2012 Lexus IS-F CCS-R Race Car

In 2011, Lexus unveiled the IS- F Club Circuit Sports Racer Concept at the Tokyo Auto Show. Today, the company has introduced the production version of that concept that will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on July 8, 2012.

The Lexus IS-F CCS-R will be powered by a 5.0 liter V8 engine that delivers a total of 416 HP at 6,600 rpm and a peak torque of 371 lb.-ft. at 5,200 rpm. The engine will send its power to the rear wheels via an 8-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic with paddle shift and manual mode.

For improved aerodynamics, the IS-F CCS-R received a carbon fiber hood, door handles, front fender, front spoiler, front canard, rear spoiler, and ventilator. Painted in a very cool Orange mica color, the race car sits on a new set of 18" wheels combined with a high-performance brake cooling system. Since this is a race car, Lexus also added a racing brake kit, racing exhaust system, and, of course, a roll cage.

2011 Lexus CT 200h Race Car by Gazoo Racing

Just when you thought the Lexus CT200h wasn’t going to get another race-inspired version, the people over at Gazoo Racing have unveiled their own racing version of the compact sports hybrid. Seems appropriate considering that Gazoo Racing isn’t a stranger to Lexus race cars, counting the LF-A supercar as one of the racers in its stable.

As for the CT200h, Gazoo Racing will be entering it into the SP4 Class of the Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy - a six-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring that will be attended by around 200 other cars. Piloting the Gazoo Racing CT during the endurance race will be the three-man team of Kumi Sato, Masahiko Kageyama, and Minoru Takaki.

To give the CT200h the proper race specs, Gazoo Racing went to work on the car’s performance attributes, opting against using the 1.8 liter VVT-I petrol engine that comes with the standard version of the CT200h and instead using a much larger 2.4-liter version with an electric motor, a generator, a high performance battery, a power control unit, and a power split device. During start-ups and braking, the CT200h will only use its electric motor, saving all the energy expended by the VVT-I engine for higher speeds. Even more impressive about the car is that it will require less fuel and will emit less carbon dioxide and NOx gases compared to all other race cars of its class.

Video: Lexus LF-A vs. IS-F

Lexus UK took two of the company’s most powerful models, the LF-A supercar and the IS-F sports sedan and put them to race at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground track. Of course is needless to say who the winner was, but the video is a really amazing, especially the first part where it shows the LFA’s speedometer. It makes you feel like you are driving in a car game.

Of course you know Lexus will build only 500 LF-A supercars and the one featured in this video is the car number 16.

By the numbers: the LF-A is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 that delivers a maximum output of 560 HP at 9,000 RPM and a peak torque of 354 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM, and it can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds. On the other hand, the IS-F sports sedan gets a 5.0-liter V8 engine rated at 416 HP at 6,600 rpm and 371 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 5,200 rpm and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Of course the LF-A has an enormous advantage, but watching the two cars together is a real show!

2011 Lexus CT 200h by Fox Marketing

Dressed in a burnt orange paint finish and looking shiny and smug, Fox Marketing’s take on the Lexus CT 200h is what we call a smoking hot hatch ready to rumble with the best of ‘em.

The car was introduced at the New York Auto Show where Fox Marketing showed off the reworked Japanese hot hybrid hatch with a new Eaton supercharger and a Climax Racing intake manifold. When added to the CT 200h’s 1.8-liter VVT-i petrol engine, these elements can turn the hot hatch into a 300-horsepower piece of hybrid awesomeness. Since it’s a hybrid, Fox also gave the car’s batteries a good upgrade, although details of that remain unknown - at least for now.

With the added ponies under the hood, Fox also gave the CT 200h a new and customized suspension system with 13” Baer brakes to go with a set of 20” wheels wrapped in 225/30-series tires. And just to give it more aesthetic spunk, Fox also dressed up the car with some new duds. On top of the metallic burnt orange paint, the aftermarket company gave the CT 200h a wide body kit with three-inch fender flares, a set of Yonaka racing seats, and LED Lexus logos on the door panels.