Seven minutes and 14 seconds. That’s how quickly a flashy yellow Lexus LFA supercar covered a lap around the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife racing course in 2011—setting what was then a production-car record for the famed driving circuit.
At the time, the performance-auto world was set afire by the news, but to the Lexus team that had honed the 500-plus-horsepower* Lexus LFA for a decade, this was no surprise. The limited-edition V10 Lexus LFA made numerous strides in performance-vehicle materials, aerodynamics, and agility, and much of its development influenced Lexus-model performance over the next 10 years—from F SPORT vehicles to Lexus motorsports.
Fast forward to late 2021, when Lexus President Akio Toyoda revealed that Lexus will develop an all-electric sports car that inherits the driving taste, or “secret sauce,” of the LFA performance experience.
Toyoda was pointing out that Lexus electrification will be an agent of exhilaration, and that the release of all-electric Lexus vehicles will help usher in the next age of premium performance driving. This is because Lexus is harnessing all-electric power not only as an eco-conscious choice but as a technological opportunity to enhance the thrill-factor of driving.
How exactly? By leveraging its extensive hybrid leadership and luxury-performance expertise, Lexus is harnessing electric-vehicle traits for performance-driving purposes, such as ultra-aerodynamic body lines (thanks to the elimination of gas-engine components); next-generation EV-battery technology; and electrified (not mechanical) features, like Direct4 drive control, which are designed to enhance agility.
You can even get a peek at what the Lexus EV sport-driving experience might look like—just check out the Lexus Electrified Sport concept, a next-generation battery EV sportscar that inherits the Lexus LFA supercar spirit. This all-electric vehicle will potentially have a 0-to-60 acceleration in the low two-second range* and an impressive manufacturer-estimated all-electric EV driving range of 430-plus miles on a full charge.*
“The endless pursuit of the Lexus Driving Signature will move to the next stage through development of the new sports battery EV,” said Koji Sato, Lexus international president and chief branding officer. “With bold proportions and low ride height essential to a sports car, it will showcase the unique driving performance of a Lexus and become a model that symbolizes the future of the brand.”
In addition to showcasing how the Lexus EV era will help amplify Lexus vehicle performance, the Lexus Electrified Sport concept also shows that the coming lineup of all-electric Lexus vehicles will give drivers an array of model-style choices, just like now with the current lineup of hybrid and gas-only vehicles.
“Through battery EVs, we will develop Lexus into a brand that offers a variety of experiences harnessing performance development that only a car maker like Lexus could do, and by honing the craft of making ever more personal products,” says Sato.
And remember: you’ll soon have the opportunity to sample how electrification translates to Lexus driving performance. The new Lexus RZ 450e is expected to arrive in Lexus dealerships later this year, which will be a great time to get a taste of all-electric Lexus driving. Sign up for Lexus RZ 450e updates—and get ready for the Lexus EV experiences coming your way.
