The Lexus LF-A supercar concept makes another show appearance at Tokyo, and this time Lexus has announced that it is powered by a V-10 with more than 500 horsepower. Details are still scant, but count on a production version that looks a lot like this within two years.
The V-10 engine will displace less than 5.0 liters and may use a hybrid system to achieve the lofty power goal and increased efficiency. It's located in front because no Japanese automaker has built a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive supercar until this point, and Toyota wants to be the first to enter this segment.
The LF-A theoretically will compete with the Ferrari Scaglietti and the Aston Martin V-12 Vanquish S (or whatever supercars have replaced them by then), but it will have some homegrown competition as well; Honda is developing an NSX successor for 2008 or 2009 with a new mid-mounted V-10.