Lexus LF News

Plans for a new V8-powered Lexus supercar appear to be well underway.

Just as European, Chinese and American carmakers hurry to downsize engines, consolidate models and electrify everything, Japan looks set for a combustion-engined sports car resurgence. 

Here is a list of several discontinued models that have actually been registered as new vehicles in Australia during 2023. Some were pulled from the market just the year prior, while others were deleted long before that. Spooky!

As any musician will tell you, creating a successful first album is hard but the second is almost impossible.

Forty years after the original Supra went on sale, Toyota has given us our best look yet at the all-new performance flagship, with the GR racing concept shown at the Geneva motor show today.

Lexus Australia has announced it will recall 2166 vehicles over an airbag fault, the latest in a long list of malfunctioning airbags made by embattled Japanese parts manufacturer Takata.

And so has the scale of the family business. From humble beginnings, with two franchises at Kedron and Windsor on Brisbane's northside, the Sci-Fleet Motors group is now the largest-selling Toyota dealership in Australia, and No.15 in the world.Over the years, it has also added Lexus luxury car dealerships and Hino trucks. All up, they sell more than 20,000 vehicles a year from 10 locations across southeast Queensland.But just like the satisfaction of that whiff of new-car aroma when you first climb behind the wheel, there is one thing that has not changed over those 34 years, according to dealer-principal Andrew Scifleet: An ethos of honesty and reliability. "Those old-fashioned values of customer service which were in place when the first two dealerships were purchased are still in place."The reason, he says, is simple. "Family involvement in all aspects of the business has been a key part of our success."The Scifleets have established themselves as the leading family-owned car dealership group in the Sunshine State. The group is ranked 34 in Queensland's Top 150 Rich List this year, with an estimated wealth of $304 million. Scifleet owns the real estate occupied by the dealerships as well as other property investments.While Mr Scifleet, 41, is usually the public face of the company, his older sisters - Jane, Allison, Kathryn, Sarah and her husband Craig - all hold important roles.The third generation is also starting to make its mark. "I have a nephew who works as one of our company accountants, his sister works with our management team and their younger brother is involved in our used-car operations and is working his way through departments to gain a real understanding of the business."We have strong governance from a family business point of view and an understanding of how everyone should be involved in the business. It enables us to reinforce our family values across the generations." The family business has tried to foster that same sense of belonging among the 450-odd workforce. More than one in five employees has been with the company for more than a decade, many for 30 years."We've really allowed our staff to come in and run the business as if it were their own," Mr Scifleet says. "We're here to guide the ship and make sure we're heading in the right direction. However, we put a lot of trust and responsibility in our staff. "Our steady growth over the years has enabled us to fulfil another important philosophy - promoting from within the organisation.""Steady growth" could be seen as an understatement for the largest-selling Toyota dealer in the country since 1999. It runs Toyota dealerships at Kedron, Albion and Taringa; Lexus showrooms at Indooroopilly, Fortitude Valley, Southport and Maroochydore; and Hino outlets at Coopers Plains, Kedron and Nerang; as well as huge parts, pre-delivery and vehicle storage facilities.The car sales sector has been a standout performer over the past couple of years, helped by low interest rates. Overall, the industry grew just over 10 per cent in the 12 months to December 2012, while Sci-Fleet Motors rose by double that. They head five entries from the motor sales industry in this year's list, including three debutants.Despite a dip in the dollar and the downturn in the mining sector, which had helped boost sales, Mr Scifleet is optimistic. "We are definitely set up to expand and grow." In addition to Sci-Fleet Motors itself, the family owns two-thirds of Auto Corner Pty Ltd, which runs Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai dealerships at Mackay.And they have a half-share in the Tweed Heads-based South Coast Automotive group, which sells a range of makes. Mr Scifleet says despite the size of the business today, the family group has not forgotten its roots, or the customers' support over the years, and it is strongly motivated to give back to the community and charities.Recent causes include the Ride to Conquer Motor Neurone Disease and Go Blue for Autism Day. The group's Lexus Owners gift program donates equipment to charity on behalf of customers. "Our parents have set a wonderful example for us. In particular our mother is the glue that holds the family together. She is completely selfless and does so much for so many," Mr Scifleet says."According to my father, she is a true matriarch in the finest tradition. In his words, she would have made a wonderful elephant!" Mr Scifleet has a connection to another animal. The company has been a supporter of Australia Zoo for nearly a decade. Mr Scifleet even joined one of the expeditions to Cape York to attach satellite transmitters to crocodiles - and the late Steve Irwin named a huge saltie "Sci-Fleet" after him.Like many blokes, Mr Scifleet loves cars and he's had the chance to put plenty through their paces. "The Lexus LFA has been the best by far. I was very fortunate to attend the launch of this supercar at The Nurburgring in Germany. It was a big thrill to drive it on such a renowned racetrack."He was so impressed by the $700,000 V10 machine - which has a top speed of 325km/h and can accelerate from a standing start to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds - that the family bought one to use as a promotional tool for the company.It's one of only 10 in Australia and 500 worldwide. Last October, they turned it pink, using a special vinyl wrap to help Queensland Reds and Wallabies rugby twins Anthony and Saia Fainga'a raise awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Channel 9 personality Natalie Gruzlewski added some glamour to the newly launched Lexus showroom at Southport when she was lured back to the small screen to film the luxury car dealership's new television commercials.The former Gold Coast News weather girl and host of The Farmer Wants a Wife, who is married to property developer Jack Ray, in February gave birth to daughter Olivia.She has now added Lexus of Southport ambassador to her list of duties.When word of her appearance spread, so did the number of Lexus staff who suddenly had a reason to visit the showroom.Natalie starred alongside the Lexus range of innovative hybrids, dynamic F Sport vehicles and the exciting IS F and rare LFA Supercar.The Supercar is a star in its own right - one of only 10 LFAs in Australia and 500 in the world. Only three are garaged in southeast Queensland.No longer in production, the vehicle retailed for $750,000.It set a record of 7min 14sec for the fastest production car using road tyres around Nurburgring in Germany.The two television and radio commercials featuring Natalie will highlight the showroom features available to Lexus owners. 

It was close to two years ago that the Lexus LFA supercar, after enduring an almost decade-long gestation period, finally entered production at Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Japan. At its launch, Lexus confirmed the LFA would be built in an exclusive run of just 500 units in total, and that the cars would be painstakingly assembled at the rate of just one per (working) day up until December, 2012.  Well, Lexus has now revealed that the LFA’s planned production run has now been completed, with the final example being a white LFA Nürburgring Package. It rolled off the line at the Motomachi plant on December 14.  A special plaque showing the car’s build number confirms this is the 500th LFA, which is contradictory to what comedian Jay Leno said about a special one-off LFA Spyder he recently drove during an episode of his online series Jay Leno’s Garage. In that particular episode he states that the LFA Spyder was build number 500. Regardless of what build number this LFA has, it is now a member of one of the most exclusive set of cars on the planet. A total of 170 people helped to bring each and every LFA to life, including specialists who built the car’s carbon fiber components. Roughly 65 percent of the LFA is composed of Formula One-grade carbon fiber, aiding strength and rigidity while reducing vehicle weight dramatically. Then there’s the car’s 4.8-liter V-10 engine, one of the fastest-revving and best-sounding production engines in the world. It developed a healthy 412 kilowatts and helped propel the LFA Nürburgring Package around the German race track for which it’s named in an amazing 7:14.64. No doubt Toyota will be retaining the technological skills gained during the development and production of the LFA for its future models. Unfortunately, there’s been no mention of a successor but mysterious LFA prototypes spotted on several occasions at the Nürburgring suggest future developments are planned. MotorAuthority  

Developing a world-class supercar like the Lexus LFA from a clean sheet of paper is no easy task, and turning that supercar (or supercar prototype) into a competitive endurance racer is an order of magnitude more difficult.Taking that race car to compete with long-dominant German automakers, in their own backyard, almost borders on insanity. Japan’s Gazoo Racing has been working with Toyota's luxury brand since 2008 to develop an SP8 class endurance racer based on the Lexus LFA, capable of winning the gruelling Nürburgring 24 hour race.The last time a non-German car took home a win was 2002, when a Dodge Viper GTS-R took the overall win for the second year in a row. While early LFA endurance racers were less-than-competitive and plagued with mechanical difficulties, Gazoo Racing managed an SP8 class victory and a 15th place overall finish in 2012.That’s even more remarkable when you consider that the team finished 41st overall in 2011, just one year earlier. To mark five years of blood, sweat and tears at the Nürburgring, Gazoo Racing has posted a video of highlights from 2008 through 2012.  While we’re sure there are moments the team would like to forget, the trophies from the 2012 race clearly show that hard work and dedication produce results.Motor Authority