Lexus concept car designed in Newport

Lexus is looking to put some zip back in its lineup of luxury cars.

Designers at the Toyota studio in Newport Beach have developed a concept car, the LF-LC 2+2 sport coupe, to be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

“Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “The clean lines of the vehicle emphasize motion, creating a distinctive look for this futuristic sport coupe.”

The project was conceived as a design exercise to explore the future of Lexus styling and was created at the company’s Calty design studio in Newport Beach.

Lexus is a division of Toyota Motor Corp. It has been the perennial luxury car sales leader in the United States but looks to lose its crown to either BMW or Mercedes-Benz this year.

The brand has been hurt by supply problems caused by natural disasters, including the March earthquake in Japan which shuttered production and disrupted auto parts manufacturing. But car reviewers have also criticized Lexus for a lack of styling panache in its lineup of cars and sport-utilities.

— Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times

Twitter: LATimesJerry