Lexus LFA Just a Technical Showcase?

Even with a hefty pricetag of 375,000 Euros, the Lexus LFA will not yield Toyota hardly any profit. After six years in development, Toyota poured millions into its development but the price tag and expected production and sales figures wouldn’t make it Lexus’ cash cow.

The LFA is powered by a 4.8L V10 that dishes out 552 bhp. That much power allows the car to hit 62 mph from standstill in 3.7 seconds and go all the way to 202 mph.

The LFA hit a roadblock about a year ago when Nissan came out with the GT-R. Toyota engineers went back to the drawing board to make sure that the GT-R would not shame Lexus in the bid of building the next proper Asian supercar after the Honda NSX ended its run.

While there will be expected demand for the car, 375,000 Euros is already the price of two Aston Martin DBSes. And quite frankly, even though I’m a Toyota fan, I’m pretty sure I’d spring for a couple of DBSes instead if I had the money.

Porsche Planning Entry-Level 356

So it appears Porsche is also planning another car aside from the seven models slotted in for production over the next four years. (Autocar, you sneaky chaps, you.)

Porsche apparently will also be rolling out an entry-level sports car known internally as the 356. Word has it that it will be sharing bits and pieces from the Audi R4 bin.

The car will be mid-engined but don’t think that entry-level means cheap. The car will be hovering around the £33,000 mark in today’s valuations and who knows how much inflation would kick it up by the time it gets launched 2-3 years from now.

I just hope that Volkswagen has weighed the business decisions regarding Porsche’s development plans.

If I were Volkswagen, I’d slash Porsche’s fleet to just one model – the 911 – and just have Porsche produce different varians of the car. Otherwise all the other models are just there to cannibalize other VW cars.

Lotus Serious on Racing

Group Lotus is really giving their motorsport plans the beans. Earlier this year, Lotus signed the concord agreement that means it will be racing in Formula One next season. Now, they’ve appointed a new director for motorsport.

The lucky pick – Claudio Berro – will be in charge of Lotus’ racing pursuits next year. These would include participation in F1, Indycar, GT, and Le Mans. Berro has a proven track record with Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat.

“I am looking forward to reintroducing Lotus to high-level motorsport to not only compete and win but also to demonstrate the shared technology between Lotus sports cars and future racing cars,” Berro said.

Lotus is now owned by Malaysian car firm Proton and Lotus’ participation in F1 involves the Malaysian government. Now that should be a kick in the nuts of those who still consider Southeast Asia a primitive region.

Porsche Outlines Production Plan

So it seems like Volkswagen has Porsche’s short-term laid out. Porsche just announced their production plans for their fleet for the next four years. And sad to say, we’ll continue to see the butt-ugly Panamera and the hideous Cayenne. Maybe Volkswagen is simply milking the development money that Porsche had spent on these models.

Panamera V6 and Diesel (2010) – The fast four-door saloon will get a V6 variant and a diesel one as well. This smaller engine will make th car cheaper than the current V8 car.

New Cayenne (2010) – Porsche will be tweaking the styling on the Cayenne. Think of it as Quasimodo with a bit of plastic surgery. Aside from that, the Cayenne will sport the direct-injection V8 of the Panamera.

Cayenne Hybrid (2010) and Panamera Hybrid (2010) – And here are two for the ecomentalist lot. Big impact on the Panamera though – the hybrid version might drop the .

New 911-(2012) – Definitely, Porsche will not be neglecting its flagship super car. Porsche promises that the new 911 will be an all-new model but as with Porsche’s history of forgetting the styling, we’re not holding out breath.

Roxster/CUV (2013) – Porsche’s plans of slotting in a smaller SUV below the Cayenne might get daylight with the “Rockster.” But given the oversaturation of the small SUV and CUV segments, we think Volkswagen should seriously consider this.

928 Cabrio and Coupe (2013) – The 928 will be slotted into the lineup as a possible GT car. Interesting.

Source: Autocar

Honda Chief: Lexus LFA a ‘Monster’

What I like about the Japanese is their tradition allows them to respect their rivals. Let’s face it, Westerners do have a tendency to loath competitor’s guts to kingdom come.

Here’s Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, acknowledging what Toyota/Lexus has accomplished with the LFA. When asked about the status of the NSX replacement, Ito said that “it wouldn’t look like the monster Toyota has just shown at the motor show.”

Latest word on the NSX replacement is that it will be a hydrogen fuel cell supercar that would pack max torque from zero RPM. Honda aims to crack the hydrogen puzzle and made quite the push with their FCX Clarity. Now if only hydrogen storage will finally be solved.

Honda’s giving up on the horsepower war and is concentrating on being the world’s greenest automaker. Their latest showcase, the Honda CR-Z hybrid is testament to that effort.

Source: Autocar

Video: Best Drift Ever?

If drifting’s the game, the Japanese are still undoubtedly part of the, if not the, best player’s around. Forget about Ken Block’s drifts through hangar doors. The Japanese were the ones who actually made it a phenomenon.

Well, sure Fast and the Furious capitalized on the darned thing but the street racing and downhill drifting tradition has long been there.

Anyway, check out this here video from a Japanese drift contest featuring M. Kawabata doing a reverse entry drift. Driving a Nissan S13 (240SX), tt seemed that the car’s tail kicked out way too much that it’s bound to spin but Kawabata-san caught the slide with an opposite lock, powered through, and held on to it. Amazing!