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The name of Toyota’s rumored Lexus LFA successor may have been revealed early by a series of trademark filings. Toyota has filed for rights to the name “LFR” in several countries, which could be the name for a long-rumored 700-horsepower hybrid supercar.
LFR trademarks first surfaced in mid-October on the European Union Intellectual Property Office database, with Toyota applying for trademarks on “LFR” and “Lexus LFR.” Last week, “LFR” filings appeared in several more regions, from the United States to Australia, Iceland, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Switzerland according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. While trademarks themselves aren’t indicative of plans to use a name, the large number of filings for the LFR trademark indicates a strong interest by the automaker.
LFR’s similarity to LFA, the name of Lexus’s last-gen halo car, also makes it a strong candidate for its rumored successor. Toyota is reportedly developing a “GR GT3” race car, which will pave the way for a roadgoing supercar said to channel the LFA’s spirit. The same reports indicate the car will be powered by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo hybrid V8, generating around 700 horsepower. Not much else is yet known about it, save for a price said to be in the low-mid $200,000s range, and that production won’t be capped like the LFA’s was. It’s also supposed to debut in 2025, which doesn’t feel as distant with 2022 already drawing to a close.
The name could also be an option for Lexus’s planned electric super-coupe, which Toyota has said will use the LFA’s “secret sauce.” It’s a halo car in the same vein as the LFA, with a planned solid-state battery and a targeted zero-to-60 mph time in the low two-second range.
Lexus isn’t exactly known for making supercars, so it’s hard to imagine it making two separate supercars at one time—it might be possible that the two have some carryover. But until we start seeing trademarks for something like “LFE,” it’ll be a tossup whether the LFA’s progeny is a send-off for internal combustion or just a grand welcoming of the next generation of EVs.
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