Lexus, as some say, is the Mercedes-Benz of Japan - luxurious, refined, and elegant. Yet, unlike the Germans, who are keen to show off a bit of savage wildness every now and then, Lexus is generally considered to be more boring. Perhaps its an unkind and undeserved opinion, though it's one that I share. I don't like pompous flash and bling, but I also like to urge carmakers to be more fun and exciting, as mundane as it could be.
Not Lexus however, at least not until 2011, when the LFA came out. It was absolutely shocking to every living soul on Earth. Lexus... Making a supercar? "Madness!", we proclaimed loudly. That's like saying your saintly 60-year old aunt plays strip-poker, while lap-dancing. Nonetheless, it soon proved to be a hit, following the roots of the Toyota 2000GT in the 1960s, which was regarded by many as Japan's first supercar.
The Rising Sun.
Credits to: Rain Prisk - Facebook, Lexus LC Rendering | Just a tease...
The more things change, the more they stay the same, and a half-a-century's absence hasn't made Toyota forget about what they've accomplished at making the West shiver with fear. The LFA is still warmly regarded as one of the most spectacular supercars ever made, in many ways possible. This is very high praise, putting it in the hall of fame even alongside legends from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
The LFA drove like a supercar, poise and sharp, pouncing its way from one corner to the next, with everything you need - braking, acceleration - being delivered to you with an abundance of smoothness, and instantaneously. It looks like a supercar, with that blend of mad science and artistic mastery which makes it no less of an alien artefact to gaze at, in supreme wonderment. It sounded like one too, with a naturally-aspirated V10 that could make you orgasm, as if a choir of angels were singing a lullaby to you.
Credits to: RM Sotheby's, Lexus LFA 'Nürburgring Edition' | The mothership has landed.
Nevertheless, it was a Lexus, thus its interior design and build quality was just as top notch as you'd expect it to be. Its legend didn't have an easy birth however, owing to its complexities that echoed a 'money is no object' approach with the aim of making the finest supercar possible. The first LFA was conceived behind closed doors, and made from aluminium. But it was later decided that it wasn't good enough, thus throwing everything into the bin, and starting back from scratch, this time using carbon-fibre.
It had to break past the stigmatisation as well, the notion that Lexus is boring, and made cars more suitable for your grandparents, than the aspiring youth looking at a bedroom poster. But Lexus did succeed above all odds, though only 500 or so limited-run LFAs ever rolled off the production line. It had set a bar so high, that until now, no other Lexus could ever get close to its mantel. All we cried out for, was an encore. What we wanted, was a series-production LFA, but simpler, cheaper, and more attainable to the masses.
The Cracks Appear.
Credits to: NetCarShow - Lexus RC-F | Not Lexus' best effort.
We asked for a nibble of that pie, following along the guiding principles that made the LFA such a god. Until now, those prayers have remained unanswered. First, there was the RC, and more specifically, the sportier RC-F. It was Lexus' chosen challenger to the BMW 4-series... And it was a bitter disappointment. Unfortunately, the RC-F was nowhere near as loved as the 4-series, and in the kindest way possible, it was very, very underwhelming.
It was big, heavy, and it lacked the athleticism to compete against even the heaviest of the Germans. In a straight line, it was slow, and when you give it some corners, it handled just as well as a grand-piano tumbling down a flight of stairs. It had few positives, and was especially painful for us to accept, given that this came after the LFA bowed out. It wasn't even 1/10 of the car that the LFA possessed, but at least the RC-F made for a wonderful second-hand performance bargain.
Credits to: NetCarShow - Lexus LC-500 | One of the most beautiful cars, inside and out.
Next, it was the LC's time to shine, and now we can see a massive improvement. Perhaps, this was due to Lexus' marketing it more as a grand-tourer, than a sports-car. In terms of emotions, the LC-500 was as close to a proper LFA that we've gotten from Lexus. It was similarly styled like a spaceship, with a boldness in design that's quite surprising given how dull Lexus was not too long ago. As a driver's car, it filled in that gap between outright thrashing it around like a racer, and cruising long-distances in great comfort.
As wild as the LC-500 may appear to be, sitting inside of it feels no less relaxing and luxurious as being in a chateau in the South of France. Yet, we continue to hope that maybe, just maybe, it will begin to inspire more confidence out of Lexus to make supercars again. Besides, the LC even ran as a race-car in Japan's Super GT, which in its short career span, did fairly well. They did say, that there won't be another LFA in the near future.
Credits to: Carscoops - Lexus LC-500 (GT500) | It looks good in racing overalls, too!
But then, the Covid-19 pandemic came. It has claimed many souls, and it continues to leave a damaging scar on everyone, and everything that's survived. We mourn all those to have been lost into the endlessly dark abyss created by this virus, both blood and steel. The effects of the Coronavirus is felt far and wide, and this is true with the car industry. A locked down population means no movement, as humankind leave their cars parked and perhaps never touched for weeks, maybe even more.
In the subject of LFA, it also meant a further halt to moulding its successor, since Lexus were apparently close to having finished a high-performance and driver-focused flagship to reign over all - the LC-F. Yet, not even the largest and most supreme carmaker could stay immune to the effects of such a plague, thus sacrifices had to be made. The LC was a good candidate to be canned, as even when the good times rolled, it sold poorly owing to its niche appeal.
Goodbye, Forever?
Credits to: NetCarShow - Lexus LC-500 | The final V8?
This is unfortunate, given how close we were to seeing it in the flesh. Lexus supposedly started the development of a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 nearly two years ago, as the successor to the old naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8s that they'd ordinarily put in their performance cars. That old powerplant was a most magnificent engine, and its definitely one of the biggest selling points for getting an LC-500, or even the dreaded RC-F.
It's certainly not as powerful as its competitors, but by eschewing the turbos, it delivered power with creamy smoothness, with rapid throttle response. It was almost like a natural extension of your body, but the best thing of all, was how it sounds. There's nothing Lexus-like in its tone of voice at all. See, each country in the world has a distinct way to fine-tune their engines to sing, and feel like their unique national identities.
Credits to: NetCarShow - Ferrari Roma, Ford Mustang, and Aston Martin Vantage | Three's a crowd; same same, but different.
Where a Mustang V8 would growl angrily, raw and untamed; a Vantage's V8 sounds classy and elegant, but nevertheless showing its brutish side; while the new Roma's V8 would burble its baritone tune in an opera. Lexus' V8 then, sounds more meat and American, as if Taiko drums were furiously beating away, in the backdrop of a fierce battle between Samurai clans. It's gritty, with refined luxury replaced for a primal roar, as it sends thumping bass across your body. There's a video right at the end, if you're keen to hear what 5-litres of Japanese anger sounds like.
But of course, such large engines are old-fashioned, and inefficient for today's sterile and conscientious world. That supposed twin-turbo V8 was the answer, or at least, a small and important step forward. It was rumoured to be fitted onto a new and updated LC race-car, entering into this year's Nürburgring 24-hours endurance race. Once that's done, Lexus' engineers would take the learnings from that racer, and trickle down with adjustments onto an LC fit for the roads.
Credits to: AutoEvolution - LC-F Test Mule | The mysterious LC-F shows itself in public.
That should've been the LC-F, one where I've been anxiously awaiting its arrival. They've been teased roaming around in the world before, with that familiar turbo-charged whine being heard in the background, subtle but present. Test mules were first spotted on the roads a while ago, and you can see that it's hiding something different underneath all that cladding. Notice the quad, stacked exhausts that Lexus ordinarily reserves for their higher-performance cars.
Then, there's also the larger intakes for cooling along the front-fascia, now adorning a slightly sharper bodywork. The sight of this alone got me - and some others - excited, thinking that an LC-F's birth was nigh. Yet, we waited, and waited, with no good news to follow. The old naturally-aspirated V8s had 471hp in the LC-500, but fitting two turbos into an LC-F could potentially raise the output beyond 600hp, which would put it on a competitive footing against say, the Aston Martin DB11.
So Close, Yet So Far.
Credits to: AutoEvolution - LFA Successor (?) Testing, Nürburgring | What's this doing there, then!?
With all that's going on in the world, it's financial unfeasible to continue development, with Toyota and Lexus having allegedly canned all their V8 development projects. In its wake, it will be replaced with smaller, and more efficient turbocharged, or hybridised V6s. But despite all that, I still hold out some hopes that we could still see something out of this. All this has been somewhat speculation so far, so its worth taking many grains of salt.
I doubt that Lexus had gone through all the trouble, without having at least something to show for it. Even if they'd just show it off in their race-cars alone, it's still worthy of appreciation. Not long ago, they've made a refresh of the IS saloon, and there's been some rumours circling around that they could put a V8 in that, bringing the old IS-F nameplate back from the dead. Plus, a random LFA test-mule was seen thrashing around the Nürburgring, raising more hopes that Lexus might find a suitable replacement, after all.
Questions, rumours, imagination... But no firm answers, just confusion. Maybe the situation around the LC-F will be just like the old Supra, forcing us to wait 20 years before we could finally see something that could truly succeed the LFA. It would be nice to have more out of that V8, just at least one more time for us to say goodbye before it all goes away into retirement, locked away in a museum. I guess only time will tell.
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I don't know much, but damnn the first photo looks amazing! :D that red is so beautiful and the whole design looks extra elegant and slick :) love the thin shape of those headlights
It really is awesome! The artist, Rain Prisk (https://rainprisk.artstation.com/) does loads of other car stuff, with concepts and ideations in mind. I spend way too much time browsing stuff like this on Artstation XD. This concept isn't too far off a normal LC-500, with that same shade of wonderfully rich and deep red... But it's made much more sporty and futuristic :-D
Nicee I can see why, Rain Prisk certainly does incredible job :D his work on Ferrari 250 GTO looks so epic!
Ah, that one is a close favourite of mine, too! So far, I'm in love with this one, the Rolls Royce mid-engine concept. No one would ever dare to conceive the idea of putting a Rolls Royce's engine in the middle, but here Rain Prisk goes, doing their magical thing... 😍
Hey Zack, great post as always! would you be interested in creating a community all about cars? @ocd would love to help get it some traffic and curation support!
Cheers for the support, and kind words! I actually did think of setting up a Hive community, just for cars... But, I still haven't figured out how all that works, or how to start one. I'd be lying if I'm not a bit anxious about starting said community, since I don't know if it would be that popular 🙃
We could help you start and set it up and some visibility early on so you'd get some authors onto there. I just figured you'd be a great curator and moderator of it as you're so into them. There'd also be some rewards and delegations involved so let me know if you're interested, we just want as many diverse communities as possible for newcomers and those here to choose from. =)
It sounds like a neat idea! That said, I'm not sure if I could spare the time to manage a whole community, I'm afraid. I think until I've spared myself some time, I will keep on posting generally onto OCD and GEMS, using the #cars tag.
It's easy enough for me right now, given how hectic everything is, but it's a great idea to explore in the future. I'll always do my best to keep on posting, and sharing (hopefully) quality content onto the Hive! Thanks a lot for the support, and kind words, mate. I guess I'll be seeing you in the next one :-D
I never really was a fan of Lexus. They just didnt look the price but that LC 500 is great looking.
I suppose that could be true, though in recent times, I've seen Lexus try out some bold new designs to really push against the Germans. Perhaps not quite there yet, but it's getting close. The LC 500 is certainly an amazing looking car, and I've loved its design since it first came out. Too bad you don't see them often, though.
Here's my Twitter #POSH link :-D
I don't need so much power, but I wouldn't mind driving a comfy Lexus.
They certainly are very comfy, although don't expect as much cushy-ness in an "F" variant of a Lexus. They're ramped up to be quite stiff and sporty, but not entirely so. I guess that's why they haven't sold all to well before, since they usually occupy this niche of not too comfortable, nor too sporty 🤷♂
I would go with comfort these days - not that I earn much, but the speeding tickets are means tested here :)
Oh right, I've heard about speeding fines in Finland. Apparently, they're tied to one's income, right? I've read that a Nokia executive once had to pay $120,000 or thereabouts in fines after going past the speed limit on his bike. 😱
A friend of mine's dad sold his company the year before (it is based on the previous year income) - got a fine for 320K€ for something like 15 over the speed limit - he ended up paying about 20K of it after going to court.
Jesus Christ... One thing's for sure, if I ever go to Finland, I should never, ever go beyond the speed limit. That's terrifyingly high, though I guess it does help to deter speeding 😐
Yeah - I don't chance it too often.
Nice cars and a good solid option for the traditional three prestige cars. I'd by another Lexus over any of those other three anyday.
I don't know what the other three are, but Lexus is always a great option. It's unique and unorthodox in its Lexus-ness. I love them so, and I'd so wish to keep urging Lexus to keep making an LC-F, just for those enthusiasts who want a proper replacement for the LFA 🙃
BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
I'm not interested in the LFA, nice car and all, but I'll never have one. I think an IS350 Sport Luxury might be on the cards though.
Ah, agreed. Over those mainstream German brands, I'd so rather have a Maserati, Alfa, or Lexus, just for that bit of left-field charm. I guess the LFA wouldn't be suitable for an escapade into the outback, at least not without lifting it. The IS though, is a mighty find and handsome choice.
They made a facelift quite recently, and I think it's gotten even more handsome since. Not sure if this means much to you, since you've already had plenty of experience with old Lexuses, but their infotainment system isn't up to par, not even with cheaper Toyotas. Not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind if you're springing up for one 🙃
The infotainment thing means nothing to me. I use Spotify through Bluetooth off my phone anyway. I drove an IS350 only a month or so ago and really liked it. It's not the right time for me to buy one though, besides, I'm happy with with my LC.
Good to know, mate. Surely someday would be the perfect time to expand the garage, but with the uncertainties going around now, it's certainly best to wait around a bit longer. For now, the LC is more than enough, though it'll be even cooler once those off-roady parts arrive.
Yeah, I think the other three are all pretty similar at the end of the day. But, I don't have the money to be into cars anyway, so happy with a station wagon :)
Yeah, I hear you, same here.
I had me a Lexus. IS250 Sport Luxury. The best car I ever owned from an all-round perspective. I regret moving it on, but I got an Audi A5 coupe so that was cool too...Still, loved my Lexus and should have kept it, or got another one.
You know, I've had two cars that Faith as truly loved...The Lexus and my Ford F100 pickup. Even now she wishes I hadn't sold them.
You and Faith have good tastes in cars then, as the IS is a pretty great car. It's a jack of all trades, plus its endlessly reliable, and built like a tank, too! I do miss the old IS-F though, the madly sporty version of the IS that competed against the BMW M3. They stopped making those, but I'd really love to see a new one...
Like I said in my original message, or IS was our favourite car. I'll get another.
Please do! It's the perfect two-car garage between that, and the Land Cruiser. Both are quite indestructible too, as Toyotas and Lexuses usually are. In a household where Grouchy cheekily steals your wheels, and catches things on fire, it's an important consideration, I think 😁
Grouchy will not be getting the keys to my LC or my IS! I'd unravel his little fucking ass and use him for show laces!
Jeez, that's a bit harsh. But seeing what he's done to your Defender, I guess it's fair. He's deserving of a bit of Aussie smack down.