Lexus LFA Returns as All-Electric Supercar Concept

Lexus has finally named its new supercar, bringing back the legendary LFA badge—with a twist.

The gorgeous Lexus supercar now has a name. First teased earlier this year, and then shown again at the Tokyo Mobility Show where we got a peek at its cabin, the low-slung coupe has officially been christened LFA. No, it won't be sporting a V10 with a stratospheric redline; this LFA is going all-electric.

Really, it's not the most shocking news (pardon the pun). Toyota has made it clear that, after a slow start, it means business in the EV space. The brand has said it will have solid-state batteries out in customer hands before the end of the decade, and we expect the eventual LFA 2.0 production model to arrive in a few years. Coincidence? Unlikely.

The reborn LFA shares its all-aluminum chassis with the Toyota GR GT and GT3 sports cars. It eschews any sort of combustion, but we don't know much else beyond its electrification. Battery pack size? Nothing. Power from the electric motors? Nada. The number of electric motors? Zilch.

We do have a handful of measurements for the LFA, which looks all but identical to the Sport Concept—and which in turn suggests the final car shouldn't look much different. Total length is 184.6 inches (4,690 millimeters), with the same 107.3-in (2,725-mm) wheelbase as its Toyota siblings. At a hair over 80 in wide (2,040 mm), the new LFA is half a foot wider and almost a full foot longer than the original, yet at just 47.0 in (1,195 mm) tall it's an inch lower overall. After seeing the Sport Concept in Japan, we can say it sure has presence.

Ditching today's typical central-screen approach, the LFA's cabin has a curved display in front of the driver with all manner of information wrapping around the cut-down yoke. The pared-back cabin features dramatic curves separating the driver and passenger, and nearly every surface is wrapped in suede.

Why bring back the LFA name, which is sure cause some scrunched faces? In Lexus' own words, the badge is "not bound to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, 'LFA' is a model name that symbolizes a vehicle model that embodies the technologies that engineers of its time should preserve and pass on to the next generation." If the LFA was a landmark combustion model, what's stopping the new one from making its mark in the electric era?

Between this new LFA, the very different upcoming ES sedan, and the wild trio of LS concepts shown in Tokyo, Lexus is clearly entering its experimental phase. We're all in, and look forward to learning more on this all-electric supercar.

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