TMG, or Toyota Motorsport GmbH, looks to be quite enjoying the performance side of their business of late.
In August the company announced the GT86 CS-V3, which was developed as an affordable ready-to-race machine for the V3 class of the Nürburgring-based VLN series. Then in October, TMG made history with their TMG EV P001 prototype electric racing car, which set a new Nurburgring lap time record for EVs at 7m47.79s. The company has now turned its attention to the Lexus stable and has produced a concept that’s intended for the street.
First off, we’d have liked to see the TS-650 concept based on the latest Lexus LS with its sharper lines, but TMG have still managed to apply plenty of attitude to the pre-facelift 2012 LS model. Incidentaly, all the Lexus badges have been replaced by the German TMG logo.
Upping the ante, the TMG TS-650 has a wider body with flared wheel arches, new front and rear bumpers, a carbon fibre front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser, as well as carbon fibre boot spoiler. The roof is also a carbon fibre item, as are the air vent surrounds on the front fenders. There’s no word on how much lower the sports suspension is over the standard setup, but the springs and dampers have been replaced with items from Sachs. A set of 20-inch alloy wheels, with Michelin tyres, are slowed by Brembo brakes with carbon-ceramic discs. Working at the rear axle is a Torsen limited-slip differential.
The Lexus LS600h is no slouch, with 326 kW coming from its hybrid drivetrain and a 0 – 100 km/h sprint time of 5.5 seconds. Judging a book by its cover, you can rightly assume that the TMG TS-650 has something far more potent beneath its vented bonnet. TMG engineers have in fact taken the 5.0-litre V8 from the Lexus IS-F and bolted on two turbochargers, which take power to a heady 478 kW and 710 Nm of torque. Not only that, but in the process TMG have strengthened the internals, allowing the force-fed V8 to rev to 9 000 r/min. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and TMG says the TS-650 concept needs just 3.9 seconds to sprint from 0 – 100 km/h and has a top speed of 320 km/h.
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