The Lexus LFA returns, but there’s no V10 in sight

In one of the strangest concept car reveals in recent times, the Lexus Sports Concept that we first saw in Monterey Car Week, and then again with an interior at the Japan Mobility Show, has finally been given a name – and it’s ambitious. The vehicle is now called the Lexus LFA Concept, but it won’t have a highly-strung V10 engine. 

Instead, the Lexus LFA Concept features a battery-electric powertrain that’s still under development. However, with the reveal of the new Toyota GR GT, we now know a little more about what else will hide under the skin, and it starts with an all-aluminium spaceframe chassis. This is in stark contrast to the previous Lexus LFA’s expensive carbon-fibre tub, and won’t do much for the car’s weight figure, given the V8-powered Toyota already tips the scales at around 1,750kg. 

This kerbweight is only destined to increase for the Lexus, because the battery-electric powertrain will be substantially heavier than the ICE-powered Toyota, suggesting the featherweight reputation of the original LFA won’t likely be shared this time around. 

However, we can confidently say that this will likely be the test-bed for Toyota’s advancement in solid-state battery technology, which the company says is getting extremely close to viable mass production. In fact, Toyota reckons the tech will be used as soon as 2028, and there’s a good chance it will be found under the skin of a future Lexus supercar that’s based on this concept.  

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Solid-state batteries promise to be a big leap forward in electric car technology, with higher energy density, more consistent performance across a wider range of temperatures and more stability if involved in an accident. The new batteries will also reduce weight and increase range in future electric cars.

We also know that Lexus is working on augmented engine noise and gearshifts, two elements that will bring more driver involvement in electric vehicles. Therefore, perhaps the notion of a V10-soundtrack might not be off the cards for this future supercar, only this time they’ll be produced out of Yamaha speakers, rather than a Yamaha-tuned combustion engine. 

These new details augment our first look at the car’s physical interior at the Japan Mobility Show, showing a new design language and touchscreen system that will be rolled out across all Lexus models moving forward. Key to this is the digital interface, which features a three-surface display that both depicts and controls key driving functions. 

Lexus has also been exploring separating the driver and passenger experiences, changing the colour of the driver’s environment and curving the dashboard towards the driver. This is a technique Lexus has already used on the LC Coupe that went off-sale in the UK in 2024. 

While the company has not announced a specific time when this future all-electric supercar might be put into production, it remains committed to doing so.

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