Lexus LS TMG Sports 650 Breaks Cover

If you stay regularly tuned in to Toyota’s corner of the social-media-sphere, then you may have noticed this morning when the Lexus LS TMG Sports 650 concept car was posted to the Toyota Motorsport GmbH Facebook Page.

Toyota enthusiasts will recall that in November of 2009 TMG officially withdrew from Formula One racing, and have since returned their attention to the world of sports car competition. This focus is exactly what led to the hyper-powerful TS-650 concept, which is apparently going to hit 641 horsepower thanks to a twin-turbocharged 5.0L V8 engine and a high-torque capacity eight-speed transmission.

We’ve known unofficially that TMG has been working on a souped up Lexus since pictures of a tech’d out LS lapping Nürburgring in Germany surfaced in September of 2011, but with this Facebook unveiling it looks like the gears are finally turning towards production viability. However, as you might expect, TMG is still keeping us mostly in the dark about the TMG Sports 650. We’ve seen enough to be titillated, but the official debut of the high-performance sedan won’t be for another couple weeks until the 2012 Essen Motor Show on December 9. So, we are left with a fair bit of speculation as to the actual specifications and the potential availability of TMG’s newest innovation.

Let the Wind Lead the Way to Performance

What we do know is that this Lexus LS-based concept is fast.

Really fast.

In fact, at over 600HP and with a transmission to handle the high torque output, you are looking at top speeds near 200 mph. However, there is more than the powertrain to thank for the TS-650’s high-speed capabilities… According to TMG’s Facebook post, “Its aerodynamics were developed in TMG’s wind tunnels and significant development has been dedicated to handling.”

You can see the outcome of TMG’s thorough aerodynamic testing and tweaking even from the exterior of the TS-650’s design. On the front end you can see enlarged air intakes that channel air directly through the heart of the car and out through widened hood vents. One can only speculate as to how these vents technically affect the car’s performance, but they generally serve to limit wind resistance, cool the engine, and increase downforce all at the same time.

Other features you can see include a stylized rear spoiler, quad tailpipes, high performance tires, and extended side skirts to keep the car riding low to the ground. You may also notice that all of the Lexus logos have been replaced with TMG logos. So, while we don’t even know whether the TS-650 will be rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, we do know that this car will drive well, and drive hard.

We’ve been waiting with bated breath to see TMG’s next move ever since the surprisingly powerful hybrid TS303 LMP1. Even though the Lexus LS TMG Sports 650 won’t officially debut until the 2012 Essen Motor Show in Germany, the plethora of pictures made available as of today should be enough to get even the most skeptical Toyota/Lexus follower more than a little bit excited.

With 641HP, it’s safe to say that you’ll be seeing this super-sedan take its place alongside AMG and BMW M cars. But will sheer power be enough to draw buyers away from these more established brands? Goodness knows, Lexus needs some more “oomph” to its brand image.

Additional information: Autoblog