Toyota’s performance brand Lexus is about to enter a new era of electrified performance with the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept supercar, as the successor to the coveted and highly collectible LFA range. Set to be assembled on a bespoke platform that will keep numbers rolling out of the factory low, the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept will enter production over the next couple of years, as the technology required for the vehicle is get to be fully developed.
Despite its electrified power unit, the engineers at Lexus have taken a couple of pretty significant steps to ensure that the driving experience of the new Electrified Sport Concept supercar won’t be compromised when compared to its combustion engine predecessor. The first of these is the remarkable inclusion of a manual transmission that will feature a clutch pedal, gearshift, and a tachometer, with the automaker confirming it has a prototype of the device fitted in a UX 300e.
The electrified manual runs on software that will allow drivers to select exactly how the car will drive, with the option to program the driving experience of other vehicles. While the clutch and shifter might be strictly unnecessary in the context of an electric motor, their inclusion hopes to create the same thrill of powering up and down through the gears as if you were driving a sports car with an internal combustion engine.
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“From the outside, this vehicle is as quiet as any other BEV. But the driver is able to experience all the sensations of a manual transmission vehicle,” explained Takashi Watanabe, Lexus Electrified’s chief engineer. “It is a software-based system, so it can be programmed to reproduce the driving experience of different vehicle types, letting the driver choose their preferred mapping.”
The other unusual addition to the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept supercar will be the presence of the One Motion Grip steer-by-wire system. This eliminates the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the front wheels, which is reported to improve stability and high speeds and maneuverability at low speeds.
While there’s no specific timeline for when the first vehicles based on the Lexus Electrified Sport Concept will leave the factory, they’re sure to turn heads when they do finally arrive on the streets near you.
