Lexus LF-LC Sports Coupe Photo Scans Leak on the Web : Detroit Show Video

While Lexus was planning a slow strip tease for its 2012 Detroit Motor Show-bound sports coupe concept, the folks over at Autoblog.com discovered a video teaser from the 2012 February issue of Road & Track magazine, giving us our first look at the car, which will carry the LF-LC moniker.

We don’t get any additional information on the rakish concept model, though in one of the photos, it looks like there's a "HYBRID" badge right in front of the rear wheel arch.

Lexus has previously told us that the design of the LF-LC would hint at a new design direction for the brand's future models.

We reckon that after the leak, the Japanese carmaker will probably come out with official pictures of the LF-LC soon, so stay tuned for more.

Story References: Road&Track via Autoblog.com

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Lexus LS TMG Edition 650HP Spied on Video: Are Those the Sounds of a V8 or a V10?

Our trusty spies have scored another touchdown with the high-performance, wide-body Lexus LS saloon that has piqued our interest over the past few days.

We already know it is called the Lexus LS TMG Edition and that it is being developed by the Japanese group's Toyota Motorsports GmbH division, formerly known as Toyota Team Europe, based in Cologne, Germany.

Toyota's subsidiary was responsible for firm's World Rally Championship cars starting from the 1970s right up to the 1990s, but now works on various special projects.

Thanks to the leaked spec sheet, we also learned that under the hood of the LS TMG Edition lies a 5.0-liter engine capable of spinning up to 9,000 rpm cranking out a husky 650-ponies and a peak torque of 710Nm (524 lb-ft).

While there are no other details on the engine, the spec sheet notes that the 2,070kg (4,564 pounds) LS TMG completes the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 4.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 320km/h (199mph).

The new scoop video not only gives us a better view of the Lexus LS TMG Edition as it laps the Nürburgring, but it also allows us to hear the 5.0-liter engine, which brings us to today's question: Having listened to the sounds of the LS TMG, do you think it's a V8 unit, possibly sourced from the IS-F, or a V10 derived from the LFA?

Have your say in the comments section below.

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Fresh Spy Shots of Lexus LS TMG Edition and New Spec Sheet that Says it gets 650-Horses

The veil of secrecy surrounding the super Lexus LS that we captured testing on the Nürburgring racetrack last week has started to fall apart.

Today, along with a fresh batch of scoop pictures of the hotted up LS, our spy photographers also sent us a shot of a spec sheet that's been circulating on the internet and which we were also informed about from the guys over at the Clublexus fan site.

Here's what Mike from ClubLexus told Carscoop:

"We had an insider at the old F1 Toyota facility snap photos of this LS and what looked like a modified LFA GT2 with BBS wheels, widened fenders....they snapped photos of the specs for the LS...it stated 650hp at 9,000 RPM with 20" wheels. Within hours of the pics posted, we got a message from Toyota to take the pics down, which we did."

"What makes me believe this is accurate is Lotus stated they were going to use a 650hp 5.0 liter from the Lexus IS F supercharged for 650hp. The Lexus GS F is coming to so it might be a mule for that."

The spec sheet itself is from TMG, which is an acronym for Toyota Motorsports GmbH, the Japanese firm's high-performance testing and development facility located in in Cologne, Germany.

On TMG's official website the about page reads: "Specialising in high technology, TMG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Toyota Motor Corporation and offers its services to external clients as well as members of the Toyota family."

The information sheet says that the car is named the Lexus LS TMG Edition and that it comes equipped with a 5.0-liter engine, but makes no word if it's naturally aspirated or turbocharged, nor if it’s a V8 or an LFA-based V10.

What it does say is that the 5.0-liter unit maxes out at 9,000 rpm and that it delivers an output of 650-horses (478kW) and a peak torque of 710Nm (524 lb-ft).

It adds that the car tips the scales at 2,070kg (4,564 pounds), rides on 20-inch wheels shod in massive tires size 295/35 up front and 345/30 at the rear, and that it completes the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in just 4.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 320km/h (199mph).

While we still don't know if it's a limited production model, a racing car, or a conceptual exercise, based on this latest information, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw the Lexus LS TMG Edition making its world premiere at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show in December.

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Toyota Invests in Safety, Demonstrates Hybrid Synthetic Sound Alert and More

Toyota has taken a lot of heat in the past couple of years over safety issues, especially in North America. But last January, the Japanese company announced that it will invest $50 million over five years in its Collaborative Research Safety Center (CRSC) to develop new safety technologies.

Recently, Toyota Motor Sales USA organized a Safety Seminar in which it displayed the technologies developed by the CRSC and its partners while also announcing plans to launch 10 new research initiatives with leading US universities and institutions.

One of the initiatives is a solution to the danger electric cars pose to pedestrians who will not hear them, since unlike conventional cars powered by internal combustion engines, they are silent.

Toyota's proposal is a synthetic motor sound alert that makes a humming sound that raises its pitch under acceleration and lowers it under braking, warning not only pedestrians but also bicyclists of the car’s presence on the road.

This system will equip the Prius line-up, the new RAV4 EV that was developed jointly with Tesla Motors, as well as other Toyota hybrids and EVs.

The Japanese manufacturer also demonstrated an autonomous-driving Lexus LS600h, which thanks to its advanced hardware and software, can detect pedestrians.

In addition, the company demonstrated a 35 mph head-on barrier crash test of its brand new Camry mid-size sedan, which sports 10 airbags and Toyota expects will earn top marks for safety both by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) as well as the IIHS (Insurance Institure for Highway Safety).

“The CSRC intends to publish as much of the research of its partnerships as possible to make it available to federal agencies, the industry and academia”, said CSRC’s director and Toyota Technical Center’s senior executive engineer Chuck Gulash.

Story sources: Toyota & Motor Trend

Rumors: New Lexus LFA Special coming to Tokyo Show while Toyota is Working on a Supra Successor

After losing ground globally to its main competitors, Toyota is on the offensive again. Not only are its plants starting to operate near their maximum capacity, it has also formulated a new strategy to recover as quickly as possible.

However, bread-and-butter models are not the only vehicles the Japanese automaker has in store for us. According to CAR Magazine, Lexus will launch a Tokyo Motor Show Edition of its LFA supercar at its home motor show in autumn.

This edition of the LFA, the second after the Nürburgring special, will sport an unpainted carbon roof and rear spoiler and will cost around €40,000 (US$54,500) more than the “normal” production model.

Meanwhile, the proposed open-top version of the Lexus LFA will not make it past the drawing board due to the current global economic climate.

Coming a little down to earth, Toyota is readying a successor to the Supra coupe of the ‘90s. Although the company has officially denied such a project even exists, the same sources insist that an unsanctioned RWD sports car is currently under development.

Toyota, which has abandoned the sports car segment for quite some time to focus on hybrids, is also said to be working on a front-wheel drive performance car that is expected to be a GTI-rivaling version of the CT200h hatchback.

Perhaps the biggest news, however, is that Japan’s number one car maker is contemplating moving away from naturally-aspirated, high-revving engines and follow the downsizing trend, adopting turbocharged units for its sports models.

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Toyota Will Build Hybrid Drivetrains in Four Years Out Of Japan

Toyota Prius Family

Toyota has chosen to focus most of its resources on its hybrid models, and more specifically on the Prius “family” and Lexus lineup, in order to recover from this year’s earthquake and the subsequent, and quite substantial, decrease in global sales due to parts shortages.

Until now, Toyota manufactured all components of hybrid drivetrains, such as battery packs, electric motors and inverters only at its Japanese plants. The recent disaster has shown the vulnerability of the decision to put all of your eggs in one basket.

Therefore, the company has decided to change its policy and manufacture them not only in Japan but also in overseas factories.

“Right now, hybrid component production is too biased toward Japan”, Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of global purchasing, Shinichi Sasaki, told Automotive News. “We have to devise a tactic roughly within a year –that means this may be implemented in three or four years’ time.”

According to Mr. Sasaki, Toyota’s revised plan calls for the production of Toyota and Lexus hybrid components at global production centers that will then ship the parts to assembly plants worldwide. He added that the most likely choices would be Toyota’s North American, Southeast Asia and China plants.

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SCOOP: Mystery Sport Lexus LS Caught Testing on the 'Ring, Could it be the LS-F?

Lexus may not be fully embroiled in the sports car segment as the only true performance models in its range are the IS-F and the limited run LFA special, but something tells us that the Japanese firm is not yet ready to throw the towel in and let its rivals take the win.

And this, despite the fact that over the years, we have heard many rumors about the possibility of Lexus expanding its range of high-performance F-badged lineup to include the GS and the LS models, and which never came into fruition.

This brings us to our mystery Lexus LS prototype that was snagged doing the rounds on the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. Our scoop photographers tell us that the car featured the usual testing equipment seen on other prototypes on the 'Ring.

Aside from the blistered front and rear wheel arches, the LS test car also sported widened front and rear bumpers, a different front grille, plus a carbon fiber roof and boot incorporating a spoiler.

The car was also fitted with massive brake discs, while the hood air vents and the black alloy wheels with a silver rim are two elements we've seen of the LFA.

And now for the million dollar question: what is it? We'll, we don't know for sure. It could be anything from a limited production or conceptual LS-F sporting the LFA's V10 to a SEMA project car, or perhaps just a wild tuning job in the works.

Whatever the case, we'll keep our eyes open and ask around. If something pops up on our radars, we'll let you know.

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