This year’s Monterey Car Week is an unexpected bonanza for those looking to see what new luxury, sports and supercars could be heading to showrooms in the near future. One of the concepts and productions models generating the loudest buzz is the Lexus Sport Concept unleashed on Friday at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. Headlight.News has more.
Lexus isn’t saying about what powers the Sport Concept.
It’s always a busy time when Monterey Car Week rolls around, especially for the motoring press struggling to race across the Central Coast peninsula as automakers from around the world reveal new concepts, prototypes and production vehicles.
Among the models generating strong buzz, Toyota’s luxury brand rolled out the new Lexus Sport Concept, an unexpected addition to the schedule for Friday’s Quail, a Motorsports Gathering.
Described by the automaker as a “progressively styled, future-focused yet truly authentic sports car [that] signals the way forward for Lexus design,” it’s got tongues wagging as folks try to figure out how it might fit into the brand’s line-up. Speculation runs from a replacement for the old Lexus RC to the current Lexus LC – though some insist it will become the long-rumored replacement for the LFA supercar sold from 2010 to 2012.
What we know
Lexus Sport Concept’s digital mirrors could only be used in a handful of countries — and not the U.S.
Lexus isn’t saying much, a one-paragraph statement accompanying these images and a short video.
It’s the latest in a series of high-performance concepts Lexus has teased us with in recent years – most recently a V-8 sports coupe that was put to the test in the UK, making the climb up Goodwood Hill last month during the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
That’s led some to argue that Lexus may soon launch multiple new performance vehicles. Our friends at Motor Trend go so far as to predict we’ll see three: a GT3-class endurance car, a supercar on a par with the Mercedes-AMG GT, and a high-performance coupe to replace the LC. That may be the reasoning behind this show car being dubbed the Lexus Sport Concept.
Production ready
The Lexus Sport Concept could signal a new entry or a replacement for the old LC.
What we see in Monterey each summer covers the gamut from sci-fi level fantasies in chrome, like the Corvette CX and CX.R Concepts, to near production ready models, the Acura RSX Prototype signaling the arrival of that brands second EV later this year.
A close inspection suggests the Lexus entry falls into the latter category. While there are a handful of pie-in-the-sky details – like what appear to be camera-based sideview “mirrors,” the design seems all but entirely buildable in current form.
That said, there are some intriguing design elements that go well beyond what Lexus has available today. The front end does pick up subtle cues resembling the familiar “spindle grille,” but takes that signature design feature forward, with the low slope of the hood flowing into a wide, gloss black splitter and yawning air intakes. Boomerang running lights frame a series of slit-like LED headlamps. In back, there’s a taillight bar running the width of the concept, as well as a huge – and active – wing and rear diffuser.
More Lexus News
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- Lexus Rolls Out Some Notable News Entries for 2026
- All-New Lexus ES Debuts in Shanghai
Track ready
A video suggests the Lexus Sport Concept would be track ready in production form.
As this final image – snagged from a short video – underscores, Lexus perceives the Sport Concept as being track-ready. And we’ll cautiously assume a production model – if there is to be one – will have the performance and handling Lexus would need to deliver for a vehicle like this.
It’s clear that the brand’s days largely focusing on products like the RX crossover are done. There’s too much solid competition for Lexus to continue playing it safe. It’s teases its capabilities on more than one occasion, notably with the LFA, and both the RC and LC provided some thrills. But the Toyota subsidiary recognizes it needs to take things further considering what European luxury stalwarts Mercedes, BMW and Audi keep rolling out. Indeed, even Cadillac has amped up its V-Series and been rewarded with strong sales to younger, more affluent buyers.
We’ll look forward to hearing more and there just might be some news to come at ether the Los Angeles International Auto Show this autumn, the industry’s next big event in the U.S., or in Tokyo at the Japan Mobility Show in late October.
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