Is this the new LFA? GR GT3 Concept Spied On Public Roads

[Demetrius]

That is the price of only 4 average Toyota's. It is cheap. There is no more Ferrari or Maserati Coupe for 200K.

I doubt this thing costs 200k. The 1000hp competitors are 350k and up. I believe the ZR1 might be the only one under 200k

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

So what happens to Lexus Racing in the coming years? Does it continue with an RC-LC replacement for competition? I know zero about requirements for GT3, so I don't know if Lexus will have anything to offer or if that responsibility shifts to Toyota?

FIA regulations state that if you're going to be racing a GT3 car it will need to be homologated as a road car on that year.

There will need to be some units built on the year of it beginning racing, but if a lot of road-going units aren't built on the first year, the bulk of the production needs to start on the second year of racing.

Here's the specifics (I pulled it from Reddit as I am not in the mood to sift through a ton of pages worth of regulations):

> Road model must be a two-door design.
> 300 road cars per year. (I've also heard 5-10 units a year but I don't think this applies to Lexus/Toyota)
> 10 race car models a year for the first two years.
> Within an aerodynamic drag-to-downforce performance range.
> Approval from an FIA committee consisting of relevant race organization bodies and participating manufacturers.

Given that Toyota/Lexus are pushing the "building road cars out of race cars route", you can guarantee that this will be a road car.

 

[carguy420]

Looks and sounds good.

I guess me wanting it to sound as good as the LC 500 is asking for a bit too much 😂

 

[carguy420]

Given that Toyota/Lexus are pushing the "building road cars out of race cars route", you can guarantee that this will be a road car.

Even though TMC doesn't really need to get out of their own way to build road cars that are optimised for racing, since many higher level touring car and rally car series these days allow for more modifications to the car than they used to, I'm still really glad they are doing it.

 

[LexusTechSA]

 

[Randen Montalvo]

Perspective Opinion on the LF-R - The odd part is people are not paying attention to Lexus's messaging they have stated the successor to the LFA is the ESC not this car. They shown videos of the ESC next to the LFA did a whole video with the ESC driving past the LFA and people keep conflating this car as LFA replacement. Lexus has never shown this LFR next to a LFA for a reason i believe. Super car blondie was specifically told to mention the ESC ( she mentioned Lexus told her to state that and was given literature ) as the LFA successor and people keep on wanting this car to be that which its not in my view. The LFA will always be an exotic Lexus showcase and this car is a hybrid V8 which is not the LFA ethos. This is the RC/LC replacement in my view. The question i have is the name will it be a F car or will they call is a Lexus GR-F or Lexus GR GT many rumors of this car not being called a LF-R and something along the lines of something GR related. We shall see. One thing is for sure if they price this as the benchmark AMG GT it will have issues selling. Lexus has to produce a M4 alternative and my fear is they push the performance price point 130K+ which alienates the majority of the enthusiasts in the M4 segment like myself.

Alot to think about with their direction and as a hyper fan im hoping someone calls the retired Yaguchi san for advice on the weekends at TMC to ensure they get this right. Lexus has to focus on not dissolving their performance brand and really take ques from BMW which showcase how to upsell its demo with its M branding. Lexus has to fix their F branding in my view and really draw the line to have more people get it then hyper fans like myself. Example the 500 series cars in my view really confuse the performance brand while still selling one full F homologated purpose car yes we know the hardcore differences but the average joe is confused because its so out of wack of what BMW does with their M-Lite cars. It creates issues in understanding the performance brand. Does a RX 500h need to identify as a F performance model badge while a entry level IS500 series has a V8 with the same badge but the same engine as a flagship LC car and the remaining F car? This is not a good path in my view branding wise. Lexus also needs to focus on increasing power timelines for its performance cars and cannot maintain this ride out with current power figures for over a decade. Power should always increase with a refresh and fall in line with refresh. Example the engineer of the RCF TE stated he originally ordered the 5.4 ltr engine for the car in the Fuji/Models and TMC said no to his dismay. To have 550hp in a stroked RCF TE would've been a breath of fresh air to the F brand and yet TMC changed course and then they put the powerplant in non F models which really dilutes the envelope in my view ( You dont S58 the entry level M34Oi) its confusing long term. Lexus in my fandom opinion has to get branding in order and price with this one and im hoping they listen to the fans and not just the committees with this new platform. Alot riding on this one and i hope they focus on getting the enthusiasts more involved like Chevy did with the C8/ZO6 and BMW with M-Town to further push this cars presence as a new benchmark.

Another thing that can happen is tiers of LFA which can also be a thing, its just not exactly clear whats going on with Lexus F performance now in terms of long term vision and thats why i really want them to focus on branding and narrative. There racing program is amazing and to me thats the key to their pefromance line up. Even has a hyper fan i really think they need to focus on a cohesive narrative for the F brand and with this car. If it just comes out 590hp-650hp and its lighter and thats the marketing line....i fear it wont hit as hard as it should because cars in 2026 many cars would've already be surpassing that benchmark in the 130k+ pricing segment. This is a very tricky marketing situation for Lexus and they need to get this right with the "LF-R". This car will be a critical release for the Lexus performance envelope in my view and im excited but also very nervous as a fan at their current narrative in the market.


Remember the benchmark for this car was the AMG-GT.....mind you if you watch the market here are the below 2024 power figures already out in today's market you can buy now. My fav car of all time is the LFA N Package but no one can deny its release missed a critical point where its offering would've been a more unique proposition and when it was delayed and finally released the market was already seated with high HP lower cost alternatives and LFAs sat to my dismay. This is real life now for the LF-R benchmark below the narrative and branding is critical for this car because the performance envelope they are aiming for is already available today and thats why i really hope Lexus listens to its audience an just not just the board at TMC as we all want them to succeed and thrive as Lexus fan. Lexus in my view should more aim to follow Porsche with its performance envelope and go that route but its clear its target is Mercedes and thats a tough road to follow since Mercedes isn't exactly doing well with these AMG models sales wise. Lexus needs to focus on the story/narrative and engaging its audience on the "why" in my view with a clear message that draws a line in the sand on its offerings.

Rooting for Lexus lets see what the facts bring to the table with time.

Current 2024 Benchmark Offerings of the AMG GT for an idea of whats coming in 2026 for Lexus

• AMG GT 55: 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque This wouldve been addressed with a stroked 2UR-GSE
• AMG GT 63: 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque - LF-R performance Target
• AMG GT 63 S E Performance: 831 horsepower and 1,320 lb-ft of torque Lexus ESC performance Target

Lexus is telling us again and again hinting what the new LFA will be below often with the RZ and the LFA in marketing and has been offically but for some reason folks keep on with another narrative that was never mentioned or hinted on by Lexus. Subject to change but Lexus has never shown this Hybrid V8 car next to a LFA or even in the same convo as the LFA and that cant be coincidence folks.

The new LFA below folks and it aiming for the AMG GT 63 S E Performance delta and will really focus marketing on its transmission being a pivotal selling point of bringing driving mechanical engagement/feeling to BEVs reminiscent of the feeling of driving transmission shifting exotic ICE cars. Their going to hyper-focus markting on this aspect as they have hinted mark my words. The price point of this will be aligned with the AMG GT 63 S E also in my opinion. Cheers!

 

[sl0519]

Perspective Opinion on the LF-R - The odd part is people are not paying attention to Lexus's messaging they have stated the successor to the LFA is the ESC not this car. They shown videos of the ESC next to the LFA did a whole video with the ESC driving past the LFA and people keep conflating this car as LFA replacement. Lexus has never shown this LFR next to a LFA for a reason i believe. Super car blondie was specifically told to mention the ESC ( she mentioned Lexus told her to state that and was given literature ) as the LFA successor and people keep on wanting this car to be that which its not in my view. The LFA will always be an exotic Lexus showcase and this car is a hybrid V8 which is not the LFA ethos. This is the RC/LC replacement in my view. The question i have is the name will it be a F car or will they call is a Lexus GR-F or Lexus GR GT many rumors of this car not being called a LF-R and something along the lines of something GR related. We shall see. One thing is for sure if they price this as the benchmark AMG GT it will have issues selling. Lexus has to produce a M4 alternative and my fear is they push the performance price point 130K+ which alienates majority of the enthusiasts in the M4 segment like myself.

Alot to think about with their direction and as a hyper fan im hoping someone calls the retired Yaguchi san for advice on the weekends at TMC to ensure they get this right. Lexus has to focus on not dissolving their performance brand and really take ques from BMW which showcase how to upsell its demo with its M branding. Lexus has to fix their F branding in my view and really draw the line to have more people get it then hyper fans like myself. Example the 500 series cars in my view really confuse the performance brand while still selling one full F homologated purpose car yes we know the hardcore differences but the average joe is confused because its so out of wack of what BMW does with their M-Lite cars. It creates issues understanding the performance brand. Does a RX 500h need to identify as a F performance model badge while a entry level IS500 series has a V8 with the same badge but the same engine as a flagship LC car and the remaining F car? This is not a good path in my view branding wise. Lexus also needs to focus on increasing power timelines for its performance cars and cannot maintain this ride out with current power figures for over a decade. Power should always increase with a refresh and fall in line with refresh. Example the engineer of the RCF TE stated he originally ordered the 5.4 ltr engine for the car in the Fuji/Models and TMC said no to his dismay. To have 550hp in a stroked RCF TE would've been a breath of fresh air to the F brand and yet TMC changed course and then they put the powerplant in non F models which really dilutes the envelope in my view ( You dont S58 the entry level M34Oi) its confusing long term. Lexus in my fandom opinion has to get branding in order and price with this one and im hoping they listen to the fans and not just the committees with this new platform. Alot riding on this one and i hope they focus on getting the enthusiasts more involved like Chevy did with the C8/ZO6 and BMW with M-Town to further push this cars presence as a new benchmark.

Another thing that can happen is tiers of LFA which can also be a thing, its just not clear whats going on with Lexus F performance now in terms of vision and thats why i really want them to focus on branding and narrative. Even has a hyper fan i really think they need to focus on a cohesive narrative for the F brand and with this car. If it just comes out 590hp-650hp and its lighter and thats the marketing line....i fear it wont hit as hard as it should because cars in 2026 many cars would've already be surpassing that benchmark in the 130k+ pricing segment. This is a very tricky marketing situation for Lexus and they need to get this right with the "LF-R". This car will be a critical release for the Lexus performance envelope in my view and im excited but also very nervous as a fan at their current narrative in the market.


Remember the benchmark for this car was the AMG-GT.....mind you if you watch the market here are the below 2024 power figures already out in today's market you can buy now. My fav car of all time is the LFA N Package but no one can deny its release missed a critical point where its offering would've been a more unique proposition and when it was delayed and finally released the market was already seated with high HP lower cost alternatives and LFAs sat to my dismay. This is real life now for the LF-R benchmark below the narrative and branding is critical for this car because the performance envelope they are aiming for is already available today and thats why i really hope Lexus listens to its audience an just not just the board at TMC as we all want them to succeed and thrive as Lexus fan. Lexus in my view should more aim to follow Porsche with its performance envelope and go that route but its clear its target is Mercedes and thats a tough road to follow since Mercedes isn't exactly doing well with these AMG models sales wise.

Rooting for Lexus lets see what the facts bring to the table with time.

Current 2024 Benchmark Offerings of the AMG GT for an idea of whats coming in 2026 for Lexus

• AMG GT 55: 496 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque
• AMG GT 63: 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque - LF-R performance Target
• AMG GT 63 S E Performance: 831 horsepower and 1,320 lb-ft of torque Lexus ESC performance Target

Lexus is telling us again and again hinting what the new LFA will be below often with the RZ and the LFA in marketing and has been offically but for some reason folks keep on with another narrative that was never mentioned or hinted on by Lexus. Subject to change but Lexus has never shown this Hybrid V8 car next to a LFA or even in the same convo as the LFA and that cant be coincidence folks.

View attachment 9721

Lol wouldn't you be asking too much? Lexus has always been a slightly more premium Toyota without breaking your bank. Think of this way: the fact that they were able to create the LFA and LC was already an extraordinary anomaly. Set your expectations right and you won't get disappointed. As a long time Lexus enthusiast, I've gradually come to terms with it. If I were you, I’d not get my hopes up too high - better jump ship while you can.

 

[Randen Montalvo]

Lol wouldn't you be asking too much? Lexus has always been a slightly more premium Toyota without breaking your bank. Think of this way: the fact that they were able to create the LFA and LC was already an extraordinary anomaly. Set your expectations right and you won't get disappointed. As a long time Lexus enthusiast, I've gradually come to terms with it. If I were you, I’d not get my hopes up too high - better jump ship while you can.

Well as person that runs a region business wise in my personal life my expectations are not dictated by hope. Hope is not a plan. I simply am a fan and i have high expectations. Disappointment as an automotive fan with a hobby is not the same as your son missing a strike in a baseball game my friend ( not the same emotional value prop good sir ). I prefer sky diving also rather than a jumping off a ship. The point is Lexus has high benchmarks its set out to achieve and its clear that its direction has been not cohesive with its signaling and brand messaging. As a fan of the racing program, i would love for them to tighten that up for their performance branding. I have been an enthusiast for a long time aswell but as a fan i rather root for them to push the envelope like they did with creating a performance brand then come to terms with the status quo like yourself as you stated as a fan. When Lexus came out with a performance brand many originally did not even agree with that direction and for me it was a signal to look at Lexus differently finally leaving BMW, thus my want is they tighten up and get their branding and product line up to address what the market is needing from them in my opinon of course. We are here in this forum to of course BS and speak our wants of course.

 

[Randen Montalvo]

Lol wouldn't you be asking too much? Lexus has always been a slightly more premium Toyota without breaking your bank. Think of this way: the fact that they were able to create the LFA and LC was already an extraordinary anomaly. Set your expectations right and you won't get disappointed. As a long time Lexus enthusiast, I've gradually come to terms with it. If I were you, I’d not get my hopes up too high - better jump ship while you can.

Well to keep it real with you i have a bit of a different personal view for instance on the LC, I dont view the LC as an anomaly its status quo to me for them in my view, I view the LC as an SC as a V8 coupe has already been done before with radicial styling from Lexus. The SC 430 when it was released shared the same overall target market ethos although less about driving atmosphere ambiance the SC focused on Luxury opulence with the power of a V8. To me the LFA , RCF and the GSF and the ISF was an anomaly because it was targeted higher tier F performance M type branding with a more focused hardware and new demo target. Lexus said take these cars to the track they wont overheat or give issues there not soley focused on having 20 gears or smoothness, drive them hard then home and branded them accordingly thats an anomaly for Lexus. Quiet frankly its another chapter for them as a brand. The LC as it is to me was status quo and the same chapter as a long time fan other than it being made in the same plant as the LFA and it gets great gas mileage due to its 10 speed that to me is the only anomoly of the LC story that i admire as a fan. The rest of the LC is not my demo intrest wise to be honest with all due respect. Personally the LC doesnt make me want to own a Lexus as it sits today in its current form; rather the Full F cars is what brought me to Lexus. Had Lexus not had a RCF TE, LFA, GSF , ISF and was just the LC as it is now it wouldnt peak my interest. And i say that with love to folks that dig that cars offering it just aint me at this time in my life. I have my own kind of fandom more race track hybrid car oriented as i come from BMW M cars. Im always going to want them to take risks and push the envelope like the retired Yaguchi san wanted to. I always root for the underdog in sports and Lexus is the underdog in the market now in the performance envelope.


Lexus has alot riding on these two cars rooting for them. The racing program is so darn amazing it would be great to continue and elevate the momentum they currently have.

One can only speculate of course.......exciting times indeed no matter how you slice it.