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Twin-Turbo V8 Lexus LC F Reportedly Canceled

It’s been years since the rumor mill got our hopes up about a twin-turbo V8 in the Lexus LC. The “F” version would serve as a successor to the screamin’ LFA of old, Lexus has reportedly axed the project.
Twin-Turbo V8 Lexus LC F 18 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Japanese motoring publication carsensor.net reports “several reasons for the discontinuation. One is the cost and manpower” while the other has something to do with the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic.

There is a silver lining, however. Car Sensor underlines that their report is “a forecast article,” translating to unofficial information. With a bit of luck, Lexus may prove us wrong and continue developing the LC F.

When you think about it, Toyota’s upscale brand is too far into the project to put the kibosh on it. The LC F has already been previewed by a prototype on a Japanese racetrack in January 2020, new powerplant and all.

It’s also worth highlighting that Toyota is fielding the GR Supra in the Super GT series as the successor to the LC 500 in the GT500 class. Toyota is also developing a plug-in hybrid hypercar in the guise of the GR Super Sport, and this leaves Lexus at a disadvantage both on the road and on the track.

Unless the higher-ups and bean counters agree that the LC F needs to happen, it’s likely that Lexus will once again be relegated to an “old’s man luxury car” brand. The UX and a few other newities aim to lower the average age of Lexus customers, but a sporty model is a definitive must for the brand.

The question is, does the LC 500 have what it takes to carry the torch forward? The mid-cycle refresh of the Luxury Coupe is certain to feature a few improvements to the free-breathing V8, but if you look at German rivals with their force-fed V8s, the answer to that question is a big fat no.

On that note, there’s one more thing we should highlight. The 24 Hours Nürburgring is where Lexus will test “a newly-developed V8 twin-turbo engine destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars.” Those words come from a press release from December 2019, and as a brief refresher, the endurance race has been postponed from May to September 2020.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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