TMG Lexus LS500 a step closer

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) is a step closer towards its goal of building high performance Lexus and Toyota vehicles for public consumption, as it prepares for the global premiere of its first semi-production car, the twin turbo Lexus-based TMG LS500.

These development photos of a wind tunnel model show the flared wheel arches of the as-yet unnamed wide-body TMG LS car, which appears to have the pre-face lifted LS nose, large front air intakes and aero rear spoiler.

It will need the aerodynamic body work too. The rear-wheel drive twin turbo 5.0-litre V8 Lexus LS "will deliver over 600hp," or about 440kW, explains Alastair Moffitt, TMG Marketing and Communications Manager. The target top speed is 320km/h and Mr Moffitt is confident of the car's performance potential.

"We have tested it on the Nordschleife and it looks promising," he said.

As yet there's no price attached to the Lexus-based TMG supercar, which could be looking at 0-100km/h acceleration times of around 4.0 seconds thanks to its 440kW bi-turbo intercooled engine. Mr Moffitt says it will be presented on December 1, 2012, at the Essen motor show in Germany as a "showcase" of TMG's abilities.

He previously commented that the car will be equipped with a seamless shift gearbox and that if demand was there, TMG would build a handful of production vehicles to get the ball rolling.

Based in Cologne, Germany, TMG has a huge facility that was originally built to spearhead the Japanese car giant's ill-fated tilt at the F1 championship, a several hundred million dollar investment. As such, TMG still owns the facilities to develop powertrains, chassis and everything in between. It also has cutting edge wind tunnel facilities to test aerodynamics.

Toyota's top brass is yet to make an official announcement on whether TMG will become a new sub-brand for the company, not unlike the relationship between AMG and Mercedes-Benz for instance. A decision will be made in early 2013 and will hinge on how much interest the wild bi-turbo Lexus-based TMG LS500 sports car generates once unveiled.

Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda has made no secret of his plans to revive the company's performance car heritage, with vehicles like the ultra-popular 86 coupe just the beginning. The next Toyota sports car in the range will be a reborn Toyota Supra, which is being co-developed with BMW.

But is there room for TMG to develop bespoke cars alongside? We'll have a better idea in early 2013, but the notion of German-tuned Japanese performance vehicles is an intriguing one and TMG's President Yoshiaki Kinoshita has previously stated his intention to see TMG badges on Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

"It's an official plan. After we stopped Formula 1, we decided several things - one of the things is become an AMG-type company. We are now trying," he said.

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