expected to be there.

This is huge news — expanding the LFA into a racing platform provides an immediate return on the investment made into the supercar’s development, especially if it leads to good finishes in these major events.

Of course, these races all have different rules and regulations — in the case of GT1, the LFA will need a .2L bump in displacement to meet the 5.0L requirement, and will almost certainly be getting a major boost in power.

Admittedly, this is all still rumor, but exciting nonetheless — let’s hope for something official soon.

[Source: Motor Trend]

The Bangkok Post has some engine variation rumors regarding the RX & LS:

Later this year, Japan’s top nameplate is set to offer a third engine variant of its RX sport-utility vehicle in the guise of RX270 with 2WD. For the first time, the new entry-level RX would be getting a four-cylinder petrol engine currently used in the Toyota Fortuner and Land Cruiser Prado.

Such a move would help widen the RX customer base, which currently has only two pricey options including the V6-powered RX350 and hybrid-driven RX450h, both of which are priced at over B5m due to 50% excise tax.

Earlier, Lexus had pledged to not build a four-pot motor for the RX in the form of RX240 (Toyota Harrier-style) fearing a diluted image.[..]

For long, Thai product planners have aspired for a six-pot unit for the flagship LS saloon which its parent firm in Japan refused to develop.

Sources say it is possible the next-generation LS could see a V6 option alongside the V8 (LS460) and hybrid (LS600h) so it can compete with the BMW 730i and Mercedes-Benz S300 on the B8m front. A hybrid version using the V6 petrol/electric combination of the RX450h and GS450h is also possible.

A RX 240 wouldn’t be entirely out of the question, after all, the ES 240 has been available in China since last year — however, I’m sure Lexus will wait to see how the RX 270 is received before making any decision.

As for the LS V6 rumor, it’s an older rumor, and it certainly makes sense given the import taxes placed on big V8s in some countries. More interesting is the thought of using the hybrid/V6 from the RXh, which would turn a V6 flagship sedan into something with much larger potential appeal.

LS 450h, anyone?

[Source: The Bangkok Post]

According to Motor Trend, Toyota President Akio Toyoda has signed off on the development of a Lexus electric supercar:

The car is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower and would sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds.

The car is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower and would sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds. Like the E-Cell, the Toyota is expected to route power through four electric motors, one at each wheel. It will also incorporate a switch that allows drivers to select between driving programs such as comfort, sport and super sport, thus permitting drivers to regulate battery use.

It’s expected to debut around 2015, and we are first to reveal how one artist in Japan sees the as-yet-unnamed vehicle as it might look attacking the Nurburgring in Germany. The large grille and air intakes beside the headlights are viewed as critical to provide sufficient cooling for the electric motors. The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the Lexus LFA project.

With the Tesla partnership already moving ahead full steam, this rumor wouldn’t be a total surprise — except for the fact that it suggests this will be a new vehicle instead of an electric version of the LFA. Considering that both Merecedes & Audi have shown electric concepts of their supercars, it suggests Lexus will be trying a different direction.

Now, tt’s always my tendency to look in the SC’s direction any time a new sportscar is mentioned, and it would fit with my belief that the new partnership with Telsa will produce the Sport Coupe’s third generation, but it’s doubtful the SC would be positioned against the Mercedes SLS E-Cell & Audi R8 e-Tron — however, it would be suitable competition to the rumored Audi R4 e-Tron, not to mention the Tesla Roadster.

Plenty of room for interesting speculation, here’s another angle on the Holiday Auto illustration:

[Source: Motor Trend]

Toyota & Tesla are now two weeks into their partnership (in which Toyota purchased a $50M stake in Tesla), and it’s rumored that their first joint-project will be converting a Lexus RX to a full electric prototype:

Tesla said July 10 that it will deliver two prototypes vehicles to Toyota this month without identifying the models. While Toyota also aims to test an electric Corolla compact car, the RAV4 and RX light trucks are better suited to the weight of Tesla’s battery pack, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the vehicles haven’t been announced yet.

The target for a model developed with Tesla would be for a car that costs about $40,000 with 150 miles (240 kilometers) of driving range per charge, the person familiar with the plans said.

“Toyota and Tesla engineering teams have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time,” JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technology officer, said in a July 10 e-mail message.

It may not be a vehicle as exciting as Tesla’s own Roadster, but with the RX already engineered to support a battery pack with its hybrid version, it’s a natural choice to be prototyped using the Tesla electric platform.

Even more than the models chosen, I’m surprised by the speed of this partnership — I wouldn’t have expected an announcement so soon, never mind the possibility that we may see a full-electric Lexus prototype before the year is out.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Shortly after the Lexus CT 200h was revealed in early March, rumors of a possible 3-door version sprung up, and now photochopper Theophilus Chin has put together a possible look for the hatchback coupe:

The main tweaks in the photochop, besides the subtraction of two doors, is a deeper slope in the A-pillar, a shorter rear overhang and a minor increase in ground clearance.

Even though I’m a big fan of the 3-door hatch myself and can definitely see this CT variant having success in European & Japanese markets, I have strong doubts it would make it to North American shores — a suspicion backed up by the fact that Audi only offers their A3 in a 5-door format.

[Source: Theophilus Chin] (Thanks Seal!)