Lexus plans plug-in super coupe

The new Japanese hero is likely to line up against the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Cell as the fruit of a technical tie-up between Toyota and its American battery powerhouse, Tesla.  An insider close to Toyota tells Carsguide that plans have been put in motion to develop a supercar to rival the plug-in Audi and Benz speedsters and also the Citroen Survolt concept first seen at this year’s Geneva motor show.

The Lexus is expected to produce more than 350 kiloWatts for a 0-100km/ h sprint time around four seconds. It is likely to feed its power through four electric motors, one at each wheel. It will also incorporate a switch that allows drivers to select between driving programs such as comfort, sport and super sport, a system which will also regulate battery use and vehicle range.

The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the LF-A project.  Toyota's recent investment in Tesla adds weight to the Lexus story, and company chief Akio Toyoda recently drove a Tesla Roadster during a dinner meeting with Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.

Sources say Toyoda is so impressed he green-lighted the Lexus program, while Tesla is also about to deliver two as-yet-unidentified EV prototypes to Toyota this week.  An electric RAV4 and Lexus RX are also being evaluated by both companies.

Toyota, which has become the hybrid trendsetter largely thanks to the success of the Prius, now has the world’s largest range of hybrid vehicles and is fully aware of the stricter emissions regulations coming into play worldwide.  Not surprisingly, it sees EVs as one way of improving its carbon footprint while helping to repair the company’s damaged public image in the wake of the unintended acceleration fiasco.

As Toyota continues to channel a huge portion of its research-and- development budget into hybrids, improving battery technology and electric motor output has naturally led the company to focus on EVs as well.

Its Prius PHEV, which has a lithium-ion battery pack and a 30- kilometre range on electric power, follows the company’s initial trials in EV mobility with the FT-HV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and the FT-HV II’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

Toyota engineers who raced Lexus LF-As recently in the Nurburgring 24- hour race were impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s ability to lead the race for more than 22 hours using a fresh F1-style take on hybrid technology. The GT3 RH is fitted with a hybrid system that stores energy generated by the brakes in a large flywheel, to be fed back to the front wheels.

One Toyota engineer hints that such a regenerative system could become normal in future race cars and open doors for road cars as well.