Green is the new coin of the auto realm, both in the traditional folding money sense and in the desire to appear as being eco-friendly. Or at least that’s the conclusion to be drawn from this year’s crop of top concepts from the North American International Auto Show.
It’ll probably take in excess of a hundred grand of the folding stuff to take a seat behind the wheel of the Lexus LF-A Roadster concept, once the Japanese luxury maker finally sets an on-sale date for the 500-bhp V-10-powered supercar. Likewise, a fellow Asian automaker is seeking to project a sporty, upscale feel to its brand with the introduction of the Mitsubishi Concept-RA. Chrysler is looking to tap into the eco-friendly green zone with its Dodge ZEO show car, a sporty 2+2 pure electric car with a 250-mile range. The Mazda Furai is the fifth concept in a series exploring that manufacturer’s philosophy of using flowing shapes that not are not only appealing to the eye, but are also on the cutting edge of efficient aerodynamics. And the Land Rover LRX concept demonstrates that its SUV heritage can survive with a smaller, car-based footprint.
Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept
The tease continues. Lexus, which introduced its LF-A supercar two years ago, was thought to be bringing the final production version to Detroit. Instead, it showed a roadster version of the concept and revealed more details about the vehicle’s mechanical package.
While Lexus was cagey at first on whether the LF-A would be front- or mid-engine, it now acknowledges that the car will use a mid-front-mounted V-10 that “approaches 5.0 liters in displacement”, confirming speculation that it would be 4.8 liters. Part of the confusion over engine placement is due to the fact that the LF-A employs rear-mounted radiators, which are typical in mid-engine cars. The LF-A’s horsepower is said to be in excess of 500 bhp and Lexus claims a top speed of more than 200 mph. To more evenly distribute the vehicle’s weight, the sequential paddle-shift manual transmission is rear-mounted.
Like the coupe, the roadster stands just 48’ in. tall and rides on a 102.6-in. wheelbase. It measures 175.6 in. in overall length. While overall styling is similar to the coupe’s, the open LF-A now has a speed-adaptive rear wing incorporated into the design. The LF-A rides on massive 20-in. alloy wheels shod with 265/35R-20 tires up front and 305/30R-20 rubber in the rear.
The LF-A now sports prominent “F” logos on each front fender signifying that it is part of Lexus’ new F marque for models developed outside the normal vehicle engineering and development process.