Lexus Confirms It’s Making A New Twin-Turbo V8 – Is It For The LC F?

Lexus has confirmed that it has developed a twin-turbocharged V8 engine that will first be used in racing and then find its way into its road cars.

In a press release detailing Lexus’s participation in next year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, Toyota Gazoo Racing confirmed that it will be running the Lexus LC for the third year in the event. Powering this racer will be a new twin-turbo V8 that is “destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars.”

There’s been speculation for at least two years that Lexus has been working on a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Reports have asserted that this powertrain will displace 4.0-liters, although no details have been provided by the company.

A BMW M Rival: Lexus Could Reveal The Long-Awaited LC F Later This Year

The road car from Lexus most likely to use this engine will be the long-awaited Lexus LC F, spied testing on a number of occasions and promising performance well beyond the existing LC 500. As it stands, the flagship performance V8 from Lexus is naturally aspirated, displaces 5.0-liters, and produces 471 HP at 7100 rpm and 368 lb-ft (539 Nm) of torque at 4,800 rpm.

Putting the new twin-turbo V8 through its paces at May’s Nurburgring 24 Hours will be an excellent way for the company to fine-tune it and get it ready for the road. In addition, the Lexus LC competing will run new body and suspension structures focusing on low weight and high rigidity. It will also sport new stability control, traction control and ABS systems, all of which could find their way into future Lexus road cars.