Lexus readies £336,000 LFA super-car for production

Toyota's luxury brand Lexus has revealed details of its new LFA super-car. The new car, which has been under development since 2000, will be produced in a limited run of 500 and is packed with high technology – most notably the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic for about 65 per cent of its bodywork and carbon ceramic material for the brakes.

The LFA's engine is a 4.8 litre V10, which produces 552 horsepower, and is capable of revving to 9,000rpm, an exceptionally high figure for a road car. The gearbox is a six-speed sequential automatic. The LFA is capable of accelerating from rest to 100km/h (62mph) and has a claimed top speed of 202mph.

After twenty years of investment, Lexus has been perhaps the only new entrant to establish itself in the premium segment against the German prestige manufacturers, at least as far as the US is concerned. But presenting a convincing face to the super-car market may, if anything, be an even greater challenge, especially given that Lexus doesn't really have much in the way of a motor-sport track record – although its parent company Toyota does compete in Formula 1 with mixed success.