Last week, a Bloomberg article from Craig Trudell suggested that Lexus is building a successor to the LFA supercar:
Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which ended a two-year production run of the $375,000 LFA in 2012 after manufacturing 500 units, will build a successor to the 552-horsepower car, Executive Vice President Mark Templin told reporters today.
The plan has the endorsement of Toyota President Akio Toyoda, he said, without providing specifics.
“Akio believes that every generation deserves to have a car like an LFA, so we’re building an LFA for the generation we have today,” Templin said in Kyushu, Japan, before a ceremony for the new Lexus NX crossover. “At some point, there may be another special car for another generation.”
The idea of a new LFA II supercar is exciting, but according to Bertel Schmitt of Daily Kaban, the Templin quote is incorrect — here is Schmitt’s unedited transcript of the conversation between Trudell and the Lexus International vice-president:
“Now, Akio believes that every generation deserves to have a car like an LFA. So we built an LFA for the generation we have today. And at some point we should have a special car for another generation. Because he believes that every generation deserves a special car like this.”
In the end, the whole rumor could be a misheard quote (whether intentional or unintentional) — perhaps Trudell believed Mark Templin is in the habit of casually mentioning next-generation supercars, but that seems unlikely to me.
Update: It appears Trudell has backpedalled — the original article has been edited (emphasis has been added to the changes):
Toyota Motor Corp’s Lexus, which ended a two-year production run of the $375,000 LFA in 2012 after manufacturing 500 units, may build a successor to the 552-horsepower car, Executive Vice President Mark Templin told reporters today. The long-term plan has President Akio Toyoda’s backing, he said.
“Akio believes that every generation deserves to have a car like an LFA, so we’re building an LFA for the generation we have today,” Templin said in Kyushu, Japan, before a ceremony for the new Lexus NX crossover. “At some point, there may be another special car for another generation,” he said, without providing specifics.
A second LFA isn’t imminent, and another generation could be about 30 years in the future, said Brian Lyons, a spokesman.
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