The 2006 Lexus LF-A concept car eventually became the production Lexus LFA.
Lexus introduced the first LF-A as a design study at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, then showed a substantially revised concept in 2007. The public response encouraged Toyota to continue development, turning what began as a styling exercise into a limited-production supercar project.
During development, Lexus shifted from an aluminum structure to a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic tub to reduce weight. The final car also adopted a high-revving 4.8-liter V10 developed by Toyota with Yamaha. Its front-mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and extensive lightweight construction distinguished it from Lexus models such as the IS, RC, and LC.
The production LFA debuted at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. It retained the concept’s name but dropped the hyphen: LF-A became LFA. Lexus built only 500 examples from 2010 to 2012, making it a rare halo car rather than a regular member of the Lexus range.