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Toyota has unveiled a new Lexus two-seat supercar, the LFA, with a 4.8-litre engine and a price tag of about $375 000 (abour R2.7-million).

Sales of the muscle machine, which is set to go into production next year, will be limited to just 500 worldwide, the company said, describing it as "ultra-responsive and extremely stable even when taken to the edge."

"The LFA is a supercar, the driveability of which was refined on the Nurburgring circuit in Germany," said Toyota Motor president Akio Toyoda.

The new addition to Toyota's luxury Lexus line uses lightweight materials such as carbon fibre.

It has a V10 petrol engine and boasts a top speed of 325km/h, with an acceleration of zero to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds.

A prototype of the supercar is on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the general public on Saturday east of the Japanese capital.

Toyota is also displaying a new version of its electric concept car, the FT-EV II, along with a Prius plug-in hybrid and a lightweight sports car inspired by the iconic Corolla AE86 coupe of the 1980s.

With a low centre of gravity and a special two-litre boxer engine developed by partner Subaru, the sporty FT-86 is said to handle like a race car but with less damage to the environment.

"It is often said that these days young people have drifted away from cars, but I feel that it may not be the customers that have drifted away from cars but us the manufacturers," said Toyoda.

"For this reason I believe it is the mission of automakers to provide the fundamental excitement of automobiles to customers, regardless of the era."

AFP

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