The Curious Case of the *Electric* Lexus LFA and the *Hybrid Twin-Turbo V8* Toyota GR GT

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Table of Contents

• The Curious Case of the Electric Lexus LFA and the …

• Rivian Goes After Tesla in Autonomous Driving Move

• Unboxing: 10 of the Best Hot Wheels Fast & Furious …

• Let China Rule a BEV World (It Won't Last for Long …

• Spy Photos and Renderings of the Week

• The Google Maps Feature Users Ignore, but Waze Wil …

• The finish line 🏁

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The Curious Case of the Electric Lexus LFA and the Hybrid 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8 Toyota GR GT

By: Aurel Niculescu

I'm intrigued, puzzled, bewildered, dumbstruck, and generally flabbergasted at the sight of the cooler second-generation Lexus LFA that's going to be a fully electric model, while the arguably duller Toyota Gazoo Racing GR GT packs the uber-cool, brand-new hybridized 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that everyone's been waiting for.

Toyota Motor Corporation is the world's largest automaker and also the most valuable company in the automotive field according to numerous expert accounts. They achieved worldwide domination through a legacy of correctness, practicality, quality, and reliability. Passion isn't necessarily among their biggest qualities, although Akio Toyoda has worked hard during the past years to instill a bit of flame into the soul of all TMC things.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what Toyota is doing as a whole – especially through the fact that they popularized electrification (hybrids especially) to the point where they have no problem making hybrid-only the latest Toyota Camry and RAV4 series, two of their best-selling nameplates. In fact, next year I have programmed a new car to join the garage instead of the old station wagon, and I'm actively looking at various Toyota models as suitable replacements.

The only problem is that Toyota sometimes makes odd decisions. For example, they have very cool models, such as the GR members of the Toyota Gazoo Racing pack, and they're not available everywhere. They are making strides toward the democratization of the series, with the brand-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 GR Sport plug-in hybrid compact crossover SUV available just about everywhere.

Anyway, let's not beat around the bush and stray away from the current situation. Not long ago, after months of spy prototypes that had led the rumor mill to believe that a cool Lexus LFR flagship supercar was in the making, Toyota detonated a teaser bomb at the beloved Fuji racetrack: a billboard showed GR branding, meaning that Toyota was actually involved, not Lexus. 

The next teasers further sent the mystery into a deeper pool, as a video on social media showed both the iconic, classic Toyota 2000GT riding alongside the still-modern V10-powered Lexus LFA, and then both were overtaken by the new sports car. Surprise, surprise, the new model was given the GR GT moniker, and there was no hint of regular Toyota branding, confirming the rumor that TMC was trying to make Gazoo Racing a separate sub-brand.

Note: please continue reading the full article on our site.

Rivian Goes After Tesla in Autonomous Driving Move

By: Cristian Agatie

For more than a decade, when it came to electric vehicles, there was Tesla, and there was everybody else. Not because Tesla EVs were the best cars around (they were not), but because many appreciated Tesla's software and were seduced by Elon Musk's charisma. Sort of like Apple, only in the automotive industry. 

Tesla proved to everyone that you can compete with Big Auto, even if you're a small startup, if you have the technology and ideas. Unsurprisingly, Tesla was just the beginning, and its success influenced and emboldened other startups. Not everyone made it, with a long list of bankruptcies that included Lordstown Motors, Canoo, Nikola, and Fisker.

The only two EV startups that still have a chance of breaking even are Rivian and Lucid Motors. Both held technological advantages in key areas, allowing them to sign partnerships that kept them afloat. Both had also powerful backers that could keep the money flowing until they could stand on their feet without financial crutches.

In almost everything, Rivian has been following in Tesla's footsteps, which often attracted Elon Musk's criticism. However, having started a little later, Rivian encountered more adverse market conditions that kept it from reaching its full potential. The 2020 pandemic and the 2022 supply chain crunch that followed almost wiped out its cash reserves, especially as Rivian was advancing several huge projects simultaneously.

Many Rivian critics, who happened to also be Tesla fans, thought that Scaringe's startup should focus on building electric vehicles and nothing else, at least until it could turn a profit. However, Rivian (correctly) concluded that selling EVs was no longer enough, which is why it needed compelling software, autonomous driving features, and AI goodies to stand out among fierce competition.

This is where we stand today, after Rivian held its first Autonomy and AI Day to explain its autonomous driving and AI plans. These are again inspired by Tesla, including not only an end-to-end AI AD software but also the chips that run this software. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Rivian also plans to build humanoid robots. Indeed, the company recently founded Mind Robotics, which it said is focused on industrial automation, but that could easily expand into humanoid robots.

While many argue that Rivian has few chances to compete with Tesla, and especially with Tesla FSD, it should be noted that the second movers always have an important advantage over the incumbents. Rivian has already soaked up and distilled the experience and mistakes Tesla made on the road to autonomous driving. The technology available today is also light-years ahead of what Tesla had in the beginning.

But that doesn't guarantee that Rivian will have a smooth sailing in its ever-expanding plans. Mistakes will be made, and some may have already been made. However, I am now more bullish regarding Rivian's chances to succeed. Let's take a deep dive into Rivian's autonomous driving plans and what sets it apart from Tesla and other competitors.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Unboxing: 10 of the Best Hot Wheels Fast & Furious Cars

By: Dragos Chitulescu

I finally managed to order all the collectibles I needed for this month's unboxing stories. I went significantly over budget with the whole thing, though. Having seven extra items may have also played a role.

Additionally, I've opted primarily for Premium/adult-focused collectibles that feature more detailed designs. It's not always as rewarding as you'd think, and I'll still explore some Mainline models next month.

I need to figure out a budget for the upcoming Diecast Trade Show I'm attending next week. I imagine I'll need at least $500 to get a cool haul, but I don't want to go that far in the first place.

It might not sound like a big budget, but I already spent as much on tiny collectibles within the first 10 days of December. Anyway, I don't think I'm complaining: I've never been happier about my 1/64th-scale lineup. And I can tell you that I'm making some progress in the 1/18th-scale department as well.

You'll see what I mean by that once I post the RX-7 unboxing story. For today, I finally opened what I consider to be 10 of the best Hot Wheels Fast & Furious cars. I'm not saying this is a definitive list. There's at least one casting that's missing, as I didn't have a Premium iteration to show: the Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R.

I've also unboxed some Fast & Furious models in the past and didn't want to repeat myself. But I brought everything out for the photo session: almost 30 tiny cars.

If you want to talk about iconic machines that are missing, I'd mention the Nissan Silvia S15 (Mona Lisa), Letty's S14, Vince's 1999 Nissan Maxima, and the heist Civics.

I regret selling the Mona Lisa a while ago; I wasn't keen on Vince's car, and I haven't found the Hondas yet. Also, I'm aware I forgot to bring out Brian's red Ford F-150 for the shoot, but you've seen it in some of my previous stories anyway.

However, I'd say the following is still a decent lineup for anyone who has ever had an interest in the saga. Oh, you might notice I was listening to the soundtrack from the first film on my wife's phone. I get an intense rush every time I hear BT's songs, even though I've listened to them thousands of times.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Let China Rule a BEV World (It Won't Last for Long)

By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) advocates often claim that these cars are the future because they are doing well in China. By doing well, they mean that they have a relevant market share and are affordable, with the cheapest ones sold for the equivalent of $10,000. They claim that, if Western automakers do nothing, they will be eaten alive by Chinese carmakers. Honestly, we should let China rule a BEV world because it won't last for long.

Lizzi C. Lee wrote an amazing article for Foreign Affairs in which she explains one of the main reasons for that to be the most likely outcome for any supremacy China may have on BEVs. There's a reason for that country to have turned into "the world's factory." And it has nothing to do with low salaries, as several people believe. China's economy has been designed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to "copy quickly, scale up even faster, and price aggressively."

That has to do more with the taxes and the CCP's "performance and promotion system" than with any hidden agenda. In China, the value-added tax (VAT) is the main source of government revenue, being split equally between the central and local entities. However, unlike what happens in most countries, the money goes to the place that manufactures the goods, not to the one that purchases them. That pushes local governments to stimulate manufacturing hubs.

Collecting taxes is just part of the explanation for these industrial efforts. The CCP also evaluates local bureaucrats based on how well their economies are going. If they do not have enough entrepreneurs to push these factories, they will do that on their own, which justifies the high number of state-owned companies. Finally, it is easy to understand the businesses they select: the CCP says what its priorities are.

Lee wrote that China's ruling (and only) party released its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2011. This plan would have stated that BEVs, batteries, and solar panels were "strategic emerging industries" that Chinese entrepreneurs should dedicate themselves to. However, there is a mistake there. China's Five-Year Plan in 2011 was the 12th, not the 14th, which was actually released in 2021. I am not sure if the error is related to the year (2021 instead of 2011) or the number of the Five-Year Plan.

Whatever it was, the deal is that the central government's drive towards these industries turned it into a co-financier for them, hence the explosion of Chinese BEV makers. For local rulers, they only had to follow what the CCP wanted them to do. That is why Chinese companies prefer to "copy quickly:" that shortens the time for them to start manufacturing whatever they feel they have to do. The next step is to increase output at the same pace.

Collecting taxes is just part of the explanation for these industrial efforts. The CCP also evaluates local bureaucrats based on how well their economies are going. If they do not have enough entrepreneurs to push these factories, they will do that on their own, which justifies the high number of state-owned companies. Finally, it is easy to understand the businesses they select: the CCP says what its priorities are.

Lee wrote that China's ruling (and only) party released its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2011. This plan would have stated that BEVs, batteries, and solar panels were "strategic emerging industries" that Chinese entrepreneurs should dedicate themselves to. However, there is a mistake there. China's Five-Year Plan in 2011 was the 12th, not the 14th, which was actually released in 2021. I am not sure if the error is related to the year (2021 instead of 2011) or the number of the Five-Year Plan.

Whatever it was, the deal is that the central government's drive towards these industries turned it into a co-financier for them, hence the explosion of Chinese BEV makers. For local rulers, they only had to follow what the CCP wanted them to do. That is why Chinese companies prefer to "copy quickly:" that shortens the time for them to start manufacturing whatever they feel they have to do. The next step is to increase output at the same pace. 

For the full article, please continue reading on our site. 

Spy Photos and Renderings of the Week

By: Mircea Panait

Once an esteemed member of the quirky club, the Juke lost a bit of its visual drama with the switchover to the second generation back in 2019. Going forward, it will further lose its last redeeming quality by dropping ICE options for electric powertrains.

Heavily inspired by the Hyper Punk and Hyper Urban concepts from 2023, the latest iteration of the Nissan Juke is due to launch in 2026 with underpinnings from the redesigned Leaf. And not surprising anyone, the third-gen Juke is smaller than the third-gen Leaf.

Teased at the beginning of the year, the front-wheel-drive crossover will be produced in Sunderland, UK. Bridging the gap between the internal combustion past and the zero-emission future, the Juke soldiers on with hidden rear door handles and striking headlights with a look-at-me signature for extra visual pizzazz.

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While on the subject of upcoming vehicles, pixel artist Sugar Chow has masterfully rendered the next generation of the BMW X5 with the Neue Klasse styling traits introduced by the iX3. While it may look as if BMW photocopied the iX3 at 120 percent, bear in mind the X5 and its electric versions will ride on the Cluster Architecture of the current generation. 

A tech-infused cabin with no iDrive controller wheel is certain as well, and BMW has already confirmed a whopping five powertrain types. In addition to 48-volt gassers and diesels, plug-in hybrids, and full-electric versions, the iX5 Hydrogen is under development for a niche customer segment. Rather than BMW, the folks at Toyota will supply the fuel cell system.

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The next generation of the X5 will be joined by the 2027 BMW 5 Series, whose facelift will adopt the design language introduced by the Neue Klasse-based iX3. Similar to the X5, the 5 Series won't switch from the Cluster Architecture to the Neue Klasse platform that BMW developed with BEVs in mind.

Andrei Avarvarii took inspiration from recently spied prototypes to illustrate the 2027 model as best as possible, which may not be to everyone's taste. On the other hand, BMW proved that exaggerated design elements don't necessarily translate to fewer customers. And yes, the next 3 Series will also go obnoxiously wild in terms of Neue Klasse styling.

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Slotting well below the 250 series, the Hilux-derived Toyota Land Cruiser FJ is coming in 2026 with circular and rectangular headlight options. Although Toyota hasn't released trim level information thus far, it's only a matter of time until a GR-badged specification will be added to the LC FJ lineup.

Digimods DESIGN worked its magic by rendering the GR Land Cruiser FJ, yet a full-on GR is not likely to happen due to insufficient demand for such a vehicle in the markets where the LC FJ will be sold. But a GR Sport does make plenty of sense, with GR Sport meaning performance-inspired styling and relatively mild chassis and suspension enhancements.

The Google Maps Feature Users Ignore, but Waze Will Never Get

By: Bogdan Popa

This week started with a new Motorola patent that envisions a horrible feature nobody is going to like. The company has developed a technology that can analyze the destinations users enter in Google Maps and provide related "recommendations" for products and services that can be purchased.

Fortunately, this idea is still in the patent stage, so let's keep our fingers crossed that it never gets past this stage.

If you're new to Google Maps and are not familiar with all its features, here's an in-depth look at how the app can help you choose the right means of transportation according to your destination and total travel time.

Meanwhile, Google is doing what it knows best, and that's improving Google Maps. The application has recently received – in a rather silent way – the ability to save the parking location on iPhone and CarPlay automatically. This feature is still not available on Android, and there's no mention as to when it could go live.

If you've been keeping an eye on how people use Google Maps, you probably know some drivers have no idea how this app works. A lorry driver – yes, lorry driver – used Google Maps for turn-by-turn guidance and ended up on a narrow road, eventually losing control and ramming into a wall. 

Congratulations for reaching the finish line!

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