In global unveil terms, the Lexus stand had nothing new. The LF-A roadster concept first revealed at the 2008 Detroit show two months ago took centre stage for its European debut, flanked by the IS-F and various big hybrids from the GS450h to the LS600h L… oh and a groovy cut-away version of the RX400h.

But they year 2008 will be a quiet one for Lexus – aside from the performance IS-F going on sale this April – but expect 18 new products from the Toyota/Lexus stable in the next year and a half. These will include two new hybrids – one of which could feature in the IS – as that model is one of only two Lexus cars that doesn’t currently offer hybrid power (the other being the unloved SC430) and Lexus has clearly stated it wants to roll out hybrid power across its range.

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Looking like a Lexus DTM racecar, the IS-F Racing Concept was revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) to display the companies potential racing prowess.

Not much information was available from anyone at the show, so the specification and details of this car are unknown. It probably sports a V8 like the road-going counterpart.

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Still remember the Lexus LF-A Sports Car Concept from last year? The engineers and designers at Lexus has created a roadster out of it. The Lexus LF-A Roadster was revealed at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

To maintain the structure’s strength and rigidity, the LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum body used for the LF-A Coupe.

Like the coupe, the LF-A Roadster is powered by a 5.0-liter high-revving V10 engine that could produce more than 500 hp with the top speed of more than 200 mph. The engine is mounted in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front-axle centerline in what the LF-A’s engineers refer to as a “front-mid” configuration.
The Lexus LF-A Roadster is 48 inches tall, just like the coupe but the Roadster comes with a speed adaptive rear wing. It features of the LF-A Roadster from the press release are a pair of wrap-around, arrowhead-shaped taillights that bracket a pair of large grilles (which vent the heated air from the car’s two rear-mounted radiators)

The roadster is wrapped with high-performance tires (front - 265/35R20s, rear - 305/30R20s) on turbine-styled alloy wheels. The brakes consist of 14.2-inch cross-drilled, vented discs up front, and 13.6-inch cross-drilled, vented discs at the rear, just like the LF-A Coupe. The front brake calipers are six-piston units and the rear calipers use four pistons each.

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At the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus will present the IS-F race car, which will enter in the American GT2 LeMans Series. Called IS 350 GT2, the Lexus race car is powered by a 470 hp V6 engine, and the first race in which it will race will be the Twelve Hours of Sebring in Sebring, Fl this March 15-18. If you want to see ordinary Lexus IS-F review.

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Lexus has never really been viewed as a high-performance auto maker that would compete with the likes of BMW’s ‘M’ models or Mercedes’ AMG. But at the 2007 North American International Auto Show, Lexus made a statement by revealing the IS-F as the first vehicle of the company’s high-performance F-Sport lineup. The ‘F’ badge, which stands for Fuji Speedway, will find its way on the GS sedan after the market debut of the Lexus IS-F.

Powered by a 5.0L direct-injection V8 engine, the Lexus IS-F produces 416 horsepower with a peak torque of 371 lb-ft. 0-62 comes in at 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 200mph. Lexus is also rumored to be working on a lighter and faster IS-F model dubbed the IS-F/R. Power for the IS-F/R is expected to come from a 5.0 liter V8 engine that pumps out 429 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. Weight is expected to be dropped by 220 pounds through the use of some carbon fiber on the body along with a stripped down interior.
The Lexus IS-F went on sale in Japan on December 25th with a starting price of 7.66 million ($65,742). Globally, Lexus hopes to sell 7,000 units next year, 5,500 of those are estimated to come from the U.S.

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2008 Lexus LX570: The First Vehicle That Can See Around Corners
Next year's Lexus LX 570 has got some pretty spiffy tech attached to it — including a visual system that allows you to clock what's going on around, beside and below you while you park or un-park. Its "front-wide view and side monitoring system" consists of little spy cameras, one on the radiator grille, plus a couple situated on the underside of the side mirrors, all of which gives you access to 180º vision via a screen inside the car. AutoSpies made a video of the system.

All for snazzy features that may prevent you running down the kids when you return from the Mall's Xmas Meet-n-Greet but, as someone whose last car was an ancient Mercedes 280 SLC bought for $1500.

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Earlier in the year we predicted Lexus would unveil its supercar, the LF-A, in production guise at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. It didn't, preferring to show its silver concept car (inset above) for the umpteenth time. But even as officials in Japan unconvincingly denied all knowledge of the real car, our network of spy photographers have caught prototypes testing again - and they're looking more and more ready for production.

We've spoken to sources in Tokyo to uncover the most up to date information about the LF-A and its screaming V10 engine.

The LF-A was first shown as a concept car in 2005 and was supposed to be launched when the Toyota F1 team started winning races. That winning streak has never materialized and if Toyota waits for victories, the LF-A will surely be wearing a beard by the time it rolls into showrooms.

As the engine rules in F1 have changed, so has the power plant under development for the LF-A. It now has a V10 petrol engine of just under 5.0 liters capacity, said to develop a muscle 500bhp for 200mph performance. And a hybrid petrol-electric version is also in the pipeline, using a similar V8 hybrid system as in the LS600h.

Toyota could use a similar system for its mooted production version of the FT-HS concept car; it too was a hybrid supercar, a Supra reborn for the eco age.
The production car will be a mite longer than the concept car at 4460mm and wider too at 1895mm, but it'll be the same 1220mm height to keep that dramatic silhouette. This scoop photo proves that Lexus is paying a lot of attention to the aero package, and it's working on a pop-up spoiler to keep the LF-A stable at all speeds, as well as a huge diffuser clearly visible at the rear.

When will we see the LF-A in showrooms? The latest news is that it's still a couple of years away from reality, so expect it to arrive in 2009 when it will become the first Lexus to carry a six-figure price tag in the UK. As the technical showcase for Lexus, it is set to cost more than £100,000.

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The next-generation large SUV concept unveiled today at the 2007 Tokyo show features an advanced hybrid system with a V6 petrol engine, an electric motor and all-wheel drive, just like the RX’s, but now it’s wrapped up in a more modern and purposeful exterior skin.

The concept’s exterior dimensions are similar to the RX400h’s, but crucially massaged in all the right ways to alleviate the current model’s slightly ungainly ‘body-disconnected-from-its wheels’ stance.

The LF-Xh is longer and wider (by 50mm), lower (by 70mm) and with a wheelbase stretched by 130mm. The result is an SUV that looks altogether more planted to the road and agile in a sporty coupe-like manner. The slatted razorblade-style front grille adds to the smooth feel.

Lexus insiders on the stand said the exterior is pretty much what you can expect from the RX400h’s second-generation model (although the roof might end up a bit higher). The elegant and simple interior is less finalised though, featuring a dramatic aluminium feature detail that swoops down from the centre dashboard top before twisting into the centre console area.
Anticipation is apparently a keyword for the inside in a similar way to the light that illuminates the ground by the door when you unlock the production GS model before getting in. Trouble is, Lexus is clearly not fully happy with the interior their designers made as it wouldn’t let any journalists see the finished inside first hand.

Lexus showed his super car!

Radio silence. Only the much-travelled LF-A concept was wheeled out again at Tokyo despite some pundits thinking we might finally see this much-delayed car in production form. Maybe for the Detroit show then? It’s anyone’s guess.

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