The long-awaited successor to the iconic Lexus LFA supercar could be dubbed the LFR, if a recent trademark application is anything to go by.
The car manufacturer recently made an application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office to have the name trademarked and while the request is still being processed, the similarity to the LFA’s name has immediately prompted speculation the moniker could be used by a new Lexus supercar.
Lexus has acknowledged that the Electrified Sport Concept unveiled earlier this year previews a new supercar from the brand, Motor1 notes. Unlike the LFA that had a screaming, 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V10, the new Lexus will have an all-electric powertrain. It is understood that a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of around 2 seconds and more than 435 miles (700 km) of range are key targets for the project which, if achieved, would push the car into hypercar territory.
Read Also: Lexus LFA Successor Could Combine Simulated Manual Gearbox With EV Underpinnings
In August, Lexus chief executive Koji Sato spoke with Top Gear about the car. He said that the carmaker’s goal is to create a halo model that will be “a showcase for the future of Lexus driving dynamics, expressing the overall Lexus driving signature.”
Sato went on to add that Lexus is thinking about equipping the car with some kind of simulated manual transmission. He says this would result in better engagement between the driver and the machine. According to a recent Toyota patent for a manual transmission for an EV, the system could include “a shift lever and a clutch pedal for pseudo-realizing the manual gear change of the MT vehicle.”
Lexus is also thought to be interested in equipping the vehicle with steer-by-wire and a sophisticated torque vectoring system.
It remains uncertain when the Electrified Sport Concept will spawn a production model that consumers will actually be able to buy.
