Lexus Reveals LF-A 500HP V10 that will Race at the 24h of Nurburgring!

Even though we have yet to see the production model of the Lexus LF-A study that has been previewed in both coupe and roadster forms in the past, the Japanese automaker decided to put its long anticipated (and overdue...) supercar to the ultimate test by entering two race-spec versions at this weekend's Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race. Seen here for the first time in race livery, the 200mph+ (321km/h) LF-A sportscars are powered by a front-mid mounted V10 engine producing 500HP. The LF-As will be entered by Gazoo Racing, which from what we learned, is a Japanese market, Toyota-owned, e-commence website that has its own racing team.

The team that will tackle the 'Green Hell' will be made up of a combination of professional drivers, Toyota test drivers, dealers and a pilot that Lexus refers to as "Morizo" who is none other than Toyota's soon-to-be CEO Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the firm's founder.

According to a previous release from Lexus, the knowledge gained from the endurance race will be fed back to engineering teams to assist with further development of the production LF-A.

Insider: Lexus to Unveil IS Coupe-Cabriolet at Paris Show

That Lexus was plotting a rival for BMW’s 3-Series Cabriolet and the forthcoming Audi A5 Convertible, is something that we have known for quite some time now. What’s new is that Carscoop’s sources can confirm that along with the facelifted IS sedan models, Lexus will also take the wraps off the long-awaited IS Coupe-Convertible at the Paris Motor Show on October 2. Our insiders report that although the drop-top IS will be branded as a concept, the moniker is misleading as with the exception of a few minor details, the show car won’t differ from the production version. -Continued

Like the BMW 3-Series Cabriolet and the forthcoming Infiniti G37 Coupe-Cabriolet (see here), the IS Coupe-Convertible will be equipped with a retractable hardtop. There’s no official word on powertrain options yet, but expect to see the same range of engines that are available in the IS sedan when the Coupe-Convertible enters production in mid-2009.