EVO: Lexus working hard on Electric Exotic Sports Car
#1
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EVO: Lexus working hard on Electric Exotic Sports Car
I don't see anything on the their site but it was in the current magazine. So I took pics of their artist rendering.
According to the article, Lexus wants to battle the upcoming E-Tron from Benz. Spoke to a bud who has insiders at Benz and he said the E-tron is very impressive and handles fantastic with the electric motors behind every wheel.
The article also mentions other sports/sporty cars coming from Toyota and Nissan. They mention Honda is possibly working on a S2000 sucessor based on the CR-Zzzzzz
We have seen the pics of the LFA mule still running around with what looks like an opening for an electric charge so this article makes a lot of sense.
According to the article, Lexus wants to battle the upcoming E-Tron from Benz. Spoke to a bud who has insiders at Benz and he said the E-tron is very impressive and handles fantastic with the electric motors behind every wheel.
The article also mentions other sports/sporty cars coming from Toyota and Nissan. They mention Honda is possibly working on a S2000 sucessor based on the CR-Zzzzzz
We have seen the pics of the LFA mule still running around with what looks like an opening for an electric charge so this article makes a lot of sense.
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#11
Lol an S2000 successor based on the CRZzzzz? That would be an insult to the S2000. If Honda is even contemplating an S2000 successor, it needs to be strictly RWD or don't bother.
Also not surprised with this news of an electric exotic. That is naturally the next step to take after the LFA. And after that, perhaps an LFA successor .
Also not surprised with this news of an electric exotic. That is naturally the next step to take after the LFA. And after that, perhaps an LFA successor .
#13
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http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/new...in_super_coupe
The Lexus engineering crew who gave the world the LF-A supercar are now working on a plug-in super coupe.
The new Japanese hero is likely to line up against the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell as the fruit of a technical tie-up between Toyota and its American battery powerhouse, Tesla. An insider close to Toyota tells Carsguide that plans have been put in motion to develop a supercar to rival the plug-in Audi and Benz speedsters and also the Citroen Survolt concept first seen at this year’s Geneva motor show.
The plug-in Lexus is not expected until 2015 but a Carsguide artist in Japan has already been at work on a peek at the project. He has installed a computer-generated image on the Nurburgring racecourse in Germany, where the Lexus engineering team fine-tuned the LF-A.
Toyota sources say the large grille and air intakes beside the headlights are critical to provide sufficient cooling for the electric motors.
The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the LF-A project. Toyota's recent investment in Tesla adds weight to the Lexus story, and company chief Akio Toyoda recently drove a Tesla Roadster during a dinner meeting with Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.
Sources say Toyoda is so impressed he green-lighted the Lexus program, while Tesla is also about to deliver two as-yet-unidentified EV prototypes to Toyota this week. An electric RAV4 and Lexus RX are also being evaluated by both companies.
Toyota, which has become the hybrid trendsetter largely thanks to the success of the Prius, now has the world’s largest range of hybrid vehicles and is fully aware of the stricter emissions regulations coming into play worldwide. Not surprisingly, it sees EVs as one way of improving its carbon footprint while helping to repair the company’s damaged public image in the wake of the unintended acceleration fiasco.
As Toyota continues to channel a huge portion of its research-and- development budget into hybrids, improving battery technology and electric motor output has naturally led the company to focus on EVs as well.
Its Prius PHEV, which has a lithium-ion battery pack and a 30- kilometre range on electric power, follows the company’s initial trials in EV mobility with the FT-HV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and the FT-HV II’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota engineers who raced Lexus LF-As recently in the Nurburgring 24- hour race were impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s ability to lead the race for more than 22 hours using a fresh F1-style take on hybrid technology. The GT3 RH is fitted with a hybrid system that stores energy generated by the brakes in a large flywheel, to be fed back to the front wheels.
One Toyota engineer hints that such a regenerative system could become normal in future race cars and open doors for road cars as well.
The new Japanese hero is likely to line up against the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell as the fruit of a technical tie-up between Toyota and its American battery powerhouse, Tesla. An insider close to Toyota tells Carsguide that plans have been put in motion to develop a supercar to rival the plug-in Audi and Benz speedsters and also the Citroen Survolt concept first seen at this year’s Geneva motor show.
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The plug-in Lexus is not expected until 2015 but a Carsguide artist in Japan has already been at work on a peek at the project. He has installed a computer-generated image on the Nurburgring racecourse in Germany, where the Lexus engineering team fine-tuned the LF-A.
Toyota sources say the large grille and air intakes beside the headlights are critical to provide sufficient cooling for the electric motors.
The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the LF-A project. Toyota's recent investment in Tesla adds weight to the Lexus story, and company chief Akio Toyoda recently drove a Tesla Roadster during a dinner meeting with Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.
Sources say Toyoda is so impressed he green-lighted the Lexus program, while Tesla is also about to deliver two as-yet-unidentified EV prototypes to Toyota this week. An electric RAV4 and Lexus RX are also being evaluated by both companies.
Toyota, which has become the hybrid trendsetter largely thanks to the success of the Prius, now has the world’s largest range of hybrid vehicles and is fully aware of the stricter emissions regulations coming into play worldwide. Not surprisingly, it sees EVs as one way of improving its carbon footprint while helping to repair the company’s damaged public image in the wake of the unintended acceleration fiasco.
As Toyota continues to channel a huge portion of its research-and- development budget into hybrids, improving battery technology and electric motor output has naturally led the company to focus on EVs as well.
Its Prius PHEV, which has a lithium-ion battery pack and a 30- kilometre range on electric power, follows the company’s initial trials in EV mobility with the FT-HV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and the FT-HV II’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota engineers who raced Lexus LF-As recently in the Nurburgring 24- hour race were impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s ability to lead the race for more than 22 hours using a fresh F1-style take on hybrid technology. The GT3 RH is fitted with a hybrid system that stores energy generated by the brakes in a large flywheel, to be fed back to the front wheels.
One Toyota engineer hints that such a regenerative system could become normal in future race cars and open doors for road cars as well.