Lexus supercar for Melbourne

LEXUS is bringing its V10-engined LF-A Roadster to this year’s Melbourne International Motor Show, where it will be one of the star exhibits along with the BMW M1 Homage and Audi Q5.

While the Seoul motor show is the latest to be hit by the global downturn – with more than half Korea’s 22 mostly import brands having pulled out of April’s event – the Melbourne show in March will benefit from the expected cancellation of the 2008 Sydney show.

Show organisers say that at least one manufacturer is planning a mid-show global model launch synchronised with the Geneva Auto Salon, which opens a week after Melbourne. This may refer to the highly-anticipated turbo-charged Mazda3 MPS.

From top: Volkswagen Robust concept, Lotus Evora, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder and Honda Insight.

And Volkswagen, which has a larger presence at the show this year, is expected to show a HiLux-style one-tonne ute that could be a significant model for the company in Australia from next year.

The VW Robust concept first appeared at a commercial vehicles show in Germany four months ago and previews the first pick-up to be produced by a European carmaker, though it will be built in Argentina with South America and Australia as its major markets.

Other confirmed MIMS starters include the first new Lotus for 14 years, the Evora, Bentley Continental GTC Speed, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, Lexus RX350 and Japan’s new hybrid twins – Toyota’s third-generation Prius and the Honda Insight.

The eye-catching Lexus LF-A will appear at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from February 27 to March 9, having previously been a star attraction at the 2008 Detroit and Tokyo motor shows.

Toyota’s luxury brand has just come off an extremely disappointing year in Australia, but Lexus Australia boss John Roca hopes that the LF-A’s Australian debut will kick-start a new era for the brand in this country.

“The 2009 Melbourne show will debut Lexus’ most exclusive and powerful vehicle, the LF-A Roadster concept,” said Mr Roca.

“The LF-A is the ultimate representation of L-Finesse design and would be a fantastic halo vehicle for the brand, if produced.” The LF-A is a pet project of Toyota’s president-elect Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, who reportedly convinced the board to proceed with production plans for the car, despite the global downturn.

With a carbon-fibre and aluminium body, the LF-A Roadster concept car is powered by the same 360kW V10 engine as the coupe, has a top speed of 330km/h, stands only 1219mm high and features rear-mounted radiators and a speed-adaptive rear spoiler.

An LF-A coupe prototype has lapped the famed Nurburgring circuit in less than seven and a half minutes – faster than Nissan’s GT-R.

Lexus will also show the latest version of its top-selling model, the RX350, which is expected to go on sale in March.

Audi’s new Q5 may not be as sexy as the BMW and Lexus, but it is sure to shake-up the mid-size premium SUV when it is launched locally a few months after the show as a serious rival to the BMW X3 in particular.

Making its Australian debut at the Show, the Q5 was surprisingly first presented globally at the Beijing motor show last April to underscore the growing importance of the Chinese market.

Audi defied the downward spiral of the local luxury vehicle market last year by recording its fourth successive year of record volumes, gaining some 30.2 per cent, and expects the all-wheel drive Q5 will add further incremental growth.

Another newcomer – at least for Melbourne – will be the Peugeot 308CC, which famously made its local debut at the Sydney motor show last October only a week after making its global premiere in Paris.

The French carmaker’s latest coupe-convertible features a Mercedes-style “air scarf” front seat heating system and will go on sale here late this year.

Melbourne show organisers say that, while Holden will again be the biggest single-stand exhibitor, BMW has taken extra space and will be the biggest overall exhibitor at this year’s event, with a two-stand display that will include “several still-secret production BMW models” as well as the M1 Homage.

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