Lexus continues to hammer away at its LF-A supercar, as these new KGP Photography spy shots from the Nürburgring attest.

While Toyota’s upscale moniker still has yet to officially confirm the car for production, it’s obvious that Lexus is poised to get a serious performance halo car very shortly. The front end on this mule looks different than others we’ve seen, with different hood vents and a revised front splitter than the prototypes spotted late last year. Out back, the mule retains the 2007 show car’s mid-mounted triple exhaust and oversized vents beneath the taillamps.

The front-mid-engined coupe is expected to be powered by a 500+ horsepower V-10, and looks set to bring the fight to Honda’s next Acura NSX, as well as Audi’s sparkling R8 and the usual sacred Italian cows (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, etc.). A hybrid variant also appears to be a possibility.

Enough spy shots... bring it on, already.

(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a high-resolution gallery or through to the jump for *thoughts from KGP*)

Lexus has hit the Nordschleife with its cleanest prototype yet for its LF-A supercar. LF-A prototypes first hit the 'Ring in 2005, and have seen a number of alterations over the last two years. In that time, two concepts have also hit the auto show circuit, and while they were clearly related in overall shape, they differed drastically in their surface development. The 2005 concept was a rather simple wedge shape, while the 2007 iteration was more rounded, with more nuanced, almost fussy detailing.

It seems that this newest prototype, which appears nearly free of
camouflage, falls somewhere in between the two LF-A concept cars.
The prototype's lower side vents and front air-intakes come quite close to the '07 concept, but the air scoops around the test car's C- pillar are more simplistic like the '05 concept. With its large mesh air extractors and triple exhaust tips, the prototype's rear-end design once again borrows from both cars, but ultimately goes its own way in the details. With the temporary, function-only tail-lights that are tacked on, it's clear that this prototype doesn't reveal the car's finished styling.

The headlights on the prototype still appear to be simple, angular shapes, not unlike those of modern Lamborghinis, but the '07 concept has strange lamps with a distinctive LED strip running down the front bumper. Whether elements of the latest design study will end up on the final production cars is still unknown.

Lexus is obviously approaching the LF-A with great care and extensive development--both mechanically, dynamically, and stylistically. At this point, it seems that Lexus designers are still fine-tuning the LF-A's shape.

+ WINDING ROAD: Detroit Auto Show: Hello, Again - Lexus Debuts Another LF-A Concept