Sometimes, something gorgeous comes along that leaves us scratching our heads. Today at The Quail, Lexus unveiled what it calls the Sport Concept, and while I absolutely can’t stop looking, it serves up more questions than answers.
Right out of the gate, we’re looking at something striking, a curvaceous, low coupe at a time when most brands are going all-in on crossovers. Daring? Certainly. Exquisite? From some angles, absolutely. Full of touches that could never possibly make it to production like a virtual absence of door handles and those deconstructed headlights? You bet.
However, Toyota has already shown off something called the GR GT in camouflaged form, and it seems to occupy the same space as this Lexus concept while looking quite different. So, what’s going on here? I have a feeling it’s just a slow roll of certain styling cues, but let’s take a look at the GR GT prototype and the Lexus Sports Concept side by side to see what’s up.
Alright, let’s start with the rear three-quarter view, albeit at slightly different angles because I can neither shoot the Sport Concept right now or travel back in time to Goodwood to shoot the GR GT. There’s lots here that appears similar but different. Both have a diagonal character line running into the fender vent, but it seems flatter on the GR GT. Both have a filler panel of sorts behind the side window, but it’s so much larger on the Sport Concept. Both have fin-line quarter panel inlets, but it’s far less dramatic on the GR GT. The big commonality? Check out those rear bumper vents. Talk about familial.
Likewise, things are quite different up front, especially when it comes to lighting. While the GR GT prototype features dedicated headlights above outer grilles, the Lexus Sport Concept sets individual headlight elements within massive outer grilles, while deleting a strip running horizontal across the nose that houses parking sensors and stuff. Interestingly, both cars feature a similar main grille, at least when it comes to the trapezoidal shape and the outer tooth-like elements.
Since the GR GT prototype features carbon ceramic brakes and dash-to-axle layout that implies a front-midship layout, of course it’s giving supercar energy, and Toyota’s last flagship-level performance car was a Lexus. However, the decision to unveil this Sport Concept after the camouflaged GR GT is puzzling. We already sort-of know what the production car will look like, so why pay much mind to something that really doesn’t look like that? Part of the reason the LC 500 works so well is that it looks so much like the LF-LC concept from 2012.
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Well, there’s always a chance the GR GT might not be Lexus’ only upcoming performance car. After all, the LC 500 is heading into its eighth model year, and there’s a huge gulf between that $100,000 coupe and a full-on supercar. So, maybe the incoming LFA successor won’t look super close to the Lexus Sport Concept, but maybe it’s portraying something else, sort of like the Toyota FT-1 did the Toyota GR Supra. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?
Top graphic image: David Tracy
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An EV supercar. So, like a budget Rimac?
If I’m getting a supercar, I’d prefer supercar sounds. It’s not bad looking, though.
The front fender on the GR GT camo car looks weird, not being connected to the car on the bottom.
Looks like lotus had a fire sale on “expanding the line” and needed to sell a prototype.
Meh… looks like ‘generic modern supercar’… in an uninteresting colour with wheels that are too big and tires that once again, don’t have enough sidewall.
Can we get Jason to crawl up there and do an ALEC pose on the hood??
I would love if the camo wrap were one of the color options.
Bottom shot looks like a still from a late night local tv ad.
COME ON DOWN TO CRAZY DAVE’S CARS! WE GOT EM ALL! EVEN FANCY CARS LIKE THIS HERE LEXUS!
If you’re dumb enough to buy a new car this weekend, you’re a big enough schmuck to come to Big Dave Hell’s Cars!
Come on down for some CHALLENGE PISSING!!
That’s right! CHALLENGE PISSING!!!
Bring your kids! Bring your wife! We’ll fuck her!
That’s right!
WE’LL FUCK YOUR WIFE!!!
Crazy Vaclav’s Place of Automobiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07vdtBMG4Kg
A derivative mishmash of Everyone Else’s design cues, from Acura NSX to current Corvette to any number of other “hypercars.”
I’m sure the price will be stunning, though, if they build it. And, to be honest, I see no compelling case for putting it into production.
Not particularly attractive – but at least it doesn’t have the awful spindle grille anymore.
And it’s a nice color.
Very cohesive design with strong attractive elements. SOmetimes I feel like they release stuff like this to plant seeds of design cues so that when they debut later models, we don’t react negatively to them. MAYA theory/Loewy, most advanced yet acceptable. Go too far at once and you get pushback from general public.
That’s a really good point. Lexus is clever enough to do that especially after the loud wailing about their predator grills