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Everything we know about the Lexus LFR, the V10 LFA's potential successor
A Lexus supercar born out of GT3 racing would make the perfect halo model.
The Lexus LFA was not long for this world, but it showcased the brand’s ability to create a true halo high-performance automobile. In a very short production life of exactly two years, the Lexus LFA managed to cement itself in the pantheon of the world’s greatest supercars. As the only model from Toyota’s luxury brand to ever make this illustrious list, the LFA did so in remarkable fashion with an insane V10 engine, a 9,000 rpm redline, and perhaps the best sounds an engine has ever produced.
It’s been thirteen years since the LFA was made, and Lexus has shown off a couple of concepts that could fit the revival bill. One is an electric sports concept, and the other points to Lexus’s racing efforts. The former seems like a far-fetched aspiration, while the latter, a new GT3 race car purported to be on the way in 2026, could pave the way for a new Lexus supercar. Here’s everything we know about what the next LFA could be.
The original LFA
The original LFA was produced between December 2010 and December 2012, and Lexus has yet to produce a successor. Although Toyota didn’t build the LFA until 2009, development began as early as the year 2000. Codenamed the TXS, the car was meant to showcase what Toyota could do with a performance car under the Lexus brand. Lexus tested prototypes of the experimental supercar in 2003 at Nürburgring in Germany, which means they had high aspirations for its capabilities. 
Lexus debuted the LFA concept car in 2005 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit without any intention of building it for the consumer market. However, the public's reception of the concept was very positive, leading Lexus to seriously consider making it a reality. In the fall of 2009, Lexus showcased the first production version at the Tokyo Motor Show and announced it would build 500 of them.
The base price of the LFA was an astounding $375,000. At the time, that was more than a V12-powered Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. The price of a special higher performance LFA with the Nürburgring Package topped out at $445,000. Despite the LFA’s tremendous capabilities, the car didn’t sell well, and the high price contributed to that. Even as late as 2017, 5 years after its production run ended, there were still 12 brand new LFAs that had still not been sold.
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The LFA successor probably won’t be an all-electric supercar
Rumors have circulated about a potential fully electric version, but signs point to one that could emerge out of Toyota’s racing efforts. Unlike the LFA, its successor will likely emerge from its GT3 racing stable rather than being based on a concept like the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept from late 2021. That Supra-like concept was originally intended to be the spiritual successor to the LFA, but not much about the LESC has been circulating of late.
The current Lexus RC F GT3 has been racing in competition since 2017 and is nearing the end of its run. Per the FIA’s rules, manufacturers in the GT3 racing class must build their GT3 race car based on a mass production roadgoing car sold at the time of homologation. Each manufacturer must also build 10 cars for independent racing teams in its first year and 20 cars within its first two years. This applies to the number of cars produced, not the number of cars sold. Toyota
Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson stated that the next-generation GT3 race car, the GR GT3 Concept, is planned for a 2026 debut. The car was revealed in January 2022 at the Tokyo Auto Salon and tested at Japan’s Fuji Speedway in 2024. This replacement means that 2025 will mark the final year of the RC F GT3 racer.
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More evidence that points to the LFR
The GR GT3 concept car could enter production as the rightful successor to the Lexus LFA dubbed the LFR. In recent Nürburgring Nordschleife testing, the car has been seen with different rear wings, and it is rumored to use a carbon fiber tub. Toyota GR GT3 Concept Toyota
It’s unlikely that the LFR will utilize a V10 like the LFA. Instead, the noise emitted in its most recent testing in Spa-Francorchamps suggests that the car could use a mild hybrid twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine. Output could reach 900 horsepower compared to the LFA’s 553.
Moreover, according to Lexusenthusiast.com, Toyota filed the trademark for the “Lexus LFR” with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in late 2022. The trademark filing does not confirm its production, but it’s a strong sign of what might come. Toyota also filed the trademark application for the name “GR GT” with the U.S. Patent Office in early 2023, pointing to the potential development of a road-going version of the GR GT3 Concept car.
Final thoughts
Toyota/Lexus could use a new halo performance car that fills the shoes the LFA left behind, and the GR GT3 concept car that is being tested would be an excellent fit. It also fits in with Toyota’s plan for more hybridization rather than electrification.
We hope the LFR, or whatever Lexus calls its LFA successor, won’t cost half a million dollars when all is said and done. It needs to offer up a semi-attainable supercar that will sell out rather than fall short of the limited number of cars produced.
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