Lexus to Churn out Hybrid Version of Supercar LF-A

Uh-huh. And when the driver who has a LS460 goes too fast, loses control and crashes, they will electrocute themselves.

435hps will NOT be a competitor in this segment. Lexus has to boost the power to the 500hp range, otherwise this will be just another SC430.

Hybrids are an American fad?... hmm these sales numbers below don't really suggest a fad, more of a continuing growth trend:

Sales Numbers
9,350 in 2000
20,287 in 2001
35,000 in 2002
47,525 in 2003
88,000 in 2004
205,749 in 2005
142,497 in 2006 (thru July)

Each manufacturer has their strengths and apply their resources to where they see sustainable growth of profit margin. "Toyota's going a little hybrid-crazy." - no they are actually growing a business that has done quite well for themselves and broadening their model line-up. Just like MB & Audi have very successfully used diesel models over the years and for them it makes sense to not dabble in hybrids and perfect their diesel technology.

These are business decisions that add to the bottom line and that is what manufacturers are looking at.

mxrxk- Can you break out the figures. When you do, and see 90% of these are low end cars, you realize that Toyota is excelling at attracting the bottom feeders of the market. The exact opposite of the market this car is targeted for.

Trend may be the correct term!

Webster’s Definition of Trend: A fad or fashion

It is a trend but not a LONG TERM trend; it simply is too complicated in its current form to be long term compared to what it saves in fuel. Even Toyota is spinning it as a performance enhancement.

I read that, as "We can't truly make a high HP car, so we will stick one of these here electric doohickies from the parts bin on it, and it will now go as fast as a BMW”.

Sad thing is it adds weight, complexity, and cost. There is no substitute for proper design in an engine. Toyota appears it has reached the limits of HP/Liter in their designs, and need an electric boost to keep up with the others in their segment. They looked at marketing when designing the hybrid, and ignored the other possibilities. This will bite them later on as the public sees the difference.

Efoxs4 - "Hybrids are overrated, over-hyped cars that don't deliver the fuel economy that the EPA suggests."

Well most, if not all, cars don't deliver on the mpg numbers from the EPA, not just hybrids. Also, I know you said American fad and my point being with the American sales was to show it is anything but a fad.

PlanoA4- Like Will said, they are extending into higher-end vehicles, a logical progession. No executive in their right mind is going start with putting hybrid technology in their high end vehicle first. They will use the sales and growth on the so-called "low" end vehicles to help fund further R&D and application on higher-end models. If Lexus can get V10 performance with a V8/hybrid engine and improve fuel economy at the same time, more power to them.

On a related note, here are some of the European sales figures for Toyota re: hybrids:
Toyota’s Hybrid Sales in Europe Pass 50,000-Unit Mark
19 June 2006
Cumulative European sales of both Toyota and Lexus brand hybrid vehicles have passed the 50,000-unit mark. Sales of the Toyota Prius have reached almost 41,000 units since going on sale in 2000. Sales of the Lexus RX 400h and GS 450h have reached a cumulative total of more than 10,000 units in just 17 months of being on the market.

Toyota expects its annual European hybrid sales to reach 37,400 units in 2006, while overall sales are expected to exceed 1 million units for the Toyota brand and attain 45,000 units for the Lexus brand. At those numbers, hybrids would represent 3.6% of Toyota’s sales in Europe.

By comparison, Toyota’s sales of hybrids in the US from January-May 2006 represented 6.7% of its total sales (67,279 hybrids out of 1,000,524 total light duty vehicles sold).

Notice how the Toyota philosophy of “Kaizen” is affecting this car. It is slowly evolving from an exotic marvel to a parts bin car. The powertrain was to be unique, now it is has become a variation of existing inventory parts. This is one of the cardinal rules of “Kaizen”, no waste and no inventory. There will be more revisions in the future to make this unique concept car conform to the rules of the mighty “Kaizen”.

I am all for sharing what you have, but again this is a prime example of sharing from the bottom up to the top, rather than from the top to the bottom. It simply dilutes the breed.

efoxS4-

Lexus uses hybrids in this country and diesels in other countries.

mxrxk - The reason they are using the V8 is because they have it available not. The V10 would have to purpose built, and it would not transfer easily to the other lines. Thus it is a direct violation of the "Kaizen" philosophy that Toyota holds so dear. This is the EXACT reason that Lexus will never become a "Premium maker".

I do agree with you that all technology doesn't need to flow from top models, to bottom. However most of it should or hit all models at relatively the same time. In Lexus' case MOST technology is incorporated into the top lines from the bottom, with a few reserved item for the top segment only. These options are the type that will never flow down to the bottom models anyway.

Major components are shared across all lines rather than having a differential or line in the sand that says “this is Lexus ONLY”.

Will - The uninformed like you , mention that Audi and VW share engines. Well yes, two in the lower models only. However the rest are unique, also the rest of the drivelines are typically very unique between the lines. In Toylex case they are the same across the board down to the gear ratios. This is changing more lately but one the reasons the Toyota recalls were so big, was because they all are so much the same, so many models were affected not just a few.

The LF-A will be a nice car, but I think it will fall into the same category as the NSX, very nice and pretty fast but never the bride always a bridesmaid.

Plano,

If hybrids were a "fad" like you claim they are then why is just about every major auto manufactor dieing to come up with their own hybrid powertrain. If everyone saw hybrids as a fad as clearly as you, I doubt Diamler Chrysler, BMW, and GM would have dumped hundreds of millions of dollars into developing a their own hybrid powertrian.

Plano,

"In Toylex case they are the same across the board down to the gear ratios."

As I recall Audi shares it's 4 and 6 cylinder engines with VW. Currently VW/Audi shares the following engines: 2.0T, 3.2, 3.6, 4.2 for a grand total of 4 engines.

Currently Toyota/Lexus only share two engines: 3.5 and 4.7 liter.

Audi is not better than Lexus when it comes to this, in fact they are a little worse.

efoxS4,

The Audi A6 and VW Toureg both have 3.2 liter engines. They are just tuned differently

But you are right about the 4.7 liter engine being outdated. However the reason why Toyota kept that engine for a long time was because it was highly praised by many auto mags for being one of the smoothest, durable, and reliable engines around. I suspect the new LX will be dubbed LX 560 since Lexus will probably source the new LX engine from the 2007 Tundra's 5.7 liter V8.

The reason the Hybrids are selling well is because there is a market for it.
The diesels are probably better for fuel economy figures but the Damn things are TOO NOISY, even the most quiet diesels from BMW and Audi sound like Steam Trains compard to their Petrol Counterparts.

So what do you do if you want a Fuel Efficient Automobile but do not want to wake all your neigbhours when you come home at 3am ?? YOU BUY A HYBRID.

What do you do when you want V8 Performance but V6 Fuel Efficiency & Co Figures ?? YOU BUY A LEXUS HYBRID

IT'S THAT SIMPLE

I have only a couple things to say about this car
1. The V-10 would have been nice
2. The transition from the V-10 to a V-8 is taking it out of the supercar territory this car was supposed to be in.

A V-10 would have been really nice since it would have been a Halo car and something completely new from Toyota. V-8 hybrid just doesn't sound like supercar now, maybe it will be, but a V-10 would simply have been better.

OOJT wasn't is there going to be an LX 570, I thought there were cancelling the Land Cruiser version for the Lexus line and bringing out a so-called JX 570 based on the new Sequoia.

oojt_ The reason the hybrids are coming out is becuase it is politically correct. Both Foord and GM have said this pubicly. Test after test shows the Hybrid as an inferior alternative to a diesel.

Plano,

"The reason the hybrids are coming out is becuase it is politically correct. Both Foord and GM have said this pubicly."

They literally said they wanted to make hybrids for politcal reasons? I'd like to see that article. The main reason they want to develop hybrid powertrains is so that they remain compeititive with Toyota and because hybrids release less emmissions.

huu76,

I'd like to see that article if you don't mind :)

Hybrids advantage over diesel technology is more about emissions than mileage.

don't forget though toyota feeds lotuses motors too

lotus just released its fastest model ever and its running on a toyota diesel