Lexus has pulled the covers off its bold new Lexus Sport Concept at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering in Carmel, California, revealing a low-slung, wide-bodied coupe that signals the brand’s next era of performance design.

While official specifications remain scarce, Lexus has confirmed the concept is a front-engine, rear-drive sports car powered by a twin-turbocharged V8, with a likely rear transaxle layout for optimal weight distribution. The car will also underpin a forthcoming Toyota GT3 race car, though Toyota’s road-going version won’t be sold in the US market.

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The concept’s proportions hint strongly at its performance intent, with a long bonnet, aggressively sculpted rear, and design cues reminiscent of Lexus’s legendary LFA supercar. Distinctive touches include quad exhaust outlets positioned beneath the rear wing, substantial cooling vents behind the windows for brakes or transaxle components, and large rear outlets similar to those found on the LFA. Four small fans are integrated into the high-mounted centre brake light assembly—an unusual flourish even for a concept.

No interior was shown, and Lexus has kept other details under wraps, even removing all tyre branding except for subtle Bridgestone logos. However, the engine’s position—pushed far back behind the front axle—reinforces the likelihood of a rear transaxle for sharper handling balance.

Development reportedly benchmarked the Mercedes-AMG GT R, one of the most acclaimed front-engine, rear-drive sports cars of recent years. That model’s front V8 and rear gearbox configuration is expected to influence both the production Lexus and the GT3 race variant.

This isn’t the Sport Concept’s first appearance in some form—its origins trace back to the Toyota GR GT3 concept first shown in 2022. But this is the first time we’ve seen Lexus’s road-going interpretation, complete with the brand’s signature design language layered onto the GT3’s competition-focused underpinnings.

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Describing the coupe as “progressively styled” and “future-focused yet truly authentic,” Lexus says the Sport Concept blends “dynamic and emotional elements into a vision for a next-generation sports car,” hinting that the eventual production version could become the brand’s new performance flagship.

Further technical details, performance figures, and production plans are expected to be revealed in the coming months.