Lexus LF-A Supercar Gets Track Time in Japan

This was the black "development" LF-A mule that ran in this summer's Nürburgring 24 Hours. Driving the car was Akio Toyoda, executive vice president of Toyota and one of the prime movers behind the LF-A program. In front of a crowd of 30,000, Akio did two laps in the LF-A, which made a great sound and was not short on pace.

Almost two years after the concept version's unveiling in Detroit, Toyota is still not saying when or if the LF-A will make it to production. Sources believe, however, that the production LF-A is now signed off, and this long awaited 480-horsepower, 200-mph supercoupe will appear at some strategic point in 2009, with a limited run of sales to start later, perhaps in 2010 or 2011.

The recent buzz in Tokyo has been that Toyota is thinking of a 500-unit run with an asking price that would be the equivalent of about $261,000-$313,000. Given the current economic climate, those numbers, and indeed the LF-A's whole future, could yet be revised.

All along, the LF-A has been pushed by Akio Toyoda, scion of the Toyoda family that founded the Toyota Motor Corporation, arch motorsport fan and the man widely tipped to be the next Toyota president and CEO. Without his support, the LF-A, which has always existed outside Toyota's normal production processes, would almost certainly have been canned.

Inside Line says: The LF-A could yet live to do battle with Nissan's GT-R and Acura's new NSX. — Peter Nunn, Correspondent