The Lexus LFR has seemed like it was always a myth—as if it were part of some distraction strategy. But if you anticipated the Lexus LFA making a comeback as an EV in the future (And it seems we indeed did!) then you just won the jackpot.
The Lexus LFA Concept was unveiled just outside Fuji, Japan, on Wednesday at Toyota’s Woven City complex alongside the Toyota GR GT and Toyota GR GT3.
If the LFA Concept looks recognizable, that’s because it should, and it indeed is. The vehicle being revealed is the identical Lexus Sport Concept that debuted in August during 2025 Monterey car week. The car showcased in California still concealed its interior; that detail emerged during the Sport Concept’s second reveal in November at the Japan Mobility Show.
Now, the very same concept has evolved, but merely in designation. Toyota and Lexus CEO Akio Toyoda showcased the LFA Concept with its new race car and street-legal race-car derived counterparts. However, few additional specifics have been shared.
The LFA Concept has been confirmed as an electric vehicle anticipated to explore the feasibility of a battery electric vehicle sports car. That sounds like a clear signal to prepare for the LFA to launch in the near future as an EV flagship.
This sentiment was further emphasized by Toyoda himself, who stated, “certain car-making skills and techniques must be protected and transmitted to the younger generation. The Lexus LFA Concept is a BEV sports car concept model currently being developed alongside TOYOTA Gazoo Racing’s GR GT and GR GT3. Following in the legacy of the Toyota 2000GT and Lexus LFA, the Lexus LFA Concept embodies ‘Toyota’s Shikinen Sengu’ for conserving and transmitting craftsmanship and skills from automotive veterans, based on the hopes of those veterans.”
Toyoda further commented that the new LFA Concept “not only preserves such skills and techniques for the coming generation but also advances them.”
The LFA Concept has been confirmed to share its architecture with the Toyota GR GT, indicating it features an aluminum frame with double wishbone suspension at both the front and rear. Considering a low seating position, that would imply Lexus might not be able to integrate a flat battery pack as part of the structure itself. A more feasible design would involve arranging the batteries along the spine of the vehicle and into a T formation behind the two occupants where the GR GT’s transaxle is typically located (a similar layout is utilized in the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore). It’s conceivable that the production version of the LFA Concept will be the first model to utilize Toyota’s new solid-state batteries.
Regarding the LFR designation? It remains uncertain what the purpose of that was. Lexus registered the name in 2022. Perhaps it was a case of misdirection or maybe it was intentional and Toyota simply isn’t ready to relinquish the LFA just yet.
Lexus assisted The Drive with travel and lodging to bring you this exclusive report