A Tasty Rumor: LFA II May Feature LC 500 GT3 TTV8 Engine!

Hot off the rumor mill, a tantalizing prospect: Lexus’s next supercar may feature a bona-fide twin-turbo V8 racing engine under the hood!

Historically, manufacturers utilized endurance racing as a means to test the mettle of their machines. Traditionally in GT racing, this entails modifying a roadgoing vehicle and its engine to suit the demands of the circuit. Less often, however, do we see the opposite taking place, where you take a no-nonsense racing engine and adapt it to the road. Typically endurance racing features serious engines built for serious purposes. And the Lexus LC 500 GT3’s heart is certainly no exception. This 90-degree twin-turbo 4.0L V8 boasts some impressive figures even for a race car. And rumor has it that Lexus plans to fit this beautiful powerplant into their next-generation LFA II. Yes, you read that right – a GT3 endurance racing engine in the LFA II.

First leaked on MAGX News (Japanese), if these rumors are true, it’d absolutely stir the pot for the next generation of supercar. And while there certainly remains the possibility that the LFA II may feature a hybrid or full EV powertrain, the prospect of such a racing engine is simply too tantalizing to ignore.

A Beating Heart of Gold

Photo by Gazoo Racing

The planned engine in question is Lexus’s 2022 24 Hours of Nürburgring GT3 powerplant. To create the 4.0L V8, Lexus effectively mated two of its SuperGT 2000cc I-4s to a single crankshaft. In the 2016 season, these engines individually produced upwards of over 600 horsepower for the GT500 class. Lexus made several attempts to mate the engines together into a V8 configuration. In 2019, they announced the first prototype engine, set to debut in the 2020 24 Hours of Nürburgring. But ultimately Lexus pulled the vehicle before the race. However, by this current season, the engine returned as a stellar and undeniably vicious-sounding unit. Check the video at the bottom for the raw, unfiltered sound of this absolute beast.

Lexus has a long and storied history with V8s dating back to its inception. So it comes as no surprise that the next-generation halo car features such an iconic configuration, being a core component of Lexus’s heritage. From the very first LS to the ultra-modern LC, Lexus V8s remain a distinctive core component of the brand’s image. And with the next-generation LC F due around the corner as well, Gazoo Racing’s influence becomes more and more apparent as the official reveal date approaches.

Road Car from Race Car, Not the Other Way Around

From the beginning, Lexus stated their true intention with the twin-turbo V8. Back when Lexus announced the engine, they commented that the powerplant was “destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars.” Since then, speculation surrounded the LC F as the next recipient of the engine. But between Gazoo Racing and these new rumors, the LFA II’s likely to get the goods first. What’s more, the article continues wetting the appetite with rumors of suspension and running gear improvements derived from the GT3 car. However, MAGX states that Lexus hasn’t revealed any more specifics regarding these improvements.

However, this certainly isn’t the first time such technology found its way onto the streets, even with Lexus. The LFA, for example, traces its lineage back to the 2007 LF-A concept. This very car found itself racing in prototype form in the 2008 VLN Nürburgring 4 Hours, then the 24-hours in 2009 where it finished 4th in-class. Because the car remained a prototype, Lexus seamlessly incorporating the racing tech into the production car.

Due to this focus, the automotive community recognizes the LFA as an outstanding driver’s supercar. Its development lent the platform with the usable power and nimble feel of a proper race car. Lexus appears sympathetic to this philosophy, repeating what made the LFA successful and taking it one step further. The history certainly lends these rumors an additional air of credibility since Lexus isn’t exactly shy about this sort of thing. While nothing is certain this day and age, we’re nevertheless extremely excited about the prospect. And regardless of the engine, we can’t wait to find out more about this gorgeous new halo car.

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M.C. Cuccio

I've been an automotive aficionado since I had baby teeth. My path was set when I first leaned on my grandfather's classic Porsche as I learned how to walk. One of my first memories was my mother sitting me behind the wheel of her Pontiac and talking me through the instrumentation and controls. Even though I was a mere three or four years old, I was instantly sold, and filled notebooks with technical drawings, sketches, and collections of manuals of all sorts of cars. I've actively tracked developments in automotive and motorsport technology for well over 20 years, and pride myself on being intimately familiar with the functions and history of a wide range of vehicles.

My primary goal as a writer and enthusiast is to equally learn and share what I've learned in a constructive and interesting way. I maintain connections with people from around the world and can read technical manuals in Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, granting me access to a wide array of resources. My primary focuses are deep-dives into historical topics, motorsport discussion, and learning about the complex mechanical elements of such vehicles. As such, my research is never perfect; as anyone into cars will attest, the more you learn about cars, the more you realize how little you actually know. Therefore, I always welcome fresh knowledge and corrections to help me better my work in the future.