F1 for the road
The Lexus LF-A concept car has made a public appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show in last year’s October. However, while the shiny display model was on the Lexus stand, a black-clad prototype was being put through its paces at Germany's Nurburgring circuit. Toyota officials let slip in Tokyo that the production car, likely to be called the LF-H, is going to have a V10 engine, developed from the engines in Toyota's F1 cars, which is thought to develop over 500bhp and give 280km/h-plus capability.
Although the engine is front- rather than mid-mounted, the LF-H will be rear-wheel drive, and Lexus has promised "the ultimate weight balance", "extravagant comfort" and "precision operation". While we’ve now snapped the coupé, word is that the LF-H could as well come with the option of a metal folding roof, as Lexus aims to take on the likes of the Mercedes SL65 AMG as well as the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430 and Aston Martin DB9 coupes and their drop-top counterparts. The LF-H hasn't yet been confirmed for production, but the continued and sustained testing of prototypes like this, plus the repeat appearance of the concept car at international motor shows, suggests that it's a pretty definite contender.
